Elika Cave Suites Cappadocia, Curio Collection by Hilton, brings 36 rock-carved rooms and suites, a contemporary Anatolian restaurant and a cave spa to the UNESCO-listed town of Ortahisar.
Hilton has been operating in Türkiye for 70 years, but it has never done anything quite like this. Elika Cave Suites Cappadocia, Curio Collection by Hilton opened its doors on 4 June, and it is the first cave hotel in the company’s global portfolio.
The property sits in Ortahisar, a Cittaslow-designated town in the heart of Cappadocia‘s UNESCO World Heritage landscape, directly beside the honeycombed volcanic outcrop of Ortahisar Castle. Rather than a single building, the hotel unfolds as a village: 36 individually designed rooms and suites restored from centuries-old cave dwellings, connected by open-air pathways and stone terraces that look out over the valleys.
The restoration left the rock doing the work. Arched ceilings and natural stone walls are the constant, with the variation coming in what’s been added – fireplaces in some rooms, traditional Turkish hammams in others, terrace hot tubs and private pools in select suites. At the top of the range, a private villa comes with a glass-fronted infinity pool.
Dining is at Colastre, where the kitchen works in contemporary Anatolian cuisine: seasonal, locally sourced, and built on regional recipes reinterpreted through modern technique. The spa runs to two treatment rooms, a hammam, steam room, sauna and rain shower, with an outdoor pool designed to echo the surrounding landscape. There’s also a cave-hewn event hall for meetings and private functions, which is a considerably more memorable proposition than a hotel ballroom.
“The opening of Elika Cave Suites Cappadocia reflects the strong momentum behind our lifestyle growth,” said David Kelly, senior vice president at Hilton, in the announcement.
General manager Nilüfer Durukan framed the brief more plainly: “Our objective was to preserve the region’s heritage while offering contemporary comfort.”
Ortahisar is a quieter base than Göreme or Ürgüp, which is rather the point. Cappadocia’s balloon fields, rock-cut churches and valley trails are all within easy reach, and the town’s Cittaslow status is a reasonable indicator of the pace. The hotel joins Curio Collection, Hilton’s collection of independent-minded properties, and is bookable through Curio Collection by Hilton.
