Review: Hera Cave Suites Cappadocia

Our stay at the Hera Cave Suites Cappadocia was a last minute decision. We weren’t sure where we were going after my cousin’s wedding in Istanbul, so we picked Cappadocia. I booked the Hera Cave Suites in the lobby right after we checked out, while simultaneously booking our flights to Nevsehir.

Then we headed straight to the airport, with our flight leaving in 3.5 hours. Have I mentioned I have a booking phobia?

There are lots of great places to stay in Cappadocia but I settled on Hera Cave Suites primarily because they offered family suites. There were eight of us total (five adults and three kids) and we needed all the space we could get. Hera Cave Suites had family suites with a total of three beds, which worked out well for us.

Hotels in Cappadocia are very cheap. During the summer (peak tourist season), you can easily book a luxury hotel for under $150 per night. Hera Cave Suites was around $148 per night including taxes, fees, and breakfast.

If you book in advance, you can find nightly rates under $100 in June. Overall, it was an excellent choice for our 3-night trip to the region.

Nevsehir Airport

If you’ve never flown into Nevsehir Airport before, you’re in for a strange experience. During landing, you’ll wonder if your plane was hijacked and diverted to a remote region of Afghanistan. No joke, Nevsehir Airport is a dead ringer for Kabul Airport. It has a single, tiny terminal surrounded by nothing, as far as the eye can see.

The terminal has one little kiosk for food and (I didn’t realize this until we’d already spent 4 hours there) a library. The people in charge must have realized people might die of boredom during a delay, so they set up this little unmanned nook where passengers could borrow magazines and books.

We flew in at night and for a second I got depressed, thinking, “This is going to be so boring. There is literally nothing out here.” Of course, I was wrong. But the airport is a good hour away from the center of Goreme, which brings me to my next point…

Airport Transportation to Hera Cave Suites

Once you get your bags from carousel one of two (no exaggeration), you walk out of the building. On the other side of a short crosswalk, you’ll find shuttles and taxis. And there aren’t many.

I believe there were three shuttle vans lined up, plus a few taxi drivers who stood outside, soliciting passengers. The shuttle had comfortable seats and was dirt cheap – like $3 per person. Since there were so many of us, we essentially filled up the shuttle van and were on our way quickly.

Hera Cave Suites Location

Hera Cave Suites is located around the corner from the town’s busy main street, where all the restaurants and shopping can be found. There’s one other hotel next door and a few homes and a hamam nearby. It’s a very quiet neighborhood but a two-minute walk from all the hustle and bustle of the main road.

I liked the location, but if you’re going to Cappadocia, try to stay at a hilltop hotel near Goreme National Park.

Cappadocia is all about the views and while you’ll see lots of beautiful vistas on hikes and horseback rides, nothing beats taking it all in right outside your window. Plus Goreme National Park is where all those photos of the gorgeous valleys filled with hot air balloons are shot.

Hera Cave Suites Lobby

The lobby of the Hera Cave Suites had a charming, rustic feel to it. There was lots of seating and complimentary water and tea. This is a great place to hang out and read…if you weren’t here to hike and see all the incredible sights. The underground city of Derinkuyu, for example, is NOT to be missed.

Right outside of the lobby, there’s a cute little seating area. It’s the perfect place to relax on a sunny day. In the evenings, this is where the guests and hotel staff gather to smoke, so keep that in mind if you have an aversion to this awful habit.

A young woman checked us in at 9 PM and helped us communicate with our shuttle driver when we realized one of our bags was left behind. I was SO grateful that the shuttle driver gave us his card and that I didn’t throw it away absentmindedly.

He dropped the bag off later that night and I really appreciated the attendant because communicating with my dozen Turkish words was not going to work in this scenario.

Check-in was quick and after making copies of our passports, she handed us our keys. Actual, physical keys. The kind with a large wooden object attached so that you wouldn’t dare lose it.

Considering I make enemies with front desk agents at every hotel because of my tendency to lose multiple keys, multiple times per stay, this wooden key actually worked for me.

Hera Cave Suites Family Suites

The hotel didn’t have two adjacent rooms, but we were only two doors down, so it was fine. The Family Suites were very nicely laid out and the pictures I’d seen online didn’t do them any justice.

Remember, this is a cave hotel, with rooms carved out of rocks and few windows. I expected it to feel claustrophobic and grimy but it definitely wasn’t. The rooms were very nicely furnished and well maintained. The photos really don’t convey that well.

Single floor Family Suite

The Family Suite at Hera Cave Suites has two different layouts and we had one of each. The single floor Family Suite featured two sleeping areas on the same floor, with a bathroom tucked behind.

