| |
As the picture (left) displays, sitting on the Bosporus between Besiktas and the Dolmabahce Palace, the Ciragan’s location is second to none. Managed by the German Kempinski group, the hotel gets its [name] from an Ottoman Palace that was built in 1874 by Sultan Abdulaziz, who committed suicide in one of its rooms. But don’t let that put you off. Gutted by fire in 1908, it was over 70 years before the building was finally renovated and a new wing added to accommodate the new hotel’s 300-plus standard rooms. Facilities include a Turkish bath, fitness centre and what is certainly the most scenic pool in the city, right at the water’s edge. A turbelnt history has been long forgotten.
|
The Four Seasons is another Istanbul hotel with an interesting past, when the impressive neo-classical building enjoyed a far less beguiling role as the Sultanahmet Prison. Converted in 1986, the hotel is now one of the city’s finest, boasting comfortable and well-furnished rooms, many with superb views of the Blue Mosque or Haghia Sophia, and excellent service. The Four Seasons also happens to be the only five-star hotel in the old city. The Seasons Restaurant, set in the hotel’s garden courtyard, is highly regarded, but by no means cheap.
|
Built in 1892 to accommodate passengers from the Orient Express, the Pera’s distinguished guest list has included Greta Garbo, Mata Hari, Alfred Hitchcock, Jackie Onassis and Agatha Christie, who penned part of Murder on the Orient Express while staying on the 4th floor. But the hotel is looking decidedly jaded these days. The rooms are simply fitted with reproduction furniture and lack any of the mod cons you would usually expect for the price. In fact, limiting your visit to a drink at the bar or tea in the Viennese café is probably the best idea. Afterwards ask the bellboy to take you upstairs to visit room 101, where Ataturk, founder of the modern Turkish Republic, stayed.
|
The Bebek has a stunning shoreline position with the rooms on the water side—well worth the premium price tag— enjoying a ringside view of the Bosporus. Opened in 1947, the hotel has enjoyed a recent refit so that the well-equipped rooms, lavishly decked out in dark wood and leather, complement the superb location. The terrace bar and restaurant are so popular in summer that it can be hard to get a table. Although quite a distance from the historic city centre and Taksim, the Bebek is close to the main business districts of Levent and Maslak.
|
Called the 'Green House’, this hotel is right in middle of the old city between Haghia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Originally the home of a wealthy Ottoman family, the building was carefully restored by the Turkish Touring and Automobile Association in the late 1980s, inspiring a new generation of Ottoman boutique hotels. There are no concessions for the business traveller, but what the Yesil Ev lacks in facilities, it makes up for in atmosphere. Period furniture and creaky wooden flooring give the feeling that you’ve slipped back in time. In summer there’s a lovely garden café and a restaurant serving Turkish dishes.
|
| |