istanbul city hotel

This delightful small hotel is named after Suleiman the Magnificent’s grand vizier, who had a palace just around the corner, and is just steps away from the historic Hippodrome where chariot races were run in Byzantine times. Wooden floors paired with contemporary furnishings set the tone for rooms that are petite but perfectly equipped; ask for one of the newer, more spacious ones if you want to stretch out. The roof terrace offers a fantastic view of the Blue Mosque, and in winter a roaring fire welcomes guests to a book-lined lobby where a giant Roman capital props up the reception desk. The dining room feels like a Parisian bistro. 

• Terzihane Sokak 5, Sultanahmet, +90 212 518 0394, , doubles from €89 B&B

Unmissable on account of its vividly colourful exterior, the Kybele consists of a pair of fine city mansions knocked through and kitted out with an unfeasibly large number of hanging glass lamps. (The owners claim that they kick-started the demand for these lamps which are now on sale in their thousands in the Grand Bazaar.) Bedrooms are equally colourful and equally full of lamps; not even the singles scrimp on the Kybele’s trademark feature. The owner’s basement carpet and textile shop ensures lots of other interesting decorative twists. Breakfast is eaten on a secretive rooftop terrace away from the hubbub on the street below. 

• Yerebatan Caddesi 35, Sultanahmet, +90 212 511 7766, , doubles from €110

Meticulous attention to detail marks out the Sirkeci Konak, a fine modern hotel tucked down a street facing Gulhane Park that has just been tarted up to make it more tourist friendly. It has under-floor heating in the bathrooms, Turkish delight on the pillows and a daily newsletter that alerts guests to what’s going on about town, as well as Ottoman-themed modern furnishings and a ground-floor restaurant that rolls out a breakfast that would make a grand vizier blush. There’s even a pocket handkerchief-sized pool in the basement, a real plus in the heat of high summer. 

• Taya Hatun Sokak 5, Gulhane, +90 212 528 4344,, doubles from €170 B&B

تصنيف : Voyage_Travel