A must for those seeking Ottoman atmosphere and history. Though you’d never guess, the hotel is actually a converted 100-year-old prison once used to incarcerate writers, artists and other dissidents. The jail was abandoned in the 1960s and re-opened in the Nineties as a five-star hotel.
Location :
Only the Sultan in Topkapi palace enjoyed a better location than this. From its rooftop terrace, prepare to be awed by its 360-degree panorama: on one side, the mouth of the Bosphorus and Sea of Marmara laden with merchant shipping; behind you, the Blue Mosque, a paragon of poise with its slender minarets. The biggest surprise awaits hidden from view on the lower hotel levels — as you turn, you discover you’re cheek by jowl with Hagia Sophia, the city’s greatest monument. You could spend all day watching from the terrace but the most enchanting time is when the sun goes down and a lone gull circling a minaret is caught, reflected in Hagia Sophia’s spotlights, like a giant firefly. Unforgettable!
Style & character :
Clearly a lot of thought went into the hotel conversion to produce an elegant interior that draws on the Ottoman tradition of fine furnishings. Local tiles, marbles, woods and wrought iron blend beautifully with Venetian glass and western modernism to produce a combination of comfort and clean lines that is the hallmark of Istanbul’s east-west influences.
Service & facilities :
Helpful reception and porters — you won’t be carrying anything for long. Staff are very welcoming and nothing seems to be too much trouble. Facilities include a health club offering Balinese massage treatments and a rooftop lounge. The hotel also has its own herb garden.
- Bar
- Fitness centre
- Laundry
- Parking
- Restaurant
- Room service
- Sauna
- Spa
- Wi-Fi
Rooms :
Guests’ rooms are individual in design, and spacious (cell walls have long been demolished), some with balconies, and many looking on to the courtyard filled with plants and birds. Bathrooms are luxurious with large tubs and separate showers. Beds are very comfortable and the nearby call to prayer is unlikely to disturb you.
Food & drink :
Breakfast is served in an airy, glass, tent-like room in the centre of the courtyard or outside on its pretty terrace. Excellent quality with top-class local ingredients, including delicious Anatolian specialities. Phenomenal choice from the buffet as well as cooked-to-order international and ethnic dishes. Dinner or just drinks served on the roof in good weather with those amazing views to whet the appetite. You can also transfer to its sister hotel further along the Bosphorus to take advantage of a first-class restaurant, justifiably famed for its seafood.
Value for money :
Rooms from £266, including breakfast. Free Wi-Fi. Guaranteed a memorable stay for the views alone. And of course, what price is a memory worth?
Access for guests with disabilities?
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