37 Best Hotels in Istanbul, Turkey

Housed in a restored, late-19th-century building that was formerly a schoolhouse, this hotel and its dozen rooms are decorated in an old-fashioned Victorian style and outfitted with modern lighting, bathrooms, and other conveniences. The back garden, with its cozy lawn furniture, an enclosed bar area, and a vegetable plot where produce is grown for the daily breakfast, is a lovely place to hang out at any time of day or night.

An attractively renovated, century-old building so close to the 14th-century Galata Tower that you can almost reach out and touch it, the Anemon Galata provides plenty of old-world charm. The rooms are elegant and comfortable, if a bit musty and showing some wear. Breakfast is served in an upstairs restaurant with wonderful views of the tower and the Golden Horn, while the underground Sensus Wine Bar carries hundreds of local vintages, along with cheese plates and other light fare. Ask for a room in the back to get a view of the Old City and avoid noise.

The roomy, open-plan "suites" in this stylish, hip, early-20th-century building are arranged with separate sleeping and living areas and decorated in a smart, minimalist style, with slightly retro touches; a few on the upper floors have excellent views of the Golden Horn. The entrance level houses a popular Turkish restaurant, Mila by Roka Pera (closed in summer, when the chef sets up shop in Alaçatı), as well as a cozy bar in the back.

These comfortable accommodations are a 10-minute walk from Istanbul's main sights, and most rooms look out either to the sea or over the Old City—although one of the best views is at night from the hotel's rooftop Armada Terrace restaurant, where you can see Aya Sofya and the Blue Mosque.

Three conjoined, restored town houses make up this comfortable, well-maintained hotel, which has new furnishings designed to look old-fashioned and an inviting lobby with a cozy bar decorated with colorful Turkish rugs and kilims. The compact standard rooms feature white furniture, attractive textiles in pastel or earth tones, and decorative flourishes; higher room categories also offer separate sitting areas and some have good views. A rooftop terrace, with sofas, glass tables with wrought-iron chairs, and potted plants, is a relaxing place to hang out, while the upper-level restaurant provides a fine view of the Aya Sofya.

Once a residence for the Ottoman sultans, the late-19th-century Çırağan Palace (pronounced chi-rahn) is Istanbul's most luxurious hotel, with ornate public spaces that feel absolutely decadent and a breathtaking setting right on the Bosphorus—the outdoor infinity pool seems to hover on the water's edge and most rooms, full of Ottoman-inspired wood furnishings and textiles in warm colors, have balconies overlooking the Bosphorus as well. Large bathrooms feature marble tubs. At Tuğra Restaurant, you can dine in imperial splendor on Turkish and Ottoman specialties. Most lodgings are in the new wing, though there are 11 VIP suites in the palace itself, including the €30,000 per night Sultan's Suite—start saving now.

Two adjoining 19th-century houses offer old-world charm and comfortable rooms close to Sultanahmet's main sights. It's decorated in Ottoman-Victorian period style, with cozy furnishings that include brass beds and lamps, floral wallpaper and textiles, wooden floors with plush area carpets, and old-fashioned-style telephones. Most rooms face the neighborhood, though a few on the upper floors have views of the Sea of Marmara or the top of the Blue Mosque. Breakfast is served in summer on a rooftop terrace, which has the same view and is also the site of a Turkish restaurant offering à la carte lunch and dinner selections. Service is both friendly and efficient.

Dersaadet means "place of happiness" in Ottoman Turkish, and this small, cozy hotel lives up to its name—rooms have an elegant, even plush, feel, with colorful rugs, antique furniture, and ceilings hand-painted with traditional motifs. Upper-level rooms have views, while a cozy indoor and outdoor roof terrace looks out on the sea; breakfast is served here while classical or jazz music plays in the background. Thoughtful touches include complimentary snacks for guests in the lobby. But what really makes Dersaadet so special is owner-manager Deniz Duyar, who earned his MBA in New York and runs the place with great professionalism and enthusiasm, ensuring that his staffers are just as welcoming.

An Istanbul institution established in 1956 offers grand luxury that brings together authentic Turkish style and contemporary design elements, from the traditional Anatolian kilims and textiles in the rooms to the spectacular flowerlike chandeliers by American glass artist Robert DuGrenier in the lobby. Good-size rooms feel warm and inviting, with cozy sitting areas that have sofas and leather-topped desks. Hotel facilities, like several well-regarded restaurants and the legendary Divan Patisserie (guests can indulge in free in-room chocolate samples), are outstanding.

The emphasis at this delightful, family-run, bed-and-breakfast is on guest satisfaction, and the 10 rooms in the restored wooden house are decorated with thoughtful attention to detail, like lovely Ottoman-Victorian-style wallpaper, upholstery, and linens; wooden floors and ceilings; and old-fashioned furniture. Tile-lined bathrooms feel fresh and modern; a couple have showers with exterior-facing stained-glass windows. A large roof terrace, where breakfast is served, has excellent views.

