CavlıHane 1885

CavlıHane is an Ayvalık house restored to welcome guests. The date 1885 is carved above its front door. You stay in the heart of the old town, in a house whose story is that of the town itself: a Greek home, then that of a family who came in the population exchange, and today a small hotel.

A faithful restoration

Ayvalık has kept most of its 19th-century fabric, but many houses have been restored without respect for their character. For CavlıHane, Mehmet Cavlı followed the rules of the Ayvalık house: a façade in local "sarımsak taşı" stone, doors framed by arches, wide windows. Art historian Berrin Akın, who wrote the house's story on the hotel website, cites this restoration as an example.

The house stands in a large courtyard. A high flight of steps leads to the front door; two symmetrical arched doors open onto the living spaces.

A family's story

The hotel website tells the house's story in two parts.

• Before the population exchange, the house was home to a Greek family. According to oral history and the layout of the ground floor, it may also have been used as a doctor's surgery; no document confirms this.
• After the exchange, it became the home of Hüseyin Bey, from Kavala, and Havva Hanım, from the island of Lesbos, both from olive-growing families. They lived there for twenty-six years and raised eight children. Their son, Mehmet Cavlı, restored the house.

The rooms

The hotel website shows the rooms in photographs without publishing their number or sizes. Sabaro passes on these details with the hotel's offer. It is a small house with only a few rooms, which makes it a quiet address.

Location

The house is in the Hayrettin Paşa district, in Ayvalık's historic centre, within walking distance of the harbour and the old streets. Edremit airport is 46 km away, about 45 minutes; İzmir airport just over two hours. Cunda Island is eight minutes away, Pergamon just over an hour. See our Ayvalık, Cunda and Pergamon page.

Prices

Price on request: in October 2026, no rate was published for our reference dates of 1 to 3 June 2027. Sabaro passes on the hotel's offer with your enquiry.

Sabaro's view

Who it suits: travellers who love old houses, the history of places and the quiet of a small address.

Highlights: an 1885 house carefully restored; a story told by the hotel; the location in the old town; a rating of 4.8 out of 5 on Google.

Good to know: it is a house, not a full-service hotel: no spa or restaurant is mentioned on its website. For a larger address with a restaurant, see Cunda Despot Evi. For more houses like this, see boutique hotels.