From the moment we arrived at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski, we knew we were about to experience…read moresomething truly extraordinary--but nothing could have prepared us for the sheer magic that unfolded. This wasn't just a hotel stay. It was a journey into a fairytale, meticulously crafted by history, luxury, and most importantly, people who live to deliver excellence. The location is unparalleled--nestled on the Bosphorus with panoramic views that defy description. The fusion of Ottoman grandeur and modern-day elegance takes your breath away at every turn. Waking up in a palace where sultans once lived, and watching the sun rise over the shimmering water, is a feeling I will carry with me for life. But what truly sets this experience apart--what elevates it to world-class excellence--is the leadership and hospitality of Manager Mesut Erbaş. Mesut Erbaş is the soul of Çırağan Palace. His presence radiates warmth, professionalism, and a genuine commitment to guest happiness that is rare even in the finest hotels across the globe. He doesn't just manage a hotel--he orchestrates an experience, where every guest feels like royalty. From the smallest gestures to the most elaborate arrangements, Mesut ensures that no detail is overlooked. He remembers your name, anticipates your needs before you even voice them, and creates an atmosphere of care that makes you feel completely at home--within a literal palace. Under his direction, the staff is flawless--kind, impeccably trained, and sincerely welcoming. Every team member reflects the same values: excellence, elegance, and a deep respect for their guests. The culinary experience? Sublime. Breakfasts on the terrace overlooking the Bosphorus, world-class dining in opulent surroundings, and a level of service that reminds you what five stars should truly mean. The grounds? Impeccable. The infinity pool overlooking the water, the spa that revives both body and soul, and the lush gardens that seem to whisper stories of the palace's majestic past--all meticulously maintained and endlessly enchanting. Whether you're visiting for the first time or returning as a loyal guest, Çırağan Palace Kempinski is more than a destination--it's a sanctuary of beauty, peace, and absolute refinement. Thank you, Mesut Erbaş, for making our stay the most memorable experience we've ever had. You are the heart of this palace, and your leadership is what turns excellence into something legendary. We will return, again and again--not just for the palace, but for the people who make it come alive. If you're considering staying here--don't hesitate. You're not booking a room. You're claiming a piece of timeless paradise.

We came here after a river cruse to visit Turkey . Just here a few nights . We had dinner at the…read morehotel Bellini . Well the evening went well. We complemented the beauty and had a very good meal. However, as we ordered our meal. We ask the waiter to refer us to some good wine . I looked at the menu and made a unforitnate mistake by over enjoying myself and taking his recommendation without any consideration of the cost of the wine we were about to enjoy. The waiter knowing we were not from his country and the menu pricing in erous I never considered what the price was and neither did the waiter at anytime mention that this bottle of wine is $800.00 plus dollars. We had a simple pasta plate . I feel the waiter should have told us the cost of the wine since the pricing was not on the menu

This is my second time staying here and I can't rave enough about their outstanding service. The…read moreroom is immaculate and the location is 10/10. Literally minutes walk from Haifa Sophia, Blue mosque and surrounding by cafes and restaurants so so vibrant. The rooms are luxurious and every staff member is so attentive and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's breakfast. I highly recommend this for its fab location and maintaining their standard. It's not a super huge property seems more like a boutique hotel. Overall super comfortable stay so far. I do plan on coming back again.

Service and food are highly importantant to me. If the service wasn't so impeccable, I would have…read morerated two-stars. However, at this Four Seasons location the Manager: Muhammed, Server: Melike and Bartender: Onur went out of there way to make sure we had a great dining experience--even though the first Mushroom Risotto that I had added Short rib had no mushrooms, basil and was WAY too salty, the manager Muhammed insisted on having the chef redo this dish, once it was redone, very delicious, unfortunately, I was a little turned off from the first version so I only had a bite however, if this redo was what should have been made--I would've eaten the whole thing. My partner had From the Wood Oven: PULLED SHORT RIB--Smoked Beef Short Rib, Potato, Sour Cream, Chestnut Mushroom, Aged "Kars" Gruyere--which he thought was just ok. The holiday dessert was AMAZING!!! Best part of our lunch!

Peninsula Hotel is a standout gem!!!…read more Service is impeccable. From the excellent check-in staff, to the managers and servers in the indoor and outdoor restaurant area, to the cleaning and front-door staff...I have nothing but the highest praise for all of them. The room was spacious and extremely comfortable...did not miss my home at all. Special thanks to Gökhan and Basra for making our stay one of the best. Can't wait to come back.

Beautifully decorated, staff friendly. Room is over the top with amenities. All at a fair price…read more Thank you for a pleasant stay.

