One of Istanbul's most impressive hotels, it is hard to beat the Çiragan Palace for all-round opulence - not to mention its fabulous location on the Bosphorus and excellent facilities.
Telephone: +90 (0) 212 258 3377
Price: Rates: 490?8,400 YTL
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Sultan Abdülaziz built the Çiragan Palace in 1874 and killed himself inside it two years later, possibly because he’d made a mess of his reign, but more probably because he had psychic premonition of the bizarre colour scheme that the palace’s current owners, the German Kempinski chain, would inflict on the palace’s magnificently OTT central, tiered atrium (home, incidentally, to the world’s heaviest chandelier).
Admittedly the place was a ruin before they did it up in 1986 and built a large, adjoining modern building to create a 310-room super-luxury hotel. The palace section, in fact, only houses 12 very expensive suites, but you are fortunate if you can afford them, as those that overlook the Bosphorus (especially the Sultan’s Suite) are undoubtedly the most extraordinary sleeping quarters in the city.
The rooms in the modern building aren’t stellar, but the hotel’s general all-round opulence, including an excellent small hamam, an amazing outdoor pool that appears to flow into the Bosphorus, superb restaurants and good bars, more than compensate.
The location, dictated by Sultan Abdülaziz’s wish for a little distance from his subjects, offers great Bosphorus views but isn’t helpful for Old City sightseeing. Even if you don’t end up staying here, the crazy palace section is worth a sightseeing visit anyway.
