my husband and i are headed to istanbul for 7 nights. we are planning to stay at the four seasons for 5 of 7 nights. would you recommend staying at the sumahan, hyatt or ritz for the other two?

Ritz was great! Not as nice as Four Seasons but still very nice. I have information at http://www.bombasticlife.com

I, the Great and Powerful Thingorjus, recommend the Ritz-Carlton Istanbul if you want to be near the Bosphorus. It is a short walk uphill to Taksim area where the Intercontinetal, Divan, and Hyatt hotels are located. You can also easily walk to the Dolmabahce Palace.

I am one of the famous residents of Fodorville who doesn't like Sultanahmet. I think it is too tourisy--no real Stambulis around except carpet dealers. I like to be among the citizens of the places I visit. You will see a great mix of Stambuli society if you get out of Sultanahmet and go to other places like Beyoglu, Ortakoy, and Nisantasi.

Thin

If you want to stay on the Bosphorus, try the Ciragan Palace.It is near Ortakoy, Dolmabace palace and other interesting neighborhoods.Enjoy your stay.

I loved the Four Seasons. You can walk to many of the sights from your hotel.

If staying in Asia is OK for you, which normally should be Ok given timeframe Sumahan for sure. Otherwise Ritz is also a very nice hotel.

Happy travelling,

Murat

I recently stayed at the Marmara Hotel in Taksim. It was nice-- however it's not near most of the tourist spots.