A completely updated and renovated historic hotel in Istanbul's beautiful Pera neighborhood. It's…read morepart of the Marriott Bonvoy Autograph Collection. The wonderful Mr. Aram and his breakfast team make an extensive cooked to order breakfast, served at Beatrice, the hotel's rooftop restaurant. It has an outside terrace and a pretty view. There's a steep staircase from the entrance to the check-in desk, and Asi at the desk was a lifesaver carrying my heavy bags and showing me to my room after check in. Abdulhamid, Hamet and Samet both work at reception. They are very helpful and charming, explained all the hotel's facilities, arranged my bags with the bellman at check in and check out and politely answered my questions. Avni at reception was very gracious and polite as is Ferzane who is amazing and does everything well from helping with bags to check-in and explaining Marriott benefits. Great reception team. I booked a breakfast with room upgrade package through the Marriott Bonvoy website in advance and was given a very large and spacious deluxe "Grand Pera" room. The deluxe rooms have large opening windows and a beautiful marble shower that has its own frosted window. The room's color pallete is a muted light gray with some darker grays and deep burgundy accents, with touches of cream and black wooden floors. Vintage Ottoman prints on the walls give the room an exotic feel. There's a wonderful neighborhood around the hotel to explore and it's a super base to relax when you get "home" after your day because of the small but complete 24 hour fitness room and the hotel's nicely decorated bar and extensive lounge rooms, which look a bit like something out of a fabulous 1920s movie set. This hotel is a Marriott property so you can use points and make points if you book through Marriott.

Fantastic location and it's run by Marriott. Fun, trendy and everything works. I really like the…read moretop (7th floor) rooms. They have huge private balconies. Diyar. & Ahmed at the front desk are amazing, courteous and great at answering any questions you might have. They are so nice. Emine with housekeeping was also great. The decor of the hotel is really modern and fun; there are a lot of different rooms on the lobby level where you can relax, play board games, use your laptop, read some of the books they have on the shelves, have drinks and enjoy their breakfast. Superb location near Beyoğlu, in an area full of small shops and markets, a short walk to Taxsim Square and the huge pedestrian Istiklal Street. It's also next to lots of bars and restaurants and very close to some amazing antique shops and some of the most interesting neighborhood places I've seen in Istanbul. Prices are very reasonable. The rooms are on the small side and don't have any closets, but the walls have hangers and convertible shelves and they are designed pretty well. Comfy beds and high tech bathrooms with a huge round illuminated mirror. Nice shower. Decent toiletries. I found the air-conditioning not as great as some other major hotels (probably as my room was on the top floor and heat rises) but all in all it's a really nice place to stay and the design is really cool.

Very nice hotel in a good location. It's a short walk to the T1 tram that gets you to the old town…read moreor other places. The building is an industrial style and decor. They have a coffee shop in the lobby and a restaurant in another building nearby that is the second part of the hotel. I stayed here using my rewards. As a platinum member you can get free breakfast at the Moise restaurant. I really enjoyed that they give a traditional breakfast with many different items. If it's not included in your stay I recommend trying that once. I stay at a lot of Marriott hotels and this one is good. The staff are very helpful and accommodating. This neighborhood near the galata tower on a hill that's quite steep so be prepared for that.

I had a fabulous time staying at this hotel during my Istanbul trip. As soon as I arrived the front…read moredesk gentlemen greeted me and got me everything I needed. The room was perfect, with a huge walk in shower, and a closet big enough to store my belongings. The bed was extremely comfy and it was just such a great cozy room. It is walking distance from a lot of local attractions and nearby resturants. One night, I asked the front desk for recommendations on a restaurant, and I was so happy by his suggestion. Check out was also a breeze and the doorman helped me load by bags into my Uber!

Small cosy hotel in Istanbul. Great location, within walking distance to museums. Also, there are…read moremany restaurants of any kind, just a couple of minutes walk away. Views to the sea. I was lucky to witness snow in Istanbul earlier this year. Really enjoyed the views from the top floor of the hotel. Friendly staff. Cards accepted. Not very expensive. I would stay here again. Totally recommended.

