There are many great cities in the world where seas, rivers and waterways are defining features of the place, but there can be few where they are so prominent as Istanbul. Looking out over the Bosphorus, it can seem that half of the city's life takes place on the water, from ferries constantly passing between the European and Asian sides of the city to party boats flashing their coloured lights at night. The new Istanbul outpost of The Peninsula is surely one of the best places to enjoy this aspect of the city in style, blessed as it is with a vast frontage onto the waters where the Bosphorus meets the Golden Horn.
Opened in 2023, The Peninsula Istanbul occupies the site of a former ferry terminal on the European side of the city. It's an extraordinary site, occupying four buildings of various ages: two elegant Beaux-Arts blocks which had been offices for the ferry company, a contemporary space designed especially for the hotel, and the main 1930s building, which was formerly the passenger terminal. This latter houses the lobby, the all-day restaurant, the subterranean spa and some incredibly spacious guest rooms, but there is much to explore throughout.
For a city as dense and intricate as Istanbul, this huge lateral space with its lengthy waterfront is inherently luxurious, and the Peninsula team has done everything possible to enhance its natural advantages. There are beautiful, naturalistic gardens running the length of the outside space, a pool and bar immediately overlooking the water, and a terrace for breakfast and other meals, where you can sit and gaze at the passing boats and the historic quarter of the city across the Golden Horn.
Rooftop gardens and balconies are everywhere in Istanbul, where space is tight but the views are to die for, and the hotel has gone to town with theirs. Each building has its own heavenly balconies, but the ones in the main second building are positively spectacular, each one about as big as an average London flat. The hotel's fine-dining restaurant Gallada takes up the rooftop here, allowing guests to dine on Turkish-Asian fusion food created by the renowned chef Fatih Tutak, with that fabulous view ahead.
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The accommodation is everything you would expect from the grand Peninsula name. The rooms have been designed with maximum attention to convenience and comfort, in a way that few hotels, even at this end of the spectrum, really get right. You can see this in the small things: modern comfort seems to revolve in large part around charging devices and plugging things in, and in this respect The Peninsula's rooms are utterly superlative. There are charging drawers in practically every piece of furniture, complete with wireless chargers and every conceivable form of input – adapters will not be necessary here. Everywhere you might want to plug something in, whether it's a phone or a hair straightener, you will be able to do it. It might sound like a minor thing to comment on, but anyone who has passed a flustered moment in a hotel room with their arm wedged behind a bedside table trying to find the socket will appreciate how luxurious this kind of attention to detail is. The aesthetic, meanwhile, sticks to glamorous neutrals, which can be rather a visual relief after days spent exploring the city's splendid monuments, museums and shops.
For those who wish to retreat to an especially peaceful place after such busy days, the spa is a place of great beauty, and we'd defy any Ottoman sultan not to be rather impressed by it. Lined in marble and with a generous indoor pool, this subterranean space is one of the loveliest hotel spas we've seen. Like most Istanbul spas, there is a hammam experience on offer as well as the sauna, steam room and ice bath, and you can get the usual range of treatments, including a really excellent deep-tissue massage.
Location-wise, it doesn't come much better than The Peninsula. The historic quarter of the city, where you will find Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace all within a short distance of each other, is just across the Golden Horn, the river that divides the two European sides of the city. A leisurely walk over the bridge or a tram ride will take you there quite conveniently (more conveniently than taxis, which can be hellish in Istanbul). The ferry terminal which takes tourists and locals alike to the Asian side of the city is a 5-minute walk away, so The Peninsula's guests are perfectly positioned to explore.
Rooms at The Peninsula Istanbul start from EUR 1,050 (approx. £875) per night in a Superior Room.
