Şebnem
Uyar

01

Do you remember the first time you saw Golden Key Bördübet? Is what you saw that day the same as what you have created today?

The first time I saw it, Bördübet felt truly magical to me. What moved me here was the silence. It was the way nature wrapped me up safely, and, I think, the chance to look inward — everything flowing at its own rhythm, with nothing in a hurry.

The place we have created today has changed, but at its essence it has stayed the same. It is still a living space where nature plays the leading role.

02

What is the difference between building a hotel and creating a soul?

Building a hotel is an architectural process. Creating a soul is the harmony between your own spirit and that of the space — I would call it a dance between the two. In truth, it emerges together: it asks for a little of you, a little of the place, and time. It takes shape through people, through stories, through details.

You can complete a building in a few years, but the soul you give a place comes through effort, through love, and through a certain devotion.

03

For years, Golden Key has built a world shaped around nature, art and silence. Why is this trio so important to you?

Because all three bring a person back to themselves. Nature slows us down, art inspires us, and silence lets us hear again the things we had forgotten how to hear. You live more aware, more awake.

04

What is your definition of luxury?

Today, for me, luxury sits very close to the idea of slow living — slowness, awareness, peace. It is being able to lose yourself in a book without reaching for your phone, waking to birdsong, picking a vegetable you have grown yourself from the garden, and being able to spend time alone with yourself.

05

What do you hope a guest arriving at Bördübet for the first time feels here?

First, that they are a guest of nature, and that they are drawing a deep breath. And that, for the first time in a long while, they are truly slowing down.

06

What is the role of art in a hotel experience?

More than making a hotel beautiful, art gives a space its character. The works make the guests who look at them think, feel and slow down; they bring people into the present moment and create memories worth remembering.

07

How do you know when a place is truly timeless?

If it does not lose its meaning even as fashions change, it is timeless. If people can return years later and still feel the same emotion, then that place is timeless.

08

What change in the travel industry has excited you the most?

That people now travel not just to see, but to feel. Experience and meaning have begun to take precedence over show.

09

If you were to start from scratch today, would you create a hotel again?

Most likely, yes. But once again I would think of it not merely as a hotel, but as a living space where people could connect with one another and with nature.

10

How will people's expectations of travel change over the next ten years?

They will travel less, but more meaningfully. They will look for more authentic experiences, more nature and calm, and a greater sense of belonging.

11

Where would you like to see Golden Key in the future?

As a brand remembered for the impact it has created. Change and transformation will always be necessary, of course. My wish is for it to remain a hotel that is respectful of nature, timeless and inspiring — one that makes each person feel at peace and valued.