What a rehabilitation success story: a former prison just steps from Topkapı Palace and Aya Sofya was transformed into one of Istanbul's premier accommodations—a place where there have been additional renovations more recently and where the luxuriously outfitted rooms and suites overlook the Sea of Marmara, the Old City, or a manicured interior courtyard. The rooftop terrace, A'ya Lounge, offers spectacular views of the Aya Sofya and other monuments and is the perfect place to have a drink and watch the sun set. The glass-enclosed Seasons Restaurant in the central courtyard is one of the area's few fine dining venues. The spa and gym area is small, but guests are free to use the much more extensive facilities at the hotel's sister property on the Bosphorus.

This restored, 19th-century Ottoman palace with two modern wings exudes luxury in rooms and suites, a quarter of which have Bosphorus views (others have garden and city views), that are elegant yet understated, with soaring ceilings, muted tones, and Ottoman touches such as handcrafted mirrors. The marble-lined bathrooms, with deep tubs and separate showers, feel downright palatial. The stunning spa has saunas, steam rooms, Turkish baths, and one of Istanbul's loveliest indoor pools; the outdoor pool is just steps from the water's edge.

Housed in a restored, late-19th-century apartment building on a street lined with fashion designers' boutiques, the classy Georges and its minimalist yet old-fashioned rooms exude chic—think high ceilings and plain white walls with elaborate moldings, teakwood furniture, and brass lamps. Bathrooms are sleek and modern, lined with black marble and featuring walk-in rain showers. Some rooms have balconies and a few have fabulous views of the Bosphorus; the rest overlook a cobblestoned street or back patio. The rooftop terrace houses a restaurant and bar that draws a sceney clientele of nonguests.

Contemporary, minimalist decor infuses more personality than you find in most business-caliber hotels, and rooms in this 11-story building have views of the Bosphorus, the park, or the city. A particularly nice feature in the bathrooms is the full-length window in the shower—perfect for gazing out at the boats or the urban surroundings while you lather up under the rain shower. For further pampering, there's a basement-level wellness center with a gym, small spa, hammam, and sauna.

An attractive atrium between two wings houses the lobby, and well-appointed rooms are furnished in an eclectic mix of Turkish and contemporary styles, from ornate Ottoman ceiling patterns and metal lampshades evoking the Istanbul skyline to modern rugs and plush upholstery. Somewhat glitzy bathrooms offer rain showers and/or whirlpool tubs. Deluxe rooms are large, and some have balconies with sea views. Guests can make use of a fitness center, and upon arrival they are escorted to the delightful roof terrace for a welcome drink and brief city orientation.

At what is now a Sultanahmet institution, rooms and suites are varied and charming—standard rooms, with colorfully canopied four-posters, nomad textiles, and dark woods, have an almost rustic feel, while suites are more fully furnished, and some have marble-lined bathrooms done up to look like mini hammams. The hotel's lush garden is an extremely tranquil spot to eat breakfast, and there's also an intimate, two-level roof terrace with nice views, as well as a small bar area inside.

What was once the home of an extended Armenian family offers comfortable, stylishly decorated rooms with vintage-looking wood and leather furniture, colorfully patterned Turkish carpets and textiles, and contemporary Middle Eastern touches. Standard rooms are quite small, yet cozy, while deluxe rooms are larger and have separate sitting areas with a sofa or divan; a handful have balconies, though views are limited. A rooftop terrace offers a glorious panorama of Aya Sofya, the Blue Mosque, and the Sea of Marmara beyond.

The elaborate lobby—with its carved wooden columns and ceilings, plush antique furniture, chandeliers, and marble floors with Oriental rugs—could well be a film set, while the standard rooms are done in a sleeker, more contemporary style that retains some vintage design accents. The suites carry on the "retro Ottoman" style of the lobby, with vintage-style lamps and decorative moldings stenciled onto the walls. The large junior suites have hammam-style bathrooms, divan sofas, and pastel-painted wooden wardrobes with traditional latticework; two bi-level suites are well suited for families. The plant-filled roof terrace, open year-round, has a lovely view of the Sea of Marmara, and service is on par with that at sister establishment Dersaadet.

One of the best values in Sultanahmet, this well-located hotel offers clean, comfortable rooms with decorative touches that include mirrors, small artworks, kilims, and gauzy draped fabric; three rooms have a partial sea view. The lower level of the inviting two-floor rooftop terrace, where a homemade breakfast is served in summer, has fine views of the Sea of Marmara, while the upper section has several hammocks that are extremely popular with guests. If the Peninsula is full, try its sister hotel, the Hanedan, just across the street.

Occupying two adjacent, Ottoman-style wooden houses on a quiet side street, Hotel Tashkonak has appealing rooms, friendly service, and a spacious, leafy garden patio that is a calming oasis in busy Sultanahmet. Cozy rooms have old-fashioned touches like chandeliers, boudoirs with mirrors, ornamental designs painted on the ceilings, and framed Ottoman prints and watercolor paintings; three family rooms comfortably sleep four to five people each. The roof terrace has a sweeping view of the Sea of Marmara, and complimentary tea is offered every afternoon in the garden.

