Tepebasi, Beyoglu

Pera Palace Hotel

★★★★★

There are newer and grander hotels in Istanbul, but none with the Pera Palace's story. It opened in the 1890s to give passengers arriving on the Orient Express a hotel worthy of the journey, with comforts such as an electric lift and hot running water that were rare in the city at the time, and for decades it was where Istanbul received the world. Agatha Christie stayed here in the years when she was writing about the Orient Express, and the Agatha Christie Room is preserved in her honor; Ataturk stayed too, and his room is kept as a memorial. Ernest Hemingway, Greta Garbo, spies, kings and journalists passed through. After years of decline the hotel was restored and reopened in 2010, and today it is a polished five-star that has kept its sense of occasion. The heart of the building is the Kubbeli Lounge, a domed hall with marble columns, chandeliers and painted ceilings, where afternoon tea is an Istanbul institution. The Orient Bar, wood-panelled and lamplit, is one of the city's classic bars; the Agatha Restaurant and the Orient Terrace handle dinner; and the Patisserie de Pera sells cakes and chocolates in a jewel-box shop. Rooms and suites are decorated in a restrained belle-epoque style, with high ceilings, period furniture and modern bathrooms, and the best have views over the Golden Horn. The Pera Palace Spa offers a traditional hammam experience alongside modern treatments. The location, on Mesrutiyet Caddesi in Tepebasi, puts you a few minutes from Istiklal Avenue, the Pera Museum and the lanes of Galata, with the old city across the Golden Horn.

Who it suits: travelers who want history and atmosphere as much as luxury, couples on a special trip, and anyone who loves the golden age of rail travel. The public rooms are the star, and non-guests come for tea in the Kubbeli Lounge and drinks in the Orient Bar, so the hotel has a lively feel. Rooms vary in size and outlook, as you would expect in a building of this age; Golden Horn views command a premium and are worth it, while city-side rooms are quieter. The famous rooms, including the Agatha Christie Room, can sometimes be booked or visited; ask in advance.

Location math: from Tepebasi it is about ten minutes on foot to Istiklal Avenue and Tunel, fifteen to the Galata Tower, and a short taxi or tram-and-funicular ride to Sultanahmet, which takes around twenty to thirty minutes depending on traffic. The hilltop location means steep walks back from the Golden Horn, and the street outside is busy. If your trip is mostly about the old city's monuments, a Sultanahmet hotel saves time; if you want evenings in Beyoglu's restaurants and bars with the monuments a ride away, the Pera Palace is ideal.

Practical notes: rates sit in the upper bracket for the city, rising in spring and autumn high seasons and during big events. Turkey's two percent accommodation tax is charged on the room rate on top of VAT, and it may be added at check-out if your prepaid rate does not include it. Book afternoon tea and dinner on the terrace ahead in busy periods, and ask the concierge about rooms with Golden Horn views when you book.