This suite was furnished with two twin beds at the entrance, a TV and a gorgeous lighting fixture that I somehow failed to capture in photographs.

To my surprise, there were also several power outlets and USB ports.

A single step leads to the master bedroom, with a king bed straight ahead. The mattress on the bed wasn’t the traditional spring variety, but had the consistency of a firm cot.

he beds were super comfortable and made for a restful nights sleep. When I destroyed my back getting thrown off a horse in the Red Valley, I really appreciated the comfort of this mattress.

There was a rotary-style phone next to the bed that looked just like the one my aunt had in the early 90’s. I think at that point she had upgraded to a regular phone but kept the rotary as a toy for me and my cousin when we visited her.

Does anyone else remember the struggle of pushing the dial all the way back and then having to let go quickly because otherwise it would overpower and jam your finger?

I loved all the decorative touches, especially the antique sewing machine, which reminded me of the one my aunt had in Kabul.

There was a closet on the left side of the room, stocked with towels and slippers.

There was a desk, fridge, bottled water and tea on the right side of the room.

The kids’ reaction

The kids absolutely loved the room and kept saying, “This is so cool!” That was nice to hear, considering I expected them to complain that it was scary.

They also loved the resident kitten that hung out on our porch and snuck into the room when the door was left open. I asked one of the hotel staff outside the lobby if she belonged to anyone. His response? “It’s yours!”

Single floor Family Suite Bathroom

In the single floor suite, a small curved hallway lead to the bathroom, which was again very spacious. It featured a stand-alone tub, a large rain shower and amenities for days.

They did not skimp and frequently replenished the shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion. That first night, every single person agreed: That was the best shower they’d ever had.

Hera Cave Suites Bi-Level Family Suite

The second Family Suite had a fun layout that the kids loved. It consisted of two levels: The first floor had twin beds and all the same amenities.

The master bedroom and bathroom were located upstairs in the loft.

This suite type had a window on both floors, so if you think you’ll feel claustrophobic in a cave hotel, ask for the two-level suite. There was a window by the first-floor entrance, as well as the second-floor landing.

Room Service at Hera Cave Suites?

While the hotel didn’t have room service, per se, they did offer a list of local restaurants that delivered. Whether you were in the mood for pizza, kebabs, or anything in between, there was a restaurant nearby that was happy to bring it to your room.

We took advantage of this the first night because we were all exhausted. From then on, we always had dinner at some amazing restaurants, which were an easy walk from our hotel.

Hera Cave Suites Breakfast

While we loved the Hera Cave Suites, we all had the same gripe: Breakfast sucked. It was served in a basement, with windows that let in some natural light.

The spread featured mostly cold cuts, cereal, some fruit and bread.

The milk was always left out and often warm. There was no orange juice (just lemonade) and coffee came from a cheap cappuccino machine that would make gas station coffee taste gourmet. 

But it wasn’t a huge deal ultimately. We were there to see the natural beauty of Cappadocia and eat some good local dishes. Breakfast ultimately got a pass.

Is Hera Cave Suites worth it?

Overall, we enjoyed our stay at the Hera Cave Suites. I had very low expectations since I didn’t get to thoroughly research the hotel like I normally do. Moreover, the pictures on TripAdvisor made the place look grimy and depressing.

Which, by the way, is how every cave hotel photographs. I thought sleeping in a cave hotel would be uncomfortable, but it was actually cozy, incredibly clean and well-maintained.

The staff kind of left us alone but were around (and helpful) when we needed something. Would I recommend staying here? I think it’s great if you want nice rooms and a location that’s close to town but not in the middle of all the ruckus.

But ideally, you should stay at a hotel that’s on a hilltop and offers beautiful views of the Goreme Valley. After all, you’re in Cappadocia.

Tip: If you manage to get up at 6 AM in the morning, you can catch a glimpse of the hot air ballons flying overhead. One of them practically landed on my parents’ roof.

How to book the Hera Cave Suites with points

There are several options for booking the Hera Cave Suites. I found the cheapest rates on Agoda. You might also want to check HotelsCombined, since they search all the OTA’s for the cheapest rates. Hera Cave Suites is also bookable through the Ultimate Rewards Travel portal.

I wasn’t able to find it in the Citi ThankYou portal, so all you Citi Prestige cardholders might be disappointed not to utilize your 4th-night free benefit. That being said, you can redeem points by charging the stay to your Barclay Arrival Plus or Discover It Miles Card.

That’s all folks. Cappadocia was amazing and worth a visit. If you’d like to see footage of the trip, be sure to take a look at my Cappadocia Instagram highlights.