Nişanyan Hotel

Overview

Nişanyan Hotel is a cluster of old village houses, stone cottages and gardens at the top of Şirince. The village lies 8 km (5 miles) above Selçuk, in the hills behind Ephesus. The hotel has 21 rooms in all, and no two are alike. It also stays open all year, so it works in winter as well as in summer.

Nişanyan Hotel at the top of Şirince

The hotel sits at the upper edge of Şirince, well above the shops of the main street. At about 400 meters (1,310 feet), it stands some 50 meters (165 feet) higher than the village center. So the Main Building looks out over the tiled roofs, while the Tower House faces the valley and its gardens.

Quick facts

• Good for: a slow stay in a hillside village, in rooms, cottages or whole houses with kitchens
• Best combined with: a day at Ephesus and an evening walk through Şirince

The Buildings and Their Story

Village houses that became Nişanyan Hotel

Nişanyan Hotel grew slowly over more than three decades, house by house and without a master plan. First came the village houses. The owners added two small inns of five rooms each, then seven cottages, a hamam (a Turkish bath) and a white marble pool. Today the grounds cover about 4 hectares (10 acres). The Main Building, or Köşk (a pavilion or villa), has five rooms with painted walls, as well as a library, the reception and the restaurant. Next door, the Tower House, or Kuleli Konak (a large traditional mansion), holds five larger rooms. Two of them also have fireplaces. There are four whole houses with kitchens. The Terrace House and the Hen House opened in 2023, and the Hen House really was the chicken coop before that.

The stone cottages of İlyastepe

Above the village houses lies İlyastepe, the upper part of the grounds. Its name means Elijah's Hill. Here the seven cottages have thick stone walls and fireplaces, while the pool sits in a grove below them. Three of the four whole houses stand here too. Lavender covers about half of the hill. The rest holds old fig, olive and walnut trees, and there are also a few rows of cherries, mulberries and apricots. A vineyard of about 1,000 vines grows here as well. Every year, the hotel presses olive oil for its kitchen from these trees.

Şirince, the old Greek village of Kırkınca

The village is much older than the hotel, though. Its first name was Kırkınca, and it took the name Şirince in the early years of the Republic. Until the population exchange of 1923, it was a Greek town. After that, settlers from Kavala, in today's Greece, moved into its houses. Today Şirince lives from vineyards, wine and olives. Some of its former Greek houses also take guests, so the hotel is one of several in the village. Its church of St. John the Baptist dates from 1805.

Where Nişanyan Hotel Sits

From Selçuk, the road climbs 8 km (5 miles) to Şirince. When you reach the "Welcome to Şirince" sign, turn right. Then follow the hotel's signs for 800 meters (half a mile). The last stretch is unpaved, and rough, chipped stone covers the lanes near the hotel.

Ephesus, Selçuk and the coast

The ruins of Ephesus lie a 12 km (7-mile) drive from the hotel. Since 2015, Ephesus has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The listing also covers Ayasuluk Hill in Selçuk and the House of the Virgin Mary. So you can pair the ruins with the Basilica of St. John and the Ephesus Museum on the same day. For a swim, Pamucak Beach is 15 km (9 miles) from Şirince. If you fly into İzmir, the İZBAN commuter line runs from the airport to Selçuk. Otherwise, the hotel can meet you at the airport.

Who It Suits

Nişanyan Hotel suits travelers who want evenings in a garden between visits to Ephesus. Families or friends can also take one of the whole houses with a kitchen. However, the hotel stands on a steep slope, and the lanes are uneven. So it is not a good fit for anyone who uses a wheelchair or has trouble on steep ground. Still, it works well as a base for several days, because it stays open in every season.

Staying at Nişanyan Hotel

Updated: October 25, 2026.

What Nişanyan Hotel offers

The pool follows the shape of an ancient Roman bath. It fills with mountain water, so it is cold in the morning and warmer later in the day. It closes near the end of October. The domed, marble-clad hamam is private, although no attendants work there. In the evening, it turns into a cocktail bar. Vegetables, herbs and olive oil for the restaurant come from the gardens. The kitchen also runs a cooking workshop and an Ottoman dinner by reservation. Pets can stay in the garden units only. We book your stay at Nişanyan Hotel.

Seeing Ephesus with Us

Would you like to stay in Şirince and see Ephesus properly? Let us know your nights in Şirince, and we will plan the morning at Ephesus from the hill. We can arrange your hotel stay, a guide for Ephesus or a wider trip through our Ephesus and Selçuk guide.