Istanbul has 16 million people, but its tourist zones are surprisingly compact, focused around the historical peninsula, the modern city surrounding Taksim square, and the Asian shore in the up-and-coming Kadikoy district. Avoid inexpensive hotels, which are hit or miss, since high-end hotels are so affordable. There are many multinational chains in Beyoglu, but for a more real experience, visit one of the historic locations and feel like a character from an Agatha Christie novel. These are Istanbul’s top hotels.
Soho House, Beyoglu
The famous multinational group’s Istanbul franchise is in an Italian palazzo with original elements and a modern Turkish flair. A rooftop pool offers views of Istanbul’s rolling landscape while swimming. As expected, its nightly bar and restaurant scene is youthful, stylish, and media-heavy, making it feel more like London or Los Angeles than Istanbul. This is true luxury in one of the city’s most central areas.
Marmara Pera, Beyoglu
The rooftop bar of this 15-story behemoth offers the best city views despite its unattractive exterior. A smart design with glass walls, grass margins, and high seats makes you feel like you’re floating above the rooftops and minarets while drinking your well made cocktail. A ground-level boho eatery ideal for vertigo sufferers. The suites’ in-room hot tubs offer stunning views of the Golden Horn, but all rooms have beautiful views.
Istanbul’s Galata
Many Istanbul hotels have Turkish baths, but the Galata’s, from 1720, is authentic. The main hotel is a 19th-century art deco bank in Istanbul’s most charismatic and historic neighborhood, near the Galata tower. Traditional Istanbul souvenir shops and tourists, locals, and buskers fill the neighborhood day and night.
Cihangir Witt Istanbul Suites
This high-end hotel is in Cihangir, a popular neighborhood with writers, artists, and many foreign inhabitants, just steps from Taksim and Istiklal. It’s easy to get lost in this warren-like region of steep, cobblestone lanes and crumbling ancient mansions, where vintage apparel boutiques and vegan eateries might give way to a working-class street with washing lines. Breakfast in bed is free at this award-winning suite hotel.