Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Traffic along the Bosphor-
us access roads is always
congested, so making
your way by bus or taxi
(the only options other
than private car) is pain-
fully slow; buses are often
uncomfortably crowded.
Scattered along the Bosphorus shoreline, these
suburbs offer spectacular water views, the
greatest concentration of five-star hotels and a
good array of upmarket nightclubs and eateries.
Beşiktaş, Ortaköy
& Kuruçeşme
The distance from the his-
toric peninsula is consid-
erable, so the trip back to
your hotel can be tiring
after a full day of sight-
seeing. Also, eating and
drinking choices around
the hotels here can be lim-
ited.
The Bosphorus villages aren't as frenetic as the
rest of the city, so the boutique hotels found here
offer relatively tranquil surrounds. Rooms and
restaurants overlooking the water are romantic,
and there's something quite magical about hop-
ping aboard hotel launches to criss-cross the
Bosphorus between Asia and Europe.
The Bosphorus
Sultanahmet & Around
| BOUTIQUE HOTEL
HOTEL IBRAHIM PASHA $$
OFFLINE MAP
; Sultanahmet)
Located just off the Hippodrome, this exemplary designer hotel
successfully combines Ottoman style with contemporary decor, and is notable for its high
levels of service. All of the rooms are gorgeous but some are small - opt for a deluxe one
if possible. We love the comfortable lounge and the terrace bar with its knockout views of
the Blue Mosque.
| BOUTIQUE HOTEL
HOTEL EMPRESS ZOE $$
OFFLINE MAP
€135-300; ; Sultanahmet)
Named after the feisty Byzantine Empress whose portrait
is in Aya Sofya, this fabulous place is the prototype for most of Sultanahmet's boutique
hotels but is unique in that it is constantly being changed and improved. Its garden suites
