Istanbul is a stunner of a city almost any time of the year. While the traffic has gotten worse, the food is better than ever. I had the opportunity to visit again a few months ago and adored my experience at two of the Four Seasons beautiful properties. The two, Sultanametand Bosphorus, are pretty distinct and located in different areas of the city.
I really loved the intimacy of the Sultanament, somewhat hidden on a back street of the old city. The rooms are cozy and gathered around an interior courtyard that keeps the city’s buzz at a low hum. This property was originally opened in 1996, marking the transformation of a century-old Turkish neoclassical prison into a luxury hotel and was refurbished in 2020 to 2021.
The Avlu restaurant, located in the center of the hotel, sources herbs from a chefs garden and the restaurant offers Turkish classics such as yogurt soup and beef cheek stew and traditional cheese and meat pides or meat pies. All of which can be paired with Turkish wines from many regions. One of my favorite dishes was the orchid root ice cream, served in an easy-to-crack ball of white chocolate.
This super central location gives guests easy access to key tourist destinations such as the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. The hotel’s publicist Beril Pamir says this new Sultanamet location is the lesser-known, up-and-coming property that guests will gravitate to in the future.
A Room with a View
On the other side of the city the Four Seasons Bosporhorus occupies a handsome position on the Bosphorus. It opened in 2008 and was crafted from a 19th-century Ottoman Atik Pasha Palace with two modern wings added to the structure. The height of the ceilings and the crown moldings are impressive. You feel as if you were staying the mansion at the heart of the Netflix drama Old Money.
Boats pass on the Bosphorus day and night and the double-height windows make for glamorous views. The hotel features an outdoor pool in summer and a spa pool all-year long. The property also features a sybaritic rose oil treatment. The hotel’s restaurants offer stunning Bosphorus views.
All photo credits go the Four Seasons Hotels in both locations.
