Peek Inside Bulgari’s Beautiful Bodrum Mansions
In 2027, the company will open its 11th hotel on the private and unspoiled peninsula of Cennet Koyu, along with 101 three-to-six-bedroom residences
The ancient city of Bodrum, tucked along Turkey’s picturesque southwest coast, lures with yacht-filled marinas, crystal-clear waters, and hillsides blanketed in bright bougainvillea. Visitors have long felt a reverence for the past among the city’s historic ruins, such as the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Recently, however, this vibrant community has been attracting an exciting new wave of energetic and discerning travelers, and with them, the arrival of timeless, forward-thinking brands such as the Bulgari Hotels & Resorts Collection.
In 2027, the company will open its 11th hotel on the private and unspoiled peninsula of Cennet Koyu, along with 101 three-to-six-bedroom mansions, which are going on pre-sale this week. On a recent summer evening, cicadas sang from a terraced lawn sloping down to the sea as a full moon rose over the first newly completed six-bedroom residence. Olive trees and sago palms swayed in the breeze. Light glinted off the mansion’s sprawling windows like jewels in the sun.
Much like their jewelry and hotels, Bulgari’s mansions are designed as gems of their own, faceted with elegance, quality, and unrelenting craftsmanship. The brand partnered with Turkish developer AHEN and ACPV Architects Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel in Milan to immerse the dwellings into the rugged landscape. The site’s elevated geography informed the mansion’s layered, horizontal build, which sprawl along the peninsula’s north, east, and western edges, boasting picturesque views of the contoured coastline and sparkling sea.
Despite their $23 million to $70 million price tags, Bulgari’s Bodrum residences feel decidedly discrete from the road, with low, flat rooflines buffered by green plantings. Inside, however, the senses transport thanks to soaring double-height windows overlooking the water. “It’s kind of a suspended moment,” said architect Patricia Viel of the abstract vistas, awash in sea and sky. “Coming into your home, you feel like you own something that’s not for sale.”
With sizes ranging from 9,000 to 30,000 square-feet, the properties were designed with families in mind, as evidenced by the spacious primary and children’s suites. In the six-bedroom models, there are also private gyms, massage rooms, and offices. Giant walk-in closets wrapped in local teak pay homage to the country’s nautical heritage, while the floors and walls—made of local Denizli travertine—add a tactile softness to the airy interiors.
Throughout the mansions, Bulgari’s elegant simplicity is offset by show-stopping elements, like the bold, coiled staircase adjoining the two stories. Framed in steel with floating stone steps, it commands attention even among the living room’s built-in bookshelves and floating fireplace. Nearby, a sunlit dining room flanks the sophisticated kitchens by Molteni&C and Dada. “These are built to be truly timeless and eternal, both quality- and design-wise,” explained Silvio Ursini, Executive Vice President of the Bulgari Hotels & Resorts Collection. While some details are customizable, from the wallpaper to closet configurations, the shell of the home is intentionally neutral to accommodate varying decorative tastes.
Once completed, residents will become an important part of Bulgari’s Bodrum community, with access to the resort’s state-of-the-art Technogym and Spa, its award-winning food and beverage venues, and its sizable kids’ club. Personalized garden and household care will also be available, along with access to two private beach clubs built exclusively for Bulgari residents. Amenities aside, it’s the mansions’ ultra-private nature and verdant landscaping—designed to augment the breezy Mediterranean environment—that makes them stand apart. “We want to create something very natural, unmanicured, and welcoming,” Viel divulged.
The team is leaning heavily into the region’s natural beauty, planting everything from bougainvillea to rosemary and helichrysum while taking a holistic approach to sustainability. Local rock excavated on-site has been reclaimed for retaining walls and overhanging green roofs provide thermal insulation with a camouflaged guise. Meanwhile, electric shuttles, bicycles, and a labyrinth of pedestrian pathways will bring an eco-minded connectedness to the grounds.
As the sun set behind Bulgari’s first completed mansion, cross breezes blew past the lush courtyard, open patio, and gleaming infinity pool laid with Brazilian green quartzite. Never has Bodrum had a development quite like this one, with an air of luxury and Turkish-Italian panache that’s elevating the relaxed yet glamorous lifestyle of this beguiling coastal community. “Bringing our brand here means a lot,” Ursini shared, proudly. “We’re introducing Italian design, the Bulgari quality, point of view, and the Italian art of living. When you put it all together, it will be very special.”
