The W Istanbul is situated in the Besiktas district, within a stone’s throw of the Bosphorus, and cunningly housed within the renovated Akaretler Row Houses, which were built in the 1870s under the orders of Sultan Abdülaziz for the staff of the nearby Dolmabahçe Palace. The W’s presence has raised the bar considerably in what was once a down-at-heel quarter and it is now flanked by big name designer boutiques such as Bottega Veneta, Marc Jacobs, Paul Smith, Jimmy Choo and Chloé.
The original houses have been carved up in to Wonderful, Spectacular, Fabulous and Mega rooms. The range of suites is impressive, too. It includes Studio, Marvellous, Cool Corner, WOW and Extreme WOW, the latter of which is beyond-luxe-central if you are ever looking for somewhere to celebrate a memorable milestone moment or host an impressive event.
What is thoroughly unique about the property is that the W Istanbul has taken the best elements from W’s high-end brand and Ottomanised them to create a property that thrills all the senses. Colours are dark rich reds, purples, yellows and blues. The lighting is striking and the sweeping staircase by the entrance is almost
Gloria Swanson from Sunset Boulevard territory. Bathrooms throughout are on the large side and well stocked with deluxe Bliss products. Many of the lower-rated rooms even have small terraces with great outdoor furniture. Minibars are crammed with everything from umbrellas to cookies and leading brand drinks. Room-service has a very long list of treats and the W whatever/whenever phone concierge service delivers like a dream.
There is free WiFi access throughout the public spaces but you have to pay for in-room use. There are iPod docks by the bed and large plasma TVs, hidden behind a dark glass wall, which spring to bright life at the touch of the remote. Bedside switches allow you to create a number of different lighting moods such as sleep, wake and work.
The W has enticed signature New York chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten to open up the first outpost of his Spice Market restaurant, which serves tasty Asian fusion cuisine. The spa is bliss perfect and the small gym is crammed with high-tech machines for power workouts.
All the must see sights, such as the Blue Mosque, the Topkapı Palace and the Hagia Sophia, are no more than ten minutes away by cab and it’s a similar distance to Istanbul’s hot restaurants such as Topaz and Lipsi. For postprandial grooving it has to be Blackks: think Studio 54 at the peak of its fame but brought up to date, complete with glass, floor-to-ceiling windows with jaw-dropping views of the ever-changing coloured lights of the Bosphorus Bridge.
Suleyman Seba Cad 22, Akaretler, Besiktas, Istanbul
+90 212 381 212, whotels.com/istanbul
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