The Best Place to Stay in Istanbul: The Raffles Istanbul Luxury Hotel
If you’re looking for one of the best luxury hotels in Istanbul, Raffles Istanbul hotel offers stunning city views of some of the main tourist attractions in the city, exceptional restaurants and a luxury spa. Let us tell you why it is arguably the best place to stay in Istanbul!
View of the Bosphorus and the city of Istanbul from our suite at Raffles Istanbul.
The best place to stay in Istanbul, especially if you’re looking for a luxury hotel in Istanbul, is hands-down Raffles Istanbul. From the moment you step out of your taxi, you know you’re in good hands.
Between your luggage being whisked away without a moment’s hesitation, the warm smiles and and kind exchanges you’ll share with hotel staff, and the considerate concierge at the front desk, it’s abundantly clear that you’re at one of the best hotels in Istanbul (if not the best hotel in Istanbul).
Whether you’re looking for the best travel tips for visiting Istanbul, the best breakfasts in Istanbul, or seeking out incredible private tours in Istanbul, booking a stay at Raffles Istanbul makes for an indulgent, secluded retreat during your visit to this bustling city.
When we first arrived at this luxury hotel, instead of the usual exchange where you sit down and information is painstakingly recorded, our concierge said, “I can imagine you’re tired, let’s get you to your room and deal with everything up there.”
We were brought upstairs, entered our Bosphorus Suite at Raffles Istanbul, and were instantly in awe. Despite having lived in Istanbul for three years prior, our jaws both fell to the floor when we saw our vantage point of the Bosphorus, as we watched it playfully glistening in the early afternoon sun.
In no time at all our concierge took our passports, recorded a few pieces of information, and then, just like that, we were all of a sudden temporary residents of one of the most talked about luxury accommodations in Istanbul.
The table in the living room of our suite had an array of Turkish treats on it, and there was a beautiful variety of teas and coffees on offer at the bar in our room. Before leaving, our concierge said, “Oh, and I almost forgot, don’t forget you call the 24-hour butler if you need anything.“ In addition to all of the indulgent inclusions at Raffles Istanbul, every room comes with butler access.
The door closed, and Bri collectively breathed in and out, as we realized the next few days were going to be truly extraordinary. Despite picking up more than a few memorable Turkish phrases while we were living in Turkey, we had a hard time coming up with what to say when we arrived at this hotel.
We realized that Raffles Istanbul is not just one of the top hotels in Istanbul, but a stay at any Raffles Hotel may be one of the best luxury travel experiences a person could have.
Please note that this post may contain some affiliate links. Simply put, this means that we may receive a small commission for our honest and heartfelt recommendations, at no additional cost to you.
The History of Raffles and Raffles Hotels Locations Worldwide
Raffles Hotels & Resorts can trace their roots all the way back to 1887, with the opening of the original Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Since its start of time, visitors to this luxury hotel have been offered a first class experience that rivals the best of the best.
It was only in the late 1990’s that Raffles began to expand outside of Singapore and develop internationally. What I appreciate about the expansion of Raffles Hotels is that it’s been both slow and calculated. Currently they have only 14 properties, and keep in mind they’ve been in business since the late 19th century.
In the Asia Pacific, they have Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh, Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor in Siem Reap, as well as Raffles Hainan, Raffles Jakarta, Raffles Makati, and, of course, Raffles Singapore. They also recently opened Raffles Shenzhen and Raffles Bali.
This is the recently renovated Raffles Singapore, originally constructed in the late 19th century.
In Europe, they have Le Royal Monceau in Paris, Raffles Europejski Warsaw, and Raffles Istanbul.
In the Middle East and Africa, you’ll find Raffles Makkah Palace, and Raffles Dubai.
Raffles Hotels & Resorts also just opened their first property in North America, Raffles Boston.
Personally, I just appreciate the diversity of locations, and the focus on expanding to different places. Take, for example, the idea that you’d have a hotel in Istanbul or Warsaw before Paris or Prague. I like that.
A Little Bit About Raffles Istanbul
Raffles Istanbul officially opened right around the time that we actually moved to the city—September 1st, 2014 (literally, we moved to Istanbul about ten days before that). What’s neat for people who don’t know Istanbul all that well is that Raffles Istanbul is actually part of the Zorlu Center, which is a high-end are of luxury residences, a shopping mall, a performing art center, and offices located in the Besiktas district of Istanbul.
Throughout 2014-2017, I shopped and hung out many times at the Zorlu Center (including catching several performances), but never did get the chance to stay at Raffles Istanbul.
