Nine Istanbul Hotels for a Sultry Summer Break
From transformed warehouses with rooftop cocktail bars to opulent townhouses infused with Ottoman-era nostalgia, these are nine of our favourites stays in the Turkish city.
22 August, 2022
- Words by
- Phoebe Hunt
Istanbul
Istanbul
is a city of juxtapositions: the cry of the imams’ call
to prayer and ferry horns blasting across the Bosphorus against
techno music drifting from rooftop bars. Wander its streets and
you’ll encounter third-wave coffee shops and midnight sweetcorn
vendors, myriad frenzied bazaars and the tranquil serenity of
artisan designers’ studios. East meets West has long been the
tagline of this continent-straddling city – we can’t remember the
last time we read a description that didn’t call it the gateway
between Europe and Asia – but often, clichés ring true. Istanbul’s cultural confusion shimmers like the
summer haze that cloaks its sultry streets at summer’s end.
It’s the same story for the city’s hotels. You’ll find Persian
rugs, Ottoman antiques and traditional Turkish breakfasts under
Byzantium archways, but also Brooklyn-inspired brick interiors,
flaky French pastries and buzzy rooftop bars. We’ve haggled our way
through the bazaars and backstreets of Galata and Karaköy to bring
you our favourite stays in the city.
Turkish delights: our pick of Istanbul’s top hotels
hotel
Régie Ottoman
First impressions of this slick city townhouse disguise the
hotel’s history; the 150-year-old building was once home to the
tobacco-trading company partly responsible for bankrolling the
Ottoman empire.Today, the founders of Régie Ottoman pay tribute to
its former glory with a sharp industrial aesthetic that
occasionally nods to heritage. There’s exposed brickwork,
burnished-copper fittings and just a touch of Ottoman-era nostalgia
(opulent green-velvet sofas, elegantly latticed room screens and
the occasional antique). Halfway between the Grand Bazaar and the
waterside, the 34-bedroom hotel is well placed for a long weekend
in the city, and its brand new Ocak restaurant is head and
shoulders above your average hotel joint. Expect family-style
recipes, elevated a few notches and washed down with natural wine
or cocktails.
hotel
Mest Hotel
Just a cinnamon stick’s length from Istanbul’s famous Spice
Bazaar, this recently opened hotel is right in the middle of the
action. The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia and the Grand Bazaar are all
less than 15 minutes away by foot. Aside from the killer location,
Mest’s breakfast rooftop views are the main event: help yourself to
a buffet of myriad Turkish pickles, breads, eggs and free-flowing
tea, then grab a table on the panoramic terrace and feast to the
soundtrack of seagulls duetting with the call to prayer. Rooms are
smartly dressed, with freestanding bathtubs, soft linens and
picture windows offering close-up views of Yeni Camii Mosque’s
blue-grey domes.
hotel
AJWA Sultanahmet
Even the most seasoned Istanbul traveller will be impressed by
the levels of opulence here: exquisite mother-of-pearl furniture,
silk Tabriz carpets, flamboyant tiling, intricately carved woodwork
and hand-painted ceilings mean you’re not just visiting museums but
also staying in one. AJWA Sultanahmet’s interiors are new, but
sourced exclusively from local craftsmen to recreate the former
decadence of Ottoman living. Hotel dining options are just as
lavish, with the Zeferan Restaurant serving huge Turkish and
Azerbaijani banquet-style dinners. Expect a diverse range of dolma
(rice-stuffed vine leaves), kebabs, pickles and signature çigirtma
biryani rice with saffron and lashings of butter, followed by sweet
and savoury pastries.
hotel
10 Karaköy
Istanbul, Turkey
The Karaköy district has been on our radar for a while. A gritty
waterfront transformed into a corner of cool for city creatives,
the sea breeze-washed tea stops have made it the place to be during
the summer heat. The area’s edginess might have rubbed smooth over
the last decade (we’d head to the bar-studded Beyoğlu next door to
find the hedonistic crowd), but its proximity to historic sites
keeps it top of our to-stay list. Case in point? This unique hotel
is housed in a restored 19th-century fish market. At 71-key 10
Karaköy, the decor is pared back and sleek, with original
Ottoman-era ceilings and a bronze fish installation paying tribute
to the building’s past. On the Sky Terrace, influencers jostle to
get the best views over the Golden Horn and Sultanahmet – avoid the
stampede by sitting back on the bar stools and toasting the hotel’s
history with a glass of champagne.
hotel
World House
Opened just before the pandemic, a tricky two years has done
nothing to deter the small team behind this independent hotel. Each
of the 10 airy bedrooms is decorated with warm wooden floors, white
walls and mid-century-inspired furnishings. We’d recommend nabbing
one with terrace views looking over the city’s pencil-shaped Galata
Tower and the Bosphorus Strait beyond. Situated away from the
blander streets of the city’s “hotel district”, this is a spot
where life slows down a notch as you linger over breakfast in the
third-wave café World House Coffee Co. Don’t expect a traditional
Turkish coffee – a single-origin cold brew is on the cards
here.
hotel
Sub Karaköy
The uber-contemporary, industrial and loosely nautical design at
Sub Karaköy provides a welcome break from Istanbul’s street-level
kaleidoscopic colour. The simplicity is intended as a “harbour of
minimalism” within the literal harbour of the Golden Horn, and it
works (although there’s still the odd flash of red found in each
room). The breakfast spread is a highlight, with the (mostly
organic) dishes all displaying their provenance on little maps,
right down to where the berries for the jam originate. Sub
Karaköy’s green credentials are impressive, too, with a commitment
to recycling everything from wire coat hangers to cooking oil, as
well as working with the community on climate initiatives.
hotel
DeCamondo Galata
Sensing some Italian essence in the decor of DeCamondo? This
32-key stay is named after one of Istanbul’s wealthiest families –
nicknamed the “Rothschilds of the East” – who counted their coins
for over 300 years in the gilded city of Venice, buying up
treasures from across Europe (a few of which can still be spotted
in the hotel). This centuries-old legacy seeps into the design of
stylish bedrooms, where clean lines and warm simplicity complement
original brick ceilings, wooden beams and vintage photographs of
this illustrious family. Look out for Banque DeCamondo, a sister
townhouse hotel, opening this year.
hotel
Georges Hotel
Wandering the steep, cobbled streets of Galata offers a view of
Istanbul at its finest for first-time visitors: the European
quarter of the city is packed with sleepy old-world coffee shops
beside designer boutiques, and dusty bookshops patrolled by
welcoming cats. Tucked into an enchanting little corner of this
nostalgic scene is Georges Hotel, a 19th-century apartment
building-turned-hotel that’s so discreet it doesn’t even have a
sign outside. Rooms are light, airy and uncomplicated, pairing
crisp French linens with Ottoman architecture and natural-wood
floors. In the evening, head to the terrace of its rooftop
restaurant for a cosmopolitan mix of the many culinary influences
that make up Istanbul.
hotel
Hotel Poem
Affordable yet comfortable, Hotel Poem is for those who’d rather
spend their time and money on shopping and eating out than a place
to lay their head. Still, the sun-drenched balconies overlooking
the Bosphorus are better than most of Fatih’s rooftop bars, and the
location in Sultanahmet means you’ll get to visit many of the main
attractions on foot. Of the 19 unique bedrooms, choose one with
waterside views and a balcony.
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