Review: The Peninsula Istanbul

Why book?

Take a seat on the terrace and cast your eye across the chromatic waters of the Golden Horn. First, there's Topkapi Palace, built by the Ottomans in the 1460s following the conquest of Constantinople. And over there—the six sky-piercing minarets of the 400-year-old Blue Mosque. Next door: Hagia Sofia, one of the most outstanding architectural achievements of antiquity, commissioned by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I in the sixth century. Its beauty is only rivalled by the bubbling powder-blue domes of nearby Süleymaniye Mosque, constructed by Mimar Sinan, a contemporary of Michelangelo. Like Rome, Istanbul was built on seven hills, six of which are visible from the hotel. There might be other luxurious heritage hotels set on the banks of the Bosphorus, but none of them have a view that can compete with The Peninsula's.

Set the scene

Like the city, The Peninsula Istanbul's design is a delightful dialogue between past and present. Set on the European side of the Golden Horn, which flows into the Bosphorus, the hotel comprises four buildings; two from the early 20th century, a 1930s Bauhaus beauty and a glassy new build, all seamlessly sewn together with corridors of Marmara marble. Fittingly, guests arrive at what would have been the former port's passport office, where you can't help but look up at the magnificent Bauhaus ceiling brought back to luminous back-lit life by charismatic Turkish designer Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu.

The backstory

The Peninsula Hotels are owned by the Kadoorie family, whose backstory reads like a James Clavell novel – two brothers, Iraqi Jewish refugees who escaped Bagdad for China in the late 19th century, survived countless revolutions, amassed land and property across Hong Kong and opened 'the finest hotel east of the Suez' on the Kowloon waterfront in 1928. Despite being one of the world's oldest continually operating hotel groups, The Peninsula has no plans for world domination. Instead, preferring to wholly-own hotels in peerless locations, including Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, and Chicago. The Peninsula Istanbul is hotel number 11, pipping The Peninsula London to the post within a few months.

The rooms

The 177 rooms, set across all four buildings, will feel instantly familiar to regular guests of The Peninsula: the heavy black lacquer doors, the smoothed corners, the luxuriant Tai Ping rugs, the walk-in wardrobes with soft-touch drawers, the silent air-conditioning which never blows on you. There are plenty of pleasing nods to the city too: subtle hyacinth motifs woven into the mineral-blue rugs; translucent cubes of mother-of-pearl glinting from the glossy black desks; heavy pewter-grey damask curtains edged with delicate embroidery; headboards inspired by the ochre stone blocks of Divriği Mosque in Anatolia. Outlooks and layouts vary but most rooms come with ravishing views of the Bosphorus; a few have terraces or gardens, while the split-level 5920-square-foot Peninsula Suite has a private rooftop terrace, outdoor swimming pool, gym, and hammam.

Special mention needs to be made of the in-room technology, which is flawless. Wireless chargers are hidden in the bedside drawers; idiot-proof control panel tablets supporting 11 languages; and touchscreen wall panels for temperature, light, privacy and valet calls – which completely darken 30 seconds after your tap Master switch. Genius.

Food and drink

Heading up The Peninsula Istanbul's grand, gorgeous rooftop restaurant, Gallada, is chef Fatih Tutak, whose own restaurant–TURK–was awarded two Michelin stars when the little red book arrived in the city for the first time in November 2022. The menu has been designed to take diners along the Silk Road (Constantinople was one of the route's westerly endpoints), fuelled by Turkish ingredients and Chinese cooking techniques. If you're wondering what that might mean, conjure up share plates of monkfish tail with a fermented black garlic glaze, diaphanous dumplings stuffed with chili garlic shrimps; Hong Kong's dried seafood XO sauce made with raki; puff pastry parcels filled with Uzbek carrots, raisins and spiced meats; artichoke in a fermented pepper tarhana sauce.

The Peninsula's signature afternoon tea is available in the delightful lobby lounge, and breakfast on the terrace–with ferries, tankers and water taxis zig-zagging before you, sunlight glinting off the old city's minarets–is sure to appear on all future lists of the world's best hotel breakfasts.

The spa

The Peninsula Spa is a star attraction; straight out the gate, it was as polished and pampering as their lauded spas in Hong Kong and Bangkok. In addition to eight treatment rooms, there's an 82-foot indoor swimming (plus an outdoor pool on the ground floor terrace overlooking the Golden Horn), a glacier-white hammam inlaid with mother-of-pearl, as well as separate male and female suites with saunas, steam rooms and experience showers. Elevators in each wing allow guests to discreetly scoot to the subterranean spa in their Turkish linen bathrobes.

The neighborhood

The neighborhood, Karaköy, is one of the oldest in the city, with more layers than filo pastry börek: a Byzantine port, an independent enclave for Genoese and Venetian merchants – see the Galata Tower which still stands sentry behind the hotel – a refuge for Sephardic Jews fleeing Spain, an Ottoman banking hub, a fish market, hardware hub and cruise port. The Peninsula is an integral part of its latest incarnation as the Galataport waterfront complex, which includes a new underground cruise terminal and the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, designed by Renzo Piano.

The service

The dapper, multilingual staff are darling. Consistently hitting the sweet between precision-focussed professionalism and becoming your new best friends. Pen Chat, a 24-hour private messaging e-concierge service, is an introvert's dream.

For families

The Peninsula appeals to wealthy leisure travelers and C-suite business types, but families are welcome. Children are given a complimentary Camp Peninsula tent complete with treats. They can join Peninsula Academy programs, including a scavenger hunt for Byzantine treasures around the old city, figuring out riddles, and taking photos.

Eco effort

The hotel has achieved the highest level of BREEAM certification for its sustainability performance and has brought 650 new jobs to the area. The Kadoorie family are known for their philanthropy and in response to the devastating earthquake that struck Southern and Central Turkey in February 2023 The Peninsula set up the Hope for Türkiye fund, donating the equivalent of €10 per room per night to local NGOs. The aim is to raise US$5 million by the end of the year.

Accessibility for those with mobility impairments

There is wheelchair access in all of the public areas, including the spa and swimming pools, as well as two fully accessible rooms located in Building 2 (the central Bauhaus building).

Anything left to mention?

While it's always a treat to arrive at The Peninsula in one of their Peninsula-green Rolls Royce, Istanbul guests will soon have the option of alighting from a custom-made yacht, which will also be available for champagne-soak Bosphorus cruises.