Named after an ancient Anatolian fertility goddess, this charming little inn is best known for the incredible profusion of antique lamps—both functional and purely ornamental and totaling 4,000 at last count—that hang from the ceilings in the ornate, parlor-like lobby and the small but imaginatively decorated rooms. In addition to the lamps, rooms have antique furniture, textured floral wallpaper, kilims, and Turkish textiles. There's a little garden in the back, as well as a cozy library and a good restaurant.

The large rooms and suites at this cozy hotel on a quiet backstreet not far from the Çemberlitaş tram stop are attractively if a bit eclectically decorated, with brocade satin upholstery in Ottoman patterns, hanging Middle Eastern–style brass and cloth lamps, ornate mirrors, and kilims on parquet floors. Bathrooms, featuring patterned blue-and-white vintage-looking tiles, have tubs or rain showers and an extensive range of complimentary toiletries. Family suites hav sofa beds in a separate living room off the bedroom, and one deluxe room has a small private patio in the back.

A restored, Italian-style, art deco, 1922 apartment building offers spacious, elegant rooms decked out in sleek walnut with modern amenities alongside old-fashioned touches like period chandeliers and black-and-white photographs of Istanbul. Bathrooms have rain showers, free-standing tubs, and heated stone floors, and 25 "spa rooms" also have steam rooms and Turkish baths. The sophisticated lobby has a chic bar with a wine cellar showcasing a wide range of Turkish and international wines.

Extensive restoration has brought this Istanbul landmark—founded in 1892 to provide upscale accommodations for travelers arriving on the Orient Express—back to its former glory, with beautifully outfitted rooms and plenty of period decorations and antique furniture. Bathrooms are done in Carrera marble, and some feature deep, old-fashioned claw-foot tubs; there's also a small underground spa, sauna, and indoor pool. Some rooms and suites are inspired by prestigious former guests, including Agatha Christie, Greta Garbo, and Ernest Hemingway, while the "deluxe Golden Horn" rooms, many with tiny private balconies, are some of the coziest.

Rooms in this tiny hotel tucked away near the entrance to Değirmenburnu Park are simply but tastefully decorated, with old radios and furniture adding nostalgic charm; a top-floor king suite has a minibar, whirlpool tub, and terrace. The downstairs restaurant is cheerily strung with paper lanterns and has a lovely view over the water to Istanbul’s Asian side.

These bright, well-maintained accommodations in a converted Ottoman mansion have mainly modern furniture, though the decor also includes Turkish and period accents like brass lamps, antique mirrors, and Ottoman-era etchings; some rooms have original tiled floors. Breakfast is served in winter in a rustic room that opens onto a tiny courtyard and in summer on the rooftop terrace, where in the evening you can also sip a glass of rakı and contemplate the Sea of Marmara or the nearby Blue Mosque. If you don't want twin beds, or prefer a bathtub to a shower, request these when making reservations.

This lovely little inn near the main sights of Sultanahmet has bright, clean, and attractively decorated rooms—dark wooden floors, burgundy curtains, and a few four-poster beds with embroidered canopies—and a pleasantly laid-back vibe. Two rooms lead out to a small garden patio, while the sought-after Room 18 has a lovely sea view. The top-notch breakfast, which includes homemade cakes and fresh-squeezed orange juice, is served on a comfy roof terrace with a panoramic view; you can also enjoy a drink here at the end of the day.

Offering all the opulence and sophistication expected of this world-class brand, the Shangri-La Bosphorus overlooks the water, with a glittering lobby that features a two-story crystal chandelier, richly colored marble flooring, and gold-rimmed furniture. The well-appointed rooms are more understated, with muted colors, simple Chinese brushwork art, and furniture in black lacquer and off-white marble; bathrooms are wonderfully luxurious. Higher-category rooms have views of the water, while others face the city or a Parisian-looking interior atrium. Other highlights are the attractive indoor pool; the brand's signature CHI, The Spa; the Cantonese-style Shang Palace restaurant; and a lobby lounge offering tea service.

The comfortable and inviting room decor emphasizes local character, while the bustling, ornate lobby and warm, helpful staff convey feelings of refined luxury. Smallish standard rooms have wooden furnishings, hanging Ottoman-style brass lamps, traditional artwork, and kilims, while the similarly decorated higher-category rooms are larger, and some have balconies overlooking Gülhane Parkı. An indoor plunge pool, Turkish bath, sauna, and small fitness room are on the premises, and the hotel offers complimentary Turkish cooking classes and neighborhood walks (sign up in advance, as space is limited), an afternoon meze buffet, and other perks.

This charming turn-of-the-century hotel (built in 1908) is the grande dame of Büyükada, with old-fashioned furniture, large rooms—including those in the front with stunning sea views—and a blend of Ottoman and Art Nouveau styles. The elegant building is topped by twin white domes modeled after Hotel Negresco in Nice, and all of the rooms have a tiny private balcony, regardless of whether they face the waterfront, the neighborhood, or the pool in the back. It's difficult to get a room on summer weekends unless you book ahead.