10 of the best hotels in Istanbul

Stretching across two continents separated by the Bosphorus Strait, this ancient Silk Road city was once the capital of both the Christian Byzantine and Islamic Ottoman empires. Crumbling hammams rub shoulders with striking contemporary buildings, while the call to prayer from Hagia Sophia mosque can be heard from the 15th-century Grand Bazaar, as well as Michelin-starred restaurants. Istanbul is sewn together by a series of storied districts, which results in a varied hotel scene. Relive the Ottoman heyday in a Sultanahmet townhouse; book a boutique stay fuelled by cafes and galleries in Karaköy; or check in among the designer stores of Nişantaşı.

1. Six Senses Kocataş Mansions

Best for: letting off steam
A half-hour taxi ride north of the city’s central Taksim Square is the Sarıyer district, where time slows and the Bosphorus turns turquoise near the mouth of the Black Sea. It’s here you’ll find this palatial property, spread over two 19th-century mansions. The 43 rooms and suites are tastefully muted — some with freestanding baths and seaside promenade views. Located in a corner of the city where locals come to unwind, this suburban resort has all the bells and whistles to help you do just that: whizz up the hill past fig trees in a golf cart to the mammoth spa, splash in the infinity pool and book a meal at one of the property’s several restaurants. Rooms: From £430, B&B.

2. Vakko Hotel Sumahan Bosphorus

Best for: style-seekers
The second Istanbul hotel from luxury Turkish fashion house Vakko opened in late 2024, among the historic mansions and waterside tea gardens of Çengelköy on the city’s Asian side. It’s housed in a former Ottoman-era distillery on the water’s edge, with just 12 rooms and suites. Each one is a dazzling space with sleek fluted stone walls and Vakko-designed linens. The real wow factor, however, is the view through the elongated windows in every room, where the Bosphorus seems almost close enough to touch. At sunset, the terrace becomes a catwalk for the city’s fashionable people, who arrive via the hotel’s speedboat to dine at one of its two restaurants: outposts of Parisian Caviar Kaspia and Milanese Le Specialità. Rooms: From £617, B&B.

3. The Peninsula Istanbul

Best for: culinary kicks
For those seeking both elegance and ease, The Peninsula Istanbul is one of the city’s best all-rounders. The 177-room hotel is set on the Karaköy waterfront, a short walk from landmarks such as the Grand Bazaar and Galata Tower, and feels calm and self-contained. Luxury here is woven into the guest experience. Subtle art deco accents combine with high-tech comfort in the high-ceilinged rooms, from touch-panel lighting and curtain controls to Japanese toilets with heated seats. The hotel also offers complimentary short-distance taxis, a welcome perk in a neighbourhood where they’re scarce. Reserve a table at rooftop Gallada, the hotel’s refined Turkish-Asian fusion restaurant. It’s helmed by Fatih Tutak — Turkey’s only two-Michelin-starred chef — and the menu takes inspiration from ancient Silk Road cuisine. Rooms: From £517.

4. The Stay Nişantaşı

Best for: postcode prestige
Rising six floors above the Prada store on tree-lined Abdi İpekçi Street — Istanbul’s premier shopping boulevard, in cosmopolitan Nişantaşı — this hotel is suitably stylish. Turkish architecture and design studio Autoban has leaned into the quiet luxury aesthetic, creating 45 spacious rooms — some interconnecting — which feel effortlessly sophisticated. On the top floor, there are two suites that come with outdoor terraces. Neutral tones are combined with mid-century modern furnishings and local contemporary artwork throughout. The result is less boutique hotel, more your impeccably elegant friend’s city pad. Some of Istanbul’s best restaurants, bars and cafes are on the hotel’s doorstep, meaning your breakfast, lunch and dinner options are more than covered. Rooms: From £182.

