The Peninsula Istanbul – A Garden on the Bosphorus

The new Peninsula Istanbul offers perhaps the best view of this millennia-old city. Take a seat on the terrace and gaze out over the waters of the Golden Horn. See the Topkapi Palace, the 400-year-old Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sofia and the Süleymaniye Mosque all at once – there is no better place in the city.

Whether you choose a room with a view or a garden suite, the high energy of the river feels and sounds like what the city is all about, a bustling melting pot of art, creativity, merchants, history and more.

It is all about detail. The fine bed linen by Frette and the afternoon delights that are brought to your room when you come back home.

 

The day starts with a delicious breakfast, also served on the riverside terrace in the morning sun.
Situated on the European side of the Golden Horn, where it meets the Bosporus, the hotel comprises four buildings; two from the early 20th century, a 1930s Bauhaus section and a new glass building. You arrive in what used to be the port’s passport office.

We recommend staying in building no. 4, the Rihtim Han from 1912, with beautifully designed rooms, some with terraces or gardens, in the typical Art Deco style of the peninsula and with many handcrafted details made in Turkey.

 

The uniqueness of the hotel lies in the location. The lush gardens right at the Bosporus river create a magnificent contrast to the city behind you, besides and inferno of you, the old part of town.

Close to the garden and the river is the Peninsula Spa, which has eight treatment rooms, a 25-metre indoor pool, a hammam and separate suites for men and women with saunas and steam rooms. From the moment you enter the spa, you will feel like a child or a princess, with at least two ladies on hand to help you with everything from handing you a towel after your morning swim to tying you back into your robe after the sauna.

 

The rooms are designed with local fabrics, hand painted porcelain and woven plaids, all made in Turkey. Fresh flowers are in every corner, created mostly by the Istanbul based floral artist Lisa Niezhar.

The newly opened Peninsula Istanbul has worked primarily with Turkish creatives whose skills have helped shape the stunning new property. Creative partners include renowned interior designer Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu, art consultant Çağla Saraç, landscape architect Enzo Enea, fashion designer Arzu Kaprol and two Michelin-starred chef Fatih Tutak, who already has a well-known restaurant in the city, TURK, opening in June.

 

The bell boys. Hat is repeated in many other thinks, like for example the chocolates that await you in your room.

The hotel is located in the Karaköy district, one of the oldest parts of Istanbul. It has always been a melting pot of newcomers and refugees from all over the world, creating a unique cosmopolitan mix that is now reflected in the international guests.
Although none of the famous green Rolls-Royces (signature Peninsula) will be there to pick you up, a fleet of customised Mercedes Maybach vans will be on hand to shuttle you around the city, which you will appreciate as there are a million things to see.

 

The Pen Suite Tepidity Room, with its handcrafted inlays and porcelain vases, completes the high, artistic standards that the Peninsula Istanbul has to offer.

IRMAS TIP: Walk from the hotel to the spices market, cross the bridge and lose yourself in the old city where there is so much to explore.