Luxury Accommodation in Istanbul

Exploring Istanbul as a Corporate Event Buyer gave me a unique chance to compare and contrast top hotels the city has to offer.  The excellent range of five star options appeals to all tastes, but making a final choice needs to be tailor-made to specific requirements.  I would recommend different locations depending on the time of year; whether the trip is for business or leisure; and guests' priorities / interests.  For example in the Summer I think the two very best places to choose between are the fabulous Ciragan Palace Kempinski, or the neighbouring chic Four Seasons Bosphorous.  The Ciragan Palace has the best outdoor pool in a resort-style setting and 70% of the bedrooms have views of the Bosphorous.  Decor is in traditional style and the palace wing is truly opulent - ideal if you'd like to arrive by private helicopter and spend Eur40,000 per night on your suite.  Thankfully the regular room rate is a fraction of the cost.  These waterfront properties provide the perfect opportunity to take a private boat transfer from the airport and avoid the usual road traffic challenges on arrival. Four Seasons Bosphorous is one of two properties in Istanbul (the smaller and older Four Seasons Sultanahmet is centrally located and ideal for sightseeing around the Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, and Topkapi Palace).  The Park Hyatt is tucked away in the trendy Nisantasi area, the Istanbul equivalent to London's Bond Street, and partners well with events held at the Grand Hyatt.  New on the block is the Edition hotel, a collaboration between Ian Shraeger and Marriott hotels.  An unexpected tie-in but the result is a contemporary and comfortable design hotel ideal for small business meetings, or a weekend break for trendy urbanites.  Near the Kanyon shopping complex and by an underground station the Edition is a practical option, but not so central.  The three floor spa is bound to attract a loyal following but personally I wasn't keen on the fact it's underground.  Swimming so far below street level felt strange (although the pool is lovely) and having to take a lift to -5 to find the spa reception.   In complete contrast the Pera Palace has been the grande dame of Istanbul for over a century, originally attracting the rich and famous passengers travelling on the Orient-Express train.  Agatha Christie is immortalised in suite 411 and the hotel's recent major refurbishment has established it as a renowned heritage hotel.  Beautifully renovated, the Pera Palace no longer has the Golden Horn views that would have been enjoyed when the hotel first opened, but the property is a historical gem, well located and good for those seeking a sense of nostalgia.  Although there is a small indoor pool it's nothing special for those  keen to enjoy a swim.  With a new Raffles hotel, plus a new Shangri-La hotel opening next year, Istanbul is constantly expanding the tempting array of places to stay.  I should also mention there are some smaller boutique properties created from converted grand homes, which are ideal on an exclusive use basis with around ten plus bedrooms.  For celebrating a special occasion this could be an ideal solution.  With a flight time of four hours from the UK it's the most oriental destination within the shortest flying time, providing a great combination of east meets west.  Offering a wealth of places to see and delicious food to try, the experience is well worth it.  Just choose your hotel wisely.

Turkish Flavours

Turkish coffee; Turkish Delight... I'm always fascinated by culinary word association and the type of things that come to mind when thinking about dishes or ingredients a country may be famous for.  Prior to my few days away in Istanbul my knowledge of Turkish cuisine was extremely limited.  Hardly needing an excuse to treat myself to yet another cookery book, my curiosity was broadened by the recently released and wonderful insight of Leanne Kitchen: "Turkey - Recipes and tales from the road."  Full of evocative photography, I couldn't resist writing a gourmet wish list of all the things I wanted to try during my short stay.  The reality was that I tasted so much more than anticipated and came home inspired to try lots of new recipes. Within Turkey there are seven diverse regions and the country shares its border with Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia,  Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Syria, so there is a huge range of influences at play.  Apart from enjoying eating at a wide range of restaurants from the simple but bountiful breakfast served at Sutis overlooking the Bosphorous, where my favourite dish was the delicious Menemem (variation on scrambled eggs with cheese and tomato); to the renowned Reina serving fabulous mezze; followed by grilled seabass at the club's waterside restaurant Blue Topaz; I also took a "Turkish Flavours" hands-on cookery course run by Selin Rozan at her art-deco apartment. This gave a unique introduction to the ingredients and methods used to create a range of typical dishes from the flaky pastry savoury borek (with either a meat or feta cheese filling), to stuffed aubergines, and poached apricots served with Halva floss - the best candy floss I've ever tasted.  Definitely the best way to learn a lot in a short space of time combined with the opportunity of being hosted in a personal home. 

Whilst in Istanbul I was also keen to try authentic Turkish Delight, which is called Lokum and not Delight as logic may suggest.  In my opinion the best is from Hayat in the Spice Market.  Incredibly moorish and the ideal energy boost, my vote goes to the cherry and pistachio version, although of course I needed to taste test several others to know for sure, including the close second pomegranate and pistachio.  Istanbul is a culinary delight and enriching gourmet experience.  As for Turkish Coffee, stronger than espresso and delivering that caffeine sensation hit between the eyes, it's not for me, but Turkish tea typically served in a tulip-shaped glass is a welcome refreshment any time...

Istanbul

"Travel brings power and love back into your life." Rumi

Previously known as Byzantium then Constantinople and having served as the capital of the Roman Empire through to the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul is a city I'd wanted to visit ever since learning about 'Asia Minor' in my favourite subject of geography at school.  Decades later I finally have and just returned from enjoying five days of exploring the best that Istanbul has to offer.  Perhaps during Ramadan is not the ideal time to go, but made for an even more interesting experience.  Traffic is a notorious problem in Istanbul at the best of times, but factor into the mix the majority of inhabitants fast from sunrise to sunset (with not even water to drink) and it makes for a lot of very cranky drivers by the end of the afternoon.  As the largest city in Europe (17 million inhabitants) Istanbul is the cultural, economic and financial centre of Turkey, located on the Bosphorous Strait.  It's the only metropolis in the world situated on two continents, Europe and Asia.  From the shopping temptations of the Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar to the sightseeing draws of the Hagia Sophia; Blue Mosque; and impressive Topkapi Palace, you're spoilt for choice.  Just don't challenge a taxi driver about the fare during Ramadan and instead channel Rumi, the Persian poet and mystic, for some inspiration: "And you? When will you begin that long journey into yourself".

More on Istanbul and Turkish culinary delights to follow...