Istanbul's Most Memorable View
The 30 kilometer-long, deep blue Bosphorus strait separates Europe from Asia and splits Istanbul in two. But the bustling waterway is also the city's great uniter, prettier than a central park and far more useful. A good number of Istanbulites commute via ferry between the continents daily, so urban life plays out on the water: If your stay in the city is brief, maximize your time near the water and really take in the trade hub's maritime culture. The best front-and-center view of this civic cinema comes from the waterfront suites of the newly-opened Shangri-La Bosphorus, an ultra-luxe 192-room hotel perched immediately in front of the Besiktas ferry terminal on the European side – a few miles removed from the dolled-up hotels of Sultanahmet.[3][4][5]
Much of the day and night, ferries surrounded by seagulls quietly pull in and out a stone's throw from the Shangri-La's panoramic, floor-to-ceiling windows; if you've scored a waterfront room, you'll likely leave the TV off and watch the drama unfold under the dusty, shifting Turkish sky. The hotel was built from the bones of a 1939 Tobacco factory and warehouse. Though it looks identical to the seven-story facade in old photographs from the water, it's actually all new construction; seven new floors created by digging underneath the original footprint.
The Shangri-La is flanked on one side by the Dolmabahçe Palace[6], where the Ottoman Empire ruled from 1856 to 1922. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan moved some of his offices there last year; as a result, the hotel's security is high. Armed gunmen are posted near the entrance, and before entering the lobby, you’re sent through a metal detector. Once inside, you'll encounter an abundance of flowers, crystal, far-east artwork, and general old-school world-travel opulence, a signature of the Hong Kong-based hotelier. We walked in with an overstuffed backpack but felt like we should have instead been trailed by a few steamer trunks. The rooms are hushed, pastel blue spaces with giant, marble-clad bathrooms. Service is ever-present, almost to the point of being overbearing: each time the elevator doors open, for example, expect to see be welcomed by a staff member asking if they can assist you with anything. Tell them to open the curtains.
More information: Rooms at the Shangri-La run from around $450 a night. Turkish Airlines[7] runs direct flights to Istanbul from New York.
References
- ^ Travel (www.mensjournal.com)
- ^ Close (www.mensjournal.com)
- ^ Istanbul (www.mensjournal.com)
- ^ Shangri-La Bosphorus (www.shangri-la.com)
- ^ Sultanahmet (www.mensjournal.com)
- ^ Dolmabahçe Palace (www.dolmabahcepalace.com)
- ^ Turkish Airlines (www.turkishairlines.com)