Swissôtel Büyük Efes İzmir

About Swissôtel Büyük Efes İzmir

Few hotels are as woven into İzmir's story as the Büyük Efes. Standing just behind Cumhuriyet Square in Alsancak, the 12-storey, 44.5-metre slab was designed in the 1950s by the German architect Paul Bonatz, with the plans revised in the 1960s by Turkish architect Fatih Uran. The state pension fund laid its foundations in 1957 and it opened in July 1964 on the very ground where the İzmir International Fair was first held. On completion it was the largest building in the Aegean region and Turkey's second five-star hotel after the Hilton in Istanbul. The hotel closed for a major renovation in 2002, was privatised in 2005 and reopened on 2 May 2008 as Swissôtel Büyük Efes, run by the Swissôtel brand under a 25-year agreement. Today it is a five-star city resort set in 12,000 square metres of lush gardens overlooking the bay. A soaring marble-lined lobby displays works from the hotel's contemporary art collection. There are 402 rooms, including 55 suites, and every room and suite has a balcony with city, garden or sea views. Five restaurants and bars focus on local ingredients and wines from regional partner vineyards, Pürovel Spa & Sport offers treatments and fitness facilities, and the Büyük Efes Convention Center hosts everything from boardroom meetings to grand ballroom events and garden receptions.