5. Rixos Tersane

Best for: maritime heritage
Once the city’s main shipyard, the eastern shore of the Golden Horn inlet is being regenerated as a luxury strip of museums, open-air malls and immersive theme parks. At its centre stands Rixos Tersane, a 432-room, design-led hotel that artfully nods to its maritime past. In the soaring lobby, thick mooring chains suspend floating sofas and Hagia Sophia-inspired chandeliers over tasteful Turkish rugs. The bedrooms frame the waves of the Golden Horn with floor-to-ceiling windows and wooden floors. Outside, guests can join sunrise rowing or standup paddleboarding sessions before retreating to an infinity pool that overlooks the domes and minarets of the Old City. The theatrically lavish Turkish breakfast is not to be missed. Rooms: From £305, B&B.

6. Sub Karaköy

Best for: creativity
In the lively, waterside Karaköy district, artistic owners have transformed an unused office block into an industrial-chic bolthole. All 19 rooms have polished concrete walls and bed frames crafted from retired ship parts, paying homage to the neighbourhood’s maritime roots. Original artworks inject colourful character, from contemporary portraits of Ottoman-era figures to street art in the Sub Pub — a cool neighbourhood bar off the lobby. The location is also good for sites such as the Istanbul Modern gallery. Rooms: From £55.

7. Hotel Empress Zoe

Best for: history buffs
Run by a local family, this small hotel is named after an 11th-century Byzantine Empress and comprises 23 individually decorated rooms and suites spread across several wisteria-clad Ottoman townhouses in the historic Sultanahmet district. Interiors show off plush traditional textiles, arched doorways and Turkish tiles. Mild evenings can be spent in the atmospheric courtyard garden, walled in by the remains of a towering 600-year-old hammam, or taking in views of the Bosphorus from the rooftop terrace. Rooms: From £83, B&B.

8. Istanbul Life Hotel

Best for: free spirits
Situated on the Asian side of the Bosphorus Strait, this family-run hotel in the bohemian Kadıköy district is well placed for experiencing the city’s local flavour. Occupying an early 20th-century property built by a wealthy Greek family, its 23 rooms are simple, with plush pillows and jewel-toned furnishings adding a pop of colour. The surrounding streets are splashed with statement-making murals and there’s a vibrant cafe, bar and club scene, plus a lively produce market to browse Monday to Saturday. Rooms: From £67, B&B.

9. The Galata Istanbul Hotel MGallery

Best for: Ottoman echoes
The building housing this hotel was originally built by a banking family in the 19th century as an Ottoman han — part centre of commerce, part inn. It later became one of the many early 20th-century banks to line this grand street in the historic Galata neighbourhood. During its han days, livestock would have occupied the ground floor — though you would never guess from the handsome art deco lobby, with its marble floors, avocado-hued velvet booths and stained glass roof. The same modern take on 1920s glamour is found in the rooms and suites, some of which offer views of the Golden Horn or Galata Tower. However, the biggest draw is the 18th-century hammam. Discovered in the hotel’s backyard and restored to its former dome-topped glory, it provides a relaxing steam-and-sud-filled antidote to a day of exploring and is free for hotel guests to use. Rooms: From £100.

10. Pera Palace Hotel

Best for: golden-age lux
When Pera Palace opened its doors in 1895, Istanbul had never seen anything like it. Constructed by a Parisian-trained architect to accommodate passengers arriving from the French capital on the Orient Express, it attracted a star crowd. One of the first buildings in Istanbul to have electricity, it contained Türkiye’s first electric lift — a feature that still exists, along with many of the hotel’s original art nouveau details. Afternoon tea is served from under gold cloches in the chandelier-lit Kubbeli Lounge, while Agatha Christie’s favoured room, 411 — where the author is rumoured to have written Murder on the Orient Express — still contains a typewriter. You’ll also find all the modern trappings you’d expect. Rooms have a timeless, classic appeal and the spa provides everything from a Greta Garbo facial (another esteemed guest) to shiatsu. Rooms: From £169.