The hotel is roughly 135 metres tall, which makes it one of the more notable buildings in the modern city. What I didn’t necessarily realize until we got to our suite was the exceptional views afforded by the hotel from all of its rooms. Honestly, I don’t know if the views get any better, and that is enough for me to simply have to include Raffles Istanbul in the discussion for best hotels in Istanbul, and best hotels in Turkey.
Because of its location, it’s nicely removed from some of the congested areas of city, but close enough to access neighbourhoods along the Bosphorus, like Bebek, Arnavutkoy and Besiktas easily. You’ll need to head to the metro station or take a taxi to access some of the more touristic parts of Istanbul from this hotel’s location.
Major tourist neighbourhoods like Galata, Sultanahmet and Taksim with top tourist attractions like the Hagia Sophia, Galata Tower and the Blue Mosque are is a little farther from Raffles Istanbul. The public transport in Istanbul is pretty direct, so it will get you within easy walking distance of Taksim Square, the Grand Bazaar and the old city walls in no time.
When is the Best Time of Year to Visit to Istanbul?
Having lived in Istanbul for three years, I thought it was worthwhile to quickly discuss when you might want to come to Istanbul (and Raffles Istanbul) to visit.
Personally, there are two periods that I think are truly ideal weather-wise, especially if it’s your first time visiting Istanbul. I find spring in Istanbul to be an absolutely perfect temperature, so coming around May or June is a nice idea. Fall also happens to be delightful in Istanbul, with September being an especially lovely month, but October is still quite nice and warm. Whatever time of year you come to visit, make sure you check the forecast to see what kind of weather to pack for during these shoulder seasons.
In truth, if you’re booking a stay at Raffles Istanbul, it’s like its own luxury ecosystem, so you could come during the depths of winter and it wouldn’t matter all that much, but, if you’ve got a choice, Istanbul is perfection in May, June, September, and October. The summer, as you might gather, can be a touch hot, but if you’re too hot, you can always find a place to swim or a beach nearby in Istanbul.
What This Luxury Property The Best Place to Stay in Istanbul?
There are luxury hotels, and then there is Raffles Istanbul. If you’ve been looking for a luxury hotel in Istanbul that’s on another level, that this is most definitely the hotel.
Our Room, The Bosphorus Suite
For starters, it’s worth mentioning that the Bosphorus Suite is around 2000 square feet (about 185 square metres), so it’s sizeable. The highlight, without question, of any of the Bosphorus Suites (there are 21 in Raffles Istanbul) is the remarkable view of the Bosphorus which, as I alluded to before, is nearly unparalleled.
The in-room tablet to control everything via free wifi from lighting and air conditioning, to in-room dining and reservations was a nice touch. In general, that’s what I feel separated the Raffles brand from other hotel chains I’ve stayed with in the past - their insistence on getting the little things right.
The floor to ceiling windows made us feel comfortable not rushing out to leave the room because we felt like we were already a part of the city in the way. And, if that wasn’t enough, the furnished private terrace allowed us to be outside if we wanted to be.
Not to mention, the hotel really did have that “Istanbul feeling,” so we never felt separated from the city at Raffles Istanbul at all. The “Istanbul feeling” inside the hotel is very much intentional. It was built to mirror the city, not to be a separate entity.
Bri was particularly pleased with the bathroom, which had a separate marble sinks for each of us to get ready, as well as a separate bathtub and shower. The mirror TVs were also a nice touch, and I know she appreciated the deep tub.
The Raffles butler service is as good as you might imagine it would be. We didn’t necessarily use the service all that much, but it was more the assurance that if we needed anything, it wouldn’t be a problem, and that someone always had our wellbeing in mind.
The coffee and tea facilities by the bar were also first class. Bri was busily making espressos, and I was happily drinking loads of tea. The staff at Raffles Istanbul was so perceptive in noticing my mild tea obsession, that we went out one afternoon, and came back to see a new teapot for loose leaf tea, and a selection of six different premium loose leaf teas. Now that’s quality—and that’s part of what I feel makes Raffles Istanbul the best place to stay in Istanbul.
With the Bosphorus Suite at Raffles Istanbul, it’s also worth noting that you get Raffles Club Access, which offers you a variety of benefits, but I personally appreciated the happy hour cocktails and canapés served between 5-7pm.
On our last night, we sipped champagne on our private balcony, and watched cars cross the Bosphorus Bridge in the distance. Honestly, we never wanted to leave.
Isokyo Restaurant at Raffles Istanbul (Zorlu Center)
When we arrived for dinner at Isokyo, we quickly noticed that they’d constructed an entire personal menu for us the showcase the best that Isokyo restaurant had to offer - and my goodness did they succeed.
