Impact Hub Istanbul
A coworking and community hub for people building social and environmental projects, with events, incubators and a network of changemakers. A window into Istanbul’s growing social-enterprise and startup scene.
Listings
Soho House Istanbul
A members’ club and hotel spread across a restored 19th-century Italian palazzo and a modern annexe in Beyoglu, with a rooftop pool, hammam and see-and-be-seen crowd. Rooms are open to non-members; stylish and central.
Cheers Hostel
A friendly, long-running hostel in the heart of Sultanahmet with dorms, private rooms and a cosy rooftop bar looking to the Blue Mosque. The affordable, sociable base a short walk from every major sight.
The Stay Bosphorus
A sleek, design-led hotel right on the Bosphorus at Ortakoy, with a waterfront terrace and rooms looking across to Asia. A calmer, glamorous base away from the old-city crowds, with the strait at your feet.
The Vault Karakoy
A striking design hotel in a monumental former bank on Karakoy’s old banking street, its soaring lobby and vault details intact. Handsome rooms and a hip neighbourhood of galleries, cafes and nightlife on the doorstep.
Sirkeci Mansion
A warm, well-run boutique on a quiet street in the old city, with a small pool, a hammam and famously friendly service (and free walking tours and tastings). Great value and superbly placed for Sultanahmet.
Georges Hotel Galata
A chic little townhouse boutique on one of Galata’s prettiest streets, with elegant rooms and a rooftop restaurant looking to the tower and the Golden Horn. Stylish, personal and in the heart of the Galata-Karakoy buzz.
Four Seasons Sultanahmet
A characterful five-star in a converted neoclassical former prison, moments from Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, with a lovely courtyard and rooftop views over the old city. Impeccable and unbeatably located for the sights.
Pera Palace Hotel
The legendary hotel built for Orient Express passengers in 1892, haunt of Agatha Christie and Ataturk, gloriously restored with a grand tearoom and old-world glamour in Beyoglu. History you can sleep in.
Bosphorus Dinner Cruise
An evening cruise along the Bosphorus with dinner and often live music and dancing, the palaces, bridges and minarets glittering on both shores. Touristy but genuinely romantic; a memorable last night in the city.