Elite Traveler March-April 2015

EXPLORE ISTANBUL

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Vault Karakoy PENTHOUSE SUITE ISTANBUL

The fourth hotel in Istanbul’s homegrown boutique House Hotel Group, Vault Karaköy is located on Bankalar Caddesi, the Avenue of Banks – the glory of Constantinople’s financial district. Today, it is the city’s liveliest nightlife and café zone. Appropriately, it is set in a former imperial Ottoman bank from 1863, which provides the leitmotif for the hotel, with actual vaults playing a central role in the décor. The Penthouse Suite has a modern look, but with authentic touches such as stencilled ceilings and original radiators. The large balcony has a panoramic view of the Bosphorus Bridge, the Old City and the Golden Horn. The focus of the room is a romantic hot tub surrounded by windows with remote-controlled privacy curtains. You can lather up with bath products made exclusively for House Hotels by Lokum Istanbul, a local luxury brand. The separate living room can also be used as a second bedroom as the couch is a sofa bed. Special amenities: Two entrances (bedroom and living room); optional connecting bedroom; Lokum Istanbul gift box; sparkling wine; airport VIP transfer; 30-minute art walk of the hotel Size: 890 sq ft Number of rooms : Two (plus two full bathrooms) Who’s slept here? Travelers who wish to enjoy Karaköy’s thriving art, dining and nightlife scenes, and be walking distance to Beyoğlu and Sultanahmet Nightly rate: From $815 Contact: Gerrit Quaas, duty manager, +90 212 244 64 34 or +90 530 321 95 78, gerrit.quaas@thehotel.com thehousehotel.com

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Çırağan Palace Kempinski SULTAN SUITE ISTANBUL The aptly named Sultan Suite is more than fit for a king: set in a 19th-century Ottoman palace on an idyllic and peaceful stretch of the European bank of the Bosphorus, this was home to real Ottoman sultans in the past. Not surprisingly, the suite is one of the largest (and most expensive) in Europe. The interior is appropriately regal – the ceilings are nearly 20 feet high – with a heavily draped and chandeliered living/dining room and two magnificent bedrooms featuring Turkish carpets and stencilled ceilings. The master bedroom has a marble hamam with gold-plated, crystal bathtub faucets. Special amenities Separate entrance and lobby for palace suites; 24-hour personal butler; traditional Turkish soap service; complete refitting possible; boat and helicopter transfers; option to close off all 11 palace suites for private use (1,456 sq m) Size: 4,930 sq ft (18ft-high ceiling) Number of rooms: Four (plus two full and one half bathrooms) Who’s slept here? Former King of Spain Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia; the late King Hussein of Jordan; Bill Clinton; Luciano Pavarotti, Liza Minnelli, Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, Bono, Sting Nightly rate: From $35,000 Contact: Mr Yunus Basturk, revenue and reservations manager,

+90 212 326 45 00, yunus.basturk@kempinski.com kempinski.com/en/istanbul/ciragan-palace/welcome/