We started with edamame beans with “lapsang souchong” tea and smoked salt. With the second course, we dined on crispy tuna tartar sandwiches with avocado and tobiko, and Thai duck sausages with a shallot citrus dressing. The course after that, we enjoyed tempura prawn tacos with pickled cabbage and soy aioli, as well as the asian quinoa salad with cashew dressing. The tempura prawn taco, to me, was a clear indication of Isokyo’s creativity in the kitchen. The flavours were familiar in some respect, but the format was so unique, and the whole thing just came together beautifully from both a presentation and flavour perspective.
That was followed up with bao bun sliders with pulled beef ribs, black pepper, and asian slaw (delicious, by the way!). Next, we had oshi sushi, which was crispy shrimp, dynamite sauce, and toasted sesame. The oshi sushi was presented on a platter over a bed of dry ice, so it came out literally under a veil of fog and mystery, then absolutely wowed us.
Our final tasting before the mains (I know, we were spoiled, right?) was a plate of pan fried gyoza dumplings with a sake soy dressing.
For our mains, we shared the caramelized miso soy glazed black cod, the soy and sherry glazed beef tenderloin, the miso roasted potatoes with edamame and blistered green chillies, and stir fried seasonal vegetables with oyster sauce. If you enjoy beef that is juicy, tender, and not overcooked, that’s what we found with the beef tenderloin at Isokyo - it was exquisite, and very befitting for a restaurant at one of the top hotels in Istanbul.
Finally, for dessert we dined on banana beignets, salted caramel, and coconut ice-cream.
Let’s get a bit meta - I just turned to Bri while writing this and said, “Bri I’m writing about our dinner at Isokyo - how amazing was that?” From the kitchen, she called back, “Oh my gosh…that was probably one of the most memorable meals I’ve ever had.”
Add Isokyo as evidence of why Raffles Istanbul might just be the best hotel Istanbul, Turkey has to offer.
The Raffles Istanbul Spa
Bri and I tried to do our due diligence when it came to making sure we did our research for the Raffles Spa. Tough work, I know.
We spent some time in the hammams first and laid on the hot marble that we’d missed so much since we’d last been in Istanbul. We also spent significant time at the outdoor swimming pool, which offers a great view of the surrounding neighbourhood (roughly Levent/Beşiktaş), and the design struck me as rather clever, as they had tiered terraces, so you could choose your vantage point of the pool and city.
The fitness centre is petite, but does the trick, but the real magic is the endless passages of the Raffles spa that lead to soaking tubs and pools both hot and cold, as well as the massage rooms. Bri and I each got a 60 minute Raffles signature massage that was perfection.
One thing that we felt about Raffles Istanbul was that, while we were there, we never yearned to be anywhere else. I firmly believe that’s because they carefully craft each aspect of the luxury hotel experience to ensure they’re constantly in the conversation for the outright best hotel in Istanbul.
The Staff
My goodness, every employee that we encountered at Raffles Istanbul was both pleasant and professional. It was clear to us that their standards separated Raffles Istanbul from the competition, as well as the Raffles brand at large.
This hotel focuses on really connecting with who you are and how they can best assist you on an individual basis. They’re aiming to provide not just service, but thoughtful service.
The Customization
Something that I felt pretty strongly about at Raffles Istanbul was that the experience that Bri and I had would be in many ways different from the way that other people spent their time at the hotel - it was unique and personal. That is to say, it’s very much a choose your own adventure style stay at Raffles Istanbul.
For example, we decided that on our third morning we wanted breakfast brought to us. We chose exactly when we wanted breakfast and exactly what we wanted and, just like that it arrived. I know that can be standard fare at other hotels, but just the way this was handled, the fact that a table was brought up and so forth, it was just on another level.
I also feel that the hotel itself was like nowhere I’d ever seen. With the emphasis on art pieces curated precisely for the hotel (particularly in the lobby), it was a powerful notion to understand that what you’re paying for with Raffles Istanbul is access to this experience, and even if I went to another Raffles property, it would not and could not be the exact same.
Everywhere I looked, I could see how carefully and thoughtfully the property was designed, and what makes Raffles Istanbul one of the top hotels in Istanbul and best hotels in Turkey is that the thoughtfulness continues in its daily operation.
Is This the Best Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey?
Well, I haven’t stayed in every hotel in Istanbul, so I can’t say for certain, but I do know a special property when I see one. I’ve probably, at this point, stayed at a couple thousand hotels, and Raffles Istanbul is up at the top of the list, and you could put forth an argument that it takes the crown.
When you’re making the decision to spend a little extra money on a hotel, you want to make sure it’s worth it, and, trust me, with this property, I’d be shocked if you don’t leave delightfully satisfied.
We want to humbly thank Raffles Istanbul (and Raffles Hotels & Resorts) for hosting us as media. All opinions are completely our own.