There is a hotel that offers you everything at once, or rather, the services of two hotels, both run by Four Seasons. The real question is what you want from a weekend in Istanbul.
To experience the incredible culture, we suggest the Four Seasons Sultanahmet, located in the old part of town, just a few minutes’ walk from the city’s most interesting cultural sites, and close to a boardwalk along the Bosphorus where you can start the day with a morning run along the waterfront. The former prison was converted into a small luxury hotel of just 64 rooms, its courtyard turned into a lush rose garden, every room composed to feel like a private home rather than a hotel. It is a jewel in a city of almost 18 million inhabitants, set in a location that offers a great deal.
We also want to put a spotlight on the other Four Seasons at the Bosphorus, right on the water. This seafront palace is the Grand Dame of the two, much larger and very much the place where Istanbul society gathers.
Our personal choice remains the Four Seasons Sultanahmet, because it captures the benefits of both without neglecting either. The hotel’s sea shuttle, for instance, gets you quickly into both parts of town. It is not only a rejuvenating ride, something you might need after a day of sightseeing, but it also saves time when you want to swim at Four Seasons at the Bosphorus or have lunch by the sea. Istanbul is vast, and time is the real luxury. Both hotels offer it, each in their own way. Whether you take the land or the sea shuttle, both parts of town suddenly feel closer.
Start the early morning at the Blue Mosque, before the tourists begin to queue, then have breakfast in the hotel garden and catch the 11 o’clock sea shuttle to Four Seasons at the Bosphorus. Hop into a car, or walk for thirty minutes, to Istanbul Modern, then grab a taxi to the Nişantaşı neighbourhood, where you can wander under the trees and discover galleries and shops (link to our city guide). Have lunch at Hünkar on the terrace and watch people stroll by on this relaxed street. Walk down the hill along Süleyman Seba Street back to the hotel and enjoy a siesta by the pool. If you grow restless, take a taxi to Bebek, a neighbourhood full of local stores, cafés, and a genuine residential feel. Return to FS Bosphorus for a sundowner right by the sea. Dinner at the hotel’s fish restaurant, Aqua, is a fine choice, or hop on the 6 o’clock water shuttle back to Sultanahmet for sunset and the best view of the city, in which case, drinks on the rooftop once you arrive.
You will sleep like a baby, the nightingale singing from the hotel garden, having taken the best of both hotels.