While searching for the best cave hotel that offers a wide terrace to take a sunrise photo with hot air balloons in the background, I came across so many options I was highly overwhelmed. I decided for the 5 nights I stayed in Cappadocia, I would hotel hop and check out each cave hotel myself to see which one I loved the most and share my results with you guys!
SULTAN CAVE SUITES
Sultan Cave Suites was by far my favorite place to stay in Cappadocia. Their terrace was the biggest out of all the cave suites and there is even an Instagrammable platform with breakfast prepared for you (and everyone else!) to take photos from! The hotel only offers suites: we stayed in their Junior Suite for only €100 including breakfast which was a great deal! (to put in context, I stayed at Koza Cave Hotel for €112 for a very small twin bedroom).
Early in the morning at 6:20AM everyone will come to the terrace and enjoy the view of the hot air balloons flying through the valley. What I really like about this hotel is that there there was an employee who stood around making sure the best photo spots were available for everyone to take photos. For example, we saw some people sitting on the elevated terrace, which meant that you had someone’s back or someone’s butt in your photo – one of the staff members came and told them they couldn’t sit there. Thank you Sultan Cave Suites!
Pros: friendly prices, large terrace & Instagrammable breakfast on their terrace!
Cons: breakfast was cold and a bit too bland, not a lot of choices
MITHRA CAVE SUITES
Mithra Cave Suites was the second-best cave hotel I stayed in, although you will be quite disappointed with their terrace if you stayed at Sultan Cave Suites before. Their terrace is very small, there was space for only one couple set to take photos at a time. Also, contrary to their Instagram profile, the cave hotel USED TO put a nice breakfast spread on the terrace for photos, but they stopped doing that recently (maybe to save money?). There is another terrace nearby without the standard Turkish pillows and cushions where you can stand and take photos from.
However, you can book their private terrace for €80 which includes their use of a terrace, a huge and Instagrammable breakfast, photos with their dog, and a private photographer. We saw the private terrace from Koza Cave Hotel and there was even a bed/pillows on the terrace if you’re looking for that particular Instagram photo. If you’re not ready to dish out that kind of money, then you can stick to their public terraces.
The Double Bedroom I booked at Mithra Cave Hotel was nothing noteworthy, in fact the design in the room was the plainest out of all the cave suites I stayed in. However, the breakfast in the morning was the best out of all the hotels, the staff kept piling food after food on the table we covered two square tables with just food for two people! We were so stuffed we didn’t have to eat lunch at all.
As with all the cave hotels in Cappadocia, you can book tours with your hotel or with almost every other store in Goreme town. It seemed like everyone was selling the same tours, experience, just at different prices. I really wanted to either go horse back riding or camel riding in Love Valley and Mithra Cave Hotel offered a 2h sunset horseback riding tour for €20 per person or 200 Turkish Lira. This tour was reasonably priced as I compared it to Lucky Horse Ranch and their sunset tours were around €80 per person.
Pros: friendly prices, super large breakfast, multiple terraces to take photos from, €20pp 2H sunset horseback riding tour booked with the hotel
Cons: No Instagrammable breakfast to take photos with on the terrace, the most popular terrace is very small, rooms were very mediocre
KOZA CAVE HOTEL
Koza Cave Hotel was my third favorite cave suite due to a variety of reasons. It is the least reasonably priced, probably due to the fact that I stayed in a very small double room for €120 whereas at Sultan Cave Suites, I was able to stay in a Junior Suite for less than that! Other than that, Koza Cave Suites is a family run property with only 10 rooms, which is a plus because the terrace may not be as crowded similar to the other cave hotels.
However, there is no staff in the morning to offer you a hot beverage or to help tell other tourists to not to sit in the most photographed spot in the morning. In fact, the morning I went up to the terrace, there were already two couples sitting by the best spots and I was left with a corner to take my photos from. They sat there the whole sunrise and by the time I left, they were still there! Obviously I could’ve asked them to stand up, but in all fairness, they arrived there first, and they are not obligated to get up from their comfortable position just for me. This wouldn’t have happened at Sultan Cave Suites by the way…
Other than that, the breakfast at Koza Cave Hotel was delicious and the scrambled eggs and fried sausages hit the the spot. Again, bees fly around the breakfast terrace so if you don’t want these annoying insects flying around your ham and honey, choose a spot inside.
The Double Room we stayed in was as I mentioned multiple times earlier, Very Small. There was enough room for our two carry-on luggage, but not a big luggage. Also, the door and window was facing the main area of the hotel and from 8:30AM onwards, there are staff walking around, people getting up to eat, and cleaners.. etc. It was very noisy. Therefore, if you want to stay at Koza Cave Hotel, maybe book a different room, one of the suites is better suited since it is located on the second floor.
Pros: family-owned cave hotel, not so crowded in the morning because the hotel only has 10 rooms, no Instagrammable breakfast for photos but breakfast was delicious. Nice welcome drinks and snacks
Cons: luxury hotel so expect higher prices, stay away from the twin/double bedroom because it is quite small compared to other hotels in the same area
LOCAL CAVE HOUSE
For a VERY budget friendly cave house within steps from Goreme town, look no further than Local Cave House, popular amongst Instagrammers due to its picturesque hotel as the backdrop and a swimming pool in the front. I couldn’t believe the prices when I booked this hotel, in October 2020, a double bedroom was only €38/night including breakfast.
Although the terrace at this hotel may not be as beautiful as the previous 3 cave suites mentioned, you can still see balloons fly in the morning. I stayed at this hotel for two nights and spent the final and last morning in Cappadocia taking photos at the hot air balloon take-off point.
Pros: Very budget-friendly, received an upgrade upon check-in which was very much appreciated! Room was nicely designed, spacious bathroom and friendly staff!
Cons: Breakfast was buffet-style where you but not COVID-standards, pool not cleaned regularly probably because no one swims in October (?)