Most of Turkey is blanketed in snow. Drinking "sahlep" (a traditional winter drink of hot milk and the roots of an orchid) next to the window and listening to the cracking sounds of wood burning on the stove is common; even roasting chestnuts, drinking a glass of fresh boza (a thick, slightly fermented millet drink), or watching an old movie are very enjoyable things to do at home. But what about outside? To take a photograph, to make a snowman, or just to take a walk in a peaceful park. I'm going to have a more extreme suggestion for you: go on a snow vacation! Last weekend we went to Kartalkaya Ski Centre in Bolu. Kartalkaya's snow and facility quality is improving each day. Although there was no snow in Uludağ, there was a lot of snow in Kartalkaya. And, it seems like it's going to be like that the whole winter. The hotel we stayed in, on the other hand, was the Golden Key Hotel, the most boutique hotel of the area. Preparation Alancha's Chef Kemal Demirasal made for us shocked all of us when we reached the hotel. Kemal had prepared a special setup to cook the foods he had prepared for us: A huge barbecue fire in the center and an old fashion cauldron in the middle of the fire. An iron setup around the fire and four big lambs and turbot fish were placed on this setup. Lambs he stretched on the wooden rods and fish he had hung on top cooked around this fire for six hours. And, in the cauldron was the famous Keşkek (a dish of mutton or chicken and coarsely ground wheat) from Alancha's menu. Our fresh vegetables, on the other hand, cooked around the fire. The smoked, creamy chestnut soup that Kemal had prepared for us before dinner was wonderful. Be sure to visit Alancha which just opened at the ground floor of Armani Residence in Nişantaşı after Alaçatı. Kemal is not a person who discovered new dishes while travelling the world but rather he is a chef who travelled the world to discover new dishes. He is one of the few chefs in Turkey with this accumulated culinary knowledge from travels, trainings and experimental works. I especially loved the creativity of serving Çiğköfte on baklava layers. Its wine menu is also very satisfying. The upper floor is designated for groups and trainings. The décor of the whole restaurant is warm but needs to be livened up with a few art pieces. Other than that, Alancha is a very unique restaurant and Kemal Demirasal is an incomparable chef. Thumps up!If we are to go back to Golden Key, the hotel is designed with a mountain home theme. It's a boutique and caters to guests with refined taste. Wood coatings, art pieces with deer and wolf motifs, furniture with fur covering, and fireplaces in many places of the hotel make you feel you're in a real mountain hotel. The lounge area consisting of big sofas and a library will take you to wooden Chalets with high ceilings. Although small in number, it's possible to find a nice selection of different books from Turkish Literature to British fiction. The collection is derived from the personal collection of the hotel owners. In the kitchen, on the other hand, there are assertive flavors. You can find a rich selection from world cuisine in the a la cart restaurant of the hotel, giving half pension service. Their salads especially have a healthy aroma. Besides this, the steaks and seafood linguine should definitely be tasted. For breakfast, on the other hand, the fresh waffles and different types of jams are famous. Just like in their Marmaris hotel, they make their own jams in the Kartalkaya hotel also. Moreover, they have house drinks which are delicious. For example, they offer warm wine and sahlep. As you know, while most places make sahlep from ready-mixes, Golden Key makes the winter drink from goat milk and its taste is delicious. Likewise, warm wine with lots of cloves, pomegranate and orange add warmth to the warm winter nights. Brown, grey and red tones dominate the rooms. Red is also reflected on the outside of the hotel as well. From the outside of the hotel, asymmetric window designs are totally red and very nice. The external architecture built by Lea Invent is a modern interpretation of a classic mountain house, Golden Key's internal accessories has been especially designed by Şeref Aldemir. There is a family room and penthouse duplexes in addition to standard rooms. There is also a mezzanine in the high ceiling penthouse duplexes. There is also a Jacuzzi at this mezzanine. Also, I saw something I had never seen before in a hotel: the"Yun," an aromatherapy machine which cleans, humidifies and spreads a relaxing air into the atmosphere as it heats oil. Likewise, music of the far-east plays at the same time. Its ambiance is quite elegant. The hotel is also pretty close to the tracks. You can easily go to Kartal or Dorukkaya tracks with the hotel's ring vehicle which is free of charge. You can also rent your ski equipment inside the hotel and avoid the crowd at other ski rentals near the track area. Hotel guests can take skiing lessons from the hotel's own instructors. Even shopping can be done from the boutique inside the hotel. In short, it's a really suitable hotel for people who like to ski and snowboard. For people who don't know the sport, there are many other options with the spa topping the list. Of all the types of massages I have seen, the post-ski massage and ear cleaning therapy were most interesting. They clean the inside of your ears by using beeswax with a modernized version of an old American- Indian technique. The spa area is quite large. There is a huge L-shaped sofa in the relaxation hall. That's my favorite place. You can lie on this huge sofa, made up of towel fabric, and watch the mountains accompanied by Asian music and green tea. The most noteworthy feature in the spa is the huge outdoor Jacuzzi. It's worthwhile to come here just to enjoy the mountain view in this hot Jacuzzi. Thanks to the hotel's owners Sedat and Şebnem Uyar and its operations manager, Evin Tutkanoğlu for adding such a high quality hotel, service and tourism concept to Kartalkaya.Top 3 Hotels of the WeekThe Public Hotel / BeyoğluGolden Key / KartalkayaAriana Hotel / CappadociaTop 3 Restaurants of the WeekHudson / ArnavutköyEscale / LeventCentral / NişantaşıTop 3 People to FollowKemal Demirasal / ChefCenk Erdem / DJAlexander Koko / Stylist