Istanbul Guide

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Sleeping

Every accommodation style is available in İstanbul. You can live like a sultan in a world-class luxury hotel, bunk down in a dorm bed or settle into a stylish boutique establishment. The secret is to choose the neighbourhood that best suits your interests and then look for accommodation that will suit your style and budget – there are loads of options to choose from. Accommodation Trends

tems when setting their rates, meaning that in quiet times prices can drop sometimes by as much as 50% and in busy times they can skyrocket. As a result, treat our prices as a guide only – it is possible that the price you are quoted will be quite different. Note that most hotels in İstanbul set their prices in eu ros, and we have listed them as such here. In-Hotel Dining Breakfast is almost always included in the room rate. A standard Turkish breakfast buf fet includes bread, jams, yogurt, sheep’s milk cheese, boiled eggs, olives, tomatoes, cucum ber and tea/coffee. Often cakes, cereals and böreks (filled pastries) are added. Most of the city’s luxury hotels and many of its boutique choices have a bar and restaurant. The best of these are found at the Four Seasons Istanbul at Sultanahmet, Karaköy Rooms, Marmara Pera and the Four Seasons Istanbul at the Bosphorus. Lonely Planet’s Top Choices Hotel Empress Zoe (p181) Atmospheric boutique choice near Aya Sofya perfectly balancing charm and comfort. Hotel Ibrahim Pasha (p181) Chic contemporary style with Ottoman overtones; overlooks the Blue Mosque. Karaköy Rooms (p183) Stylish and well-sized rooms are the main draw, with a lavish breakfast spread an added extra. Louis Appartements (p182) Keenly priced and well-equipped suites and rooms near Galata Tower. Marmara Guesthouse (p180) Friendly, family run budget pension in the heart of Sultanahmet. Sirkeci Mansion (p181) Wonderful family choice with impressive service, entertainment program and facilities.

Despite what certain members of the EU may think, İstanbul is a European city and accom modation styles and prices here are similar to those in most major European capitals. Re cent trends have seen customers moving from small midrange and budget hotels that domi nate Sultanahmet towards the apartments and boutique hotels that have been opening in Beyoğlu. Some of these hotels offer chic bars, spas, gyms and other trappings of the The boutique hotels in Beyoğlu and along the Bosphorus are hip rather than historic, even though many of them occupy handsome 19th century apartment blocks. Most have been fit ted out by architects versed in international modernism, and have interiors that would suit Stockholm or Sydney as much as they do İstanbul. In most of Sultanahmet’s hotels, the decor is different. These places are often owned and run by locals who are originally from the east of the country and have a reso lutely Anatolian aesthetic – you’ll see lots of carpets and kilims (pileless woven rugs), silk bedspreads and nazar boncuks (blue glass beads that Turks believe protect against the evil eye). That said, there are a number of Sul tanahmet hotels that have melded the best of both worlds, delivering quietly elegant interi ors with Anatolian or Ottoman flourishes. Rates & Reservations Hotels here are busy, so book your room as far in advance as possible, particularly if you are visiting during the high season (Easter/ May, September/October and Christmas/ New Year). Recent years have seen significant fluctuations in tourist numbers in İstanbul, so most hotels use yield management sys international designer lifestyle. Accommodation Styles