We had a lovely stay at the Marmara Guesthouse for three nights in January. This was my first visit…read moreto Istanbul; my husband had been there decades ago. LOCATION (5/5). Given that our stay would be short, we wanted easy access to the major sites in the Sultanahmet district, or "Old Town." This location put us in walking distance (some uphill on cobblestone streets) of the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and more. Many restaurants and shops were also nearby and, with a longer walk, we were able to walk down to the Golden Horn and to the Galata Bridge. GUESTHOUSE (overall, 4/5). GUEST ROOM (4/5). We had a nice clean room (standard, double) on the 2nd floor with a double bed with attached private bathroom. The room had everything we needed, including a comfortable bed and pillows, desk, large wardrobe with safe, and bedside tables. It was tastefully decorated with Turkish cloth on a canopy bed. We would've rated higher had there been more space in the room. While there was a stand for one piece of luggage, we didn't use it because space was too tight. Our view was of a neighboring guest house, which allowed others to see into our room when the curtains weren't pulled. The bathroom was clean, well-maintained, and newish, and had a small shower, sink, and toilet but again relatively little space. COMMON AREAS, except terrace (see later). (3/5). Again, very tight. Upon entering, there is a small reception area, really only a desk and some file cabinets, where a staff member sits 24/7. There is a small room off this with some small couches, and reading materials (including tour and other books that can be borrowed and tourist brochures. Nice touch!). This also serves as a luggage storage area for guests who arrive early or late. Stairs up to many of the rooms and the terrace where breakfast is served are narrow and have low ceilings. My 6' husband bumped his head on his first trip up. BREAKFAST on the terrace. (5+/5). This was included in the price of our room, but was also available for 5 Euro for guests. Both the food and the view were amazing! There was a wide selection of traditional Turkish and other foods to choose from, including homemade jams, and a nice selection of juices. During breakfast, one could watch the sun rise over the Marmara Sea (which connects to the Bosphorus). Note that free self-serve coffee and tea were available all day, so we also visited the terrace to see the water view at other times of day. PRICE (Jan, 2023). (4/5). Our total bill was euros 156 (about $170) for our 3-night stay in a standard double room at this 2-star guesthouse through Hotels.com. The same room is available at a cheaper rate if you're okay with a non-refundable reservation. Note that Turkey was experiencing very high rates of inflation during our visit. TRANSPORTATION/PARKING (3/5). With reservations, the hotel can arrange for transportation to/from Istanbul airport at 40 Euros per vehicle each way. We used the service for our return trip as we had an early morning flight. The vehicle could have easily accommodated 8 passengers, so it was bigger (and more expensive) than we needed but we were happy that the option was available to us. Parking seems difficult on the side street where the guesthouse is located. STAFF. (4/5). Staff were helpful when asked specific questions but no one stands out as truly extraordinary. All front desk staff spoke a sufficient amount of English to answer our questions. There were visitors from many other countries during our stay. Staff handled our luggage on the narrow staircase. Staff also booked a morning cruise for us on the Bosphorus. SECURITY. 5/5). The neighborhood and the guesthouse felt safe. Access to the property was through a front door that was locked most of the time, and guests needed to pass a close-quarters desk that was manned 24/7.

Tomtom is a boutique luxury hotel in the heart of Istanbul, yet quiet, welcoming and calm. An…read moreattention to detail will make you feel so welcomed & at home. We loved the location nearly across from the Italian consulate, tucked away yet still in the middle of everything. It was easy to go walking on the broad Istiklal for shopping and its cute side streets lined with restaurants & boutiques. Easy to walk over to Galata tower area or/& take the tram down to the bridge area to cross over to the Blue Mosque area with public transport. We hired a tour guide for one day to make the most of our time...the hotel arranged a lovely knowledgeable woman who shared her historical insights accompanied by wonderful personal antidotes. She met us at the hotel, helping us with the tram and transport...was a good adventure. Big thank yous to Fuat & Yusuf at breakfast. This hotel made one of the best chia veggie like savory pancakes for me (vegan) and were keen to ensure i had plenty of options. The breakfast food and rooftop (enclosed during Jan) was very well done. We miss their lovely energy and presence. At reception, Nurol and Atilla went the extra mile and always greeted us as we arrived. They anticipated and went above and beyond with great warm professionalism. The hotel is clean, lovely. Complimentary tea time is a great way to met some interesting guests at the daily tea time (complimentary tea/coffee and little treats). Love this touch! It was fun to compare outing notes with the guests or just relax in your own bubble. The beds & linens were comfortable and befitting a fine small luxury hotel. Oh and thank you to Salih in house keeping. The suite room was perfect, large, excellent quality...the photos will give you a peak...great large bathrooms..and plenty of room for a twin cot for our daughter. Chocolate at turn down is a nice touch (but ditch the plastic). Congrats to GM MS Seray for finding, leading and retaining such a great team Will we return - Yes! Do keep in mind we rarely return as we love exploring new products/hotels... High Compliments to TomTom Suites. (our 5th hotel in Istanbul and now will be our returning favorite).

We loved our stay at TomTom Suites so much. It's chic, clean, and quiet. Even though it's part of…read morethe Hyatt chain, it has a very private vibe, not like other big resorts or hotels. It made me feel at home. But the best part was the staff. They were friendly and the best. They were so kind and upgraded us to a deluxe suite, provided welcome drinks, and not to mention the fabulous breakfast. The hotel is located in the Beyoğlu neighborhood of Istanbul. It's across the street from the Italian consulate in a very quiet area. However, it's only around 15 minutes walk to Galata Tower, Taksim Square, Karaköy, Cihangir, tram, and subway stations.