World City Guide

Hotels

We have selected 8 of the best hotels in Istanbul, which we have divided into four categories: Business, Luxury, Moderate, and Other Recommendations. The hotels are listed alphabetically within these different categories. The hotels have also been classed into four different pricing categories:
$$$$ (over $300)
$$$ ($150-300)
$$ ($70-150)
$ (under $70)
The price listed is for a standard double room, in high season. Rates given are including tax (18%) and breakfast, unless indicated otherwise. As a general rule, luxury hotels do not include either in their rates. Moderate and cheaper hotels include both in their rates. These are the published prices, although there are often good deals especially off season (generally between October and March).

Business

Marmara Hotel
Located in the noisy Taksim Square, the Marmara is something of a landmark and slap bang in the middle of Istanbul’s modern hub. The 387 rooms and 16 suites all have the usual facilities of a top hotel, including cable TV, safe and minibar, Internet connection and voice-mail service. The hotel has a gym and small pool, shops, the Panorama restaurant (with great city view), and a wonderful terrace café (see below).

Taksim Meydani, Taksim
Tel: (0212) 251 4696.
Website: www.themarmaraistanbul.com
Price: $$$

Taksim Square Hotel
Although not the most atmospheric of hotels, this hotel is popular with business travellers and its decent rooms are excellent value, especially given its central location in Taksim. The hotel has 87 rooms (of which 11 are non-smoking), 32 on the Bosphorus side and 55 overlooking the square, and all have cable TV, IDD and fax-modem connection and a minibar. There are a couple of restaurants, café and bar, and three conference rooms.

Siraselviler Caddesi 15, Taksim
Tel: (0212) 292 6440.
Website: www.taksimsquarehotel.com.tr
Price: $$

Luxury

Ciragan Palace Hotel Kempinski
This restored residence of Ottoman Sultans is the only luxury hotel on the European shores of the Bosphorus. With some of the most extravagant rooms in the city, the hotel has 282 rooms and 20 suites, with another 11 in the Palace, including the $9,000 Sultan Suite. With a swimming pool in its huge terrace, four restaurants (see Tugra, below) boutiques, a spa and health club, rooms with high-speed Internet access, it is also good for business travellers.

Ciragan Caddesi, 84 Besiktas
Tel: (0212) 326 4646.
Website: www.ciraganpalace.com.tr
Price: $$$$

Four Seasons Hotel
Built from the century-old neo-classic Sultanahmet prison (setting of the infamous film Midnight Express and still containing original pillars with prisoners’ graffiti), this hotel is luxury with understated elegance. Its 65 spacious rooms, each unique in shape and size, health club, conference facilities and rooftop terrace, all frame an attractive open courtyard, which also contains the top-class Seasons restaurant (see below). The location, a stone’s throw away from the Blue Mosque and Haghia Sofia, is very peaceful.

Tevkifhane Sokak 1, Sultanahmet-Eminönü
Tel: (0212) 638 82 00.
Website: www.fourseasons.com/istanbul
Price: $$$$

Moderate

Side Hotel and Pension
In Sultanahmet’s historical quarter, this small, friendly family-run hotel and pension represents excellent value. All rooms are clean and simple, those in the hotel with TV and phone, half with air-conditioning and some with jacuzzi (at extra cost). Rooms are cheaper in the pension (no air-conditioning, TV or phone). Two apartments accommodate up to six people, with well-equipped kitchen and living room.

Utangac Sokak 20 Sultanahmet
Tel: (0212) 517 2282 or 458 5870.
Website: www.sidehotel.com
Price: $

Yeni Sehir Palas Otel
This popular four-star hotel is quiet, friendly and central, very close to the shopping and business district of Taksim. With a total of 102 standard and 69 deluxe rooms, each with 24-hour room service and cable TV, Yeni Sehir Palas is excellent value. The Junction pub/café is very popular, and the Vareli wine bar is recommended. Price includes a huge breakfast.

Mesrutiyet Caddesi Oteller Sokak, 1-3 Tepebasi
Tel: (0212) 252 71 60.
Website: www.yenisehirpalas.com
Price: $$

Other Recommendations

Ayasofya Pansiyonlari
Located on a blissfully quiet street, sandwiched between Haghia Sophia and Topkapi Palace, this small, brightly painted row of restored Ottoman houses offers a real taste of history. Each one of the atmospheric guesthouses, each with 5-10 rooms, plus 2-bedroom apartments, are furnished simply in 19th-century Ottoman style, with period decor and furnishings, plus a restaurant. The front rooms are recommended, with views of Ayasofya.

Sogukcesme Sokak Sultanahmet
Tel: (0212) 513 3660.
Website: www.ayasofya-pansiyonlari.com
Price: $$

Hotel Devman
In the atmospheric Asmalimescit, within easy reach of many small bars and restaurants and just off the busy Istiklal Caddesi, this is the only hotel on the street with air-conditioning. Small and simple, the rooms are clean and good value, with phone (no IDD) and TV (local channels only) and decent bathroom. There are also cheaper rooms with no air-conditioning. Breakfast is included in the price. The service is friendly, although little English is spoken.

Asmalimescit Sokak 52 Tepebasi
Tel: (0212) 245 6212 or 292 1522.
Price: $