The Cornucopia Hotel Collection features hotels that are hand-picked for their sense of place. They are hotels we would genuinely like to stay in ourselves and are pleased to recommend. We welcome any feedback and recommendations our readers have.
The collection includes high design boutique hotels such as the Sumahan on the Water, overlooking the Bosphorus from Cengelköy, the Georges Hotel a stone’s throw from the Galata Tower and the beautiful Adahan with its high ceilings and sweeping rooftop view over the Golden Horn; leading-edge chic such as the new House Hotel Bosphorus in Ortaköy and its sister establishments in The House Hotel Nişantaşı and The Vault in Karaköy; intimate boutiques like the elegant Ibrahim Pasha in Sultanahmet; plus the grand comfort of brand hotels such as the Kempinski Çırağan Palace, which are unique in location, style and service.
The Cornucopia Hotel Collection now works in partnership with booking.com to ensure ease of booking and the very best rates. Regrettably, the authorities are currently blocking access to the Netherlands-based reservation system for people living in Turkey as they have done in recent years with youtube and twitter. This does not affect readers living abroad.
Bon voyage – iyi yolculuklar!
District: Beyoğlu – Şişhane – Galata
Istanbul’s top-listed restoration hotel – chic, understated and contemporary. A stylish restoration of one of the Camondo dynasty’s grand townhouse, with wonderfully generous rooms. The interior architecture blends original details with beautifully carved contemporary furniture. Superb solid timber floor throughout and views from the rooftop restaurant to fly for.
Double room from €110 per night
District: Beyoğlu – Galatasaray
The CORINNE HOTEL is a masterful blend of the historic and the contemporary, a haven of calm in the epicentre of the great metropolis. It overlooks a pretty street in a quarter lined with richly carved fin-de-sicle townhouses – you literally step out of the front door into heart of historic Pera, the diplomatic heart of 19th-century Istanbul.
Double room from €149 per night
District: Beyoğlu – Galata
Housed in a majestic and historic building in the chic Galata neighbourhood, you could be easily forgiven for walking right past the Georges Hotel given that there is no hotel name or sign outside. Step inside, however, and you will find a quite simply stunning hotel and a world of cool, glamourous chic, topped off by a fabulous roof terrace with timeless views.
Double room from €110 per night
District: Beyoğlu – Istiklal Caddesi
Designed for the traveller who is looking for comfort in a convenient central location, the trendy Misafir Suites is one of the few hotels to provide an almost tranquil haven in the city centre, offering spacious, comfortable, smart rooms with first class soundproofing.
Double room from €110 per night
District: Beyoğlu – Şişli
Divan Group’s traditional flagship, with a heritage of more than fifty years, the Divan Istanbul, on Taksim Square, has been completely rebuilt to offer a heady mix of luxury design and Ottoman hospitality. 191 elegant rooms, 2 Presidential suites, luxury Puri Spa, spacious meeting rooms; 3 gourmet restaurants, Divan Bar, and Divan Patisserie with elegant sidewalk café.
Double room from €110 per night
District: Beyoğlu – Cihangir
This exceptional boutique hotel, situated in a pretty, peaceful square in Beyoğlu between the Italian ambassador’s Palazzo Venezia and the Palais de France, was a nunnery in the 19th century. It now has high-ceilinged luxury suites, and wonderful views of the city’s historic peninsula.
Double room from €130 per night
District: Beyoğlu – Cihangir
A luxurious boutique hotel in Cihangir - a quiet trendy neighbourhood with bohemian flair. Sophisticated, modern suites with views overlooking the Golden Horn and Galata Tower.
Double room from €249 per night
District: Beyoğlu – Tepebaşı
Located in the cosmopolitan Tepebaşı district of Beyoğlu and dating back to 1892, the Pera Palace overlooks the Golden Horn with 115 rooms including 16 suites named after the Hotel’s most illustrious guests. This historical hotel has now been fully renovated in keeping with its original grandeur whilst offering state-of-the-art facilities.
Double room from €125 per night
District: Beyoğlu – Tepebaşı
Palazzo Donizetti Hotel is named after the Italian musician, Giuseppe Donizetti, who lived in Beyoğlu at the time of the Ottoman Empire. The hotel is located in a majestic building, surrounded by a wide variety of restaurants, bars and cafes in a chic, trendy neighbourhood near Istiklal Caddesi and just a few steps from the metro.
Double room from €105 per night
District: Beyoğlu – Tünel
A historic, sensitively restored winter mansion of a French Levantine family, built by the architect Alexandre Vallaury, that retains its original Ottoman Neoclassical style, but with a modern-day twist.
Double room from €159 per night
District: Beyoğlu – Pera
Conveniently located in the central district of Beyoğlu in Pera, X Flats offers convenience, comfort and style for those looking for an extended stay in Istanbul. One and two bedroom apartments are housed in a stately building in a lively, historic neighbourhood.
Apartments from €120 per night
District: Beyoğlu – Şişhane
ISTANBUL Homage Istanbul, tucked away in a tranquil street in the charming, historic Beyoğlu area, rich in culture and the arts, offers short or long stays in modern apartments featuring contemporary interiors and kitchens that open onto stylish, comfortable living rooms.
Apartments from €50 per night
District: Beyoğlu – Galata
Beautifully renovated serviced apartments located in the heart of the cosmopolitan Galata neighbourhood in a revitalized 19th-century building, with direct views of the Suleymaniye Mosque.
Apartments from €120 per night
District: Beyoğlu – Karaköy
The SuB Karaköy is a contemporary boutique hotel conveniently situated in Karaköy, within easy reach of the Old City and Beyoğlu, Istanbul’s lively Left Bank. SuB Karaköy offers all the usual modern amenities. Rooms are light and spacious, decorated with sleek, natural materials, accented with paintings from local artists.
Double room from €130
District: Beyoğlu – Karaköy
Vault, The House Hotel Group’s latest and most stately offering, has recently opened in early 2014. The hotel has a total of 63 rooms on 9 floors, some with views of Topkapı Palace and the Spice Market.
Double room from €164 per night
District: Nişantaşı – Maçka
The stunningly stylish Park Hyatt Istanbul - Maçka Palas, located in the fashionable Nişantaşı district, houses 90 uniquely designed rooms, including 10 elegant suites and 25 residential spa rooms, along with a lounge featuring all-day dining, a grill restaurant and a multi-level terrace with pool and bar.
Double room from €200 per night
District: Nişantaşı – Maçka
Istanbul’s smartest shopping street, Abdi Ipekçi Caddesi has a suitably chic designer hotel, hidden away above a shop (Prada), where you have breakfast in the uber-chic library-dining-reception space. A younger sister of the elegant House Cafés, House Hotels bring together high luxury and attention to every detail with Autoban’s cutting-edge design.
Double room from €180 per night
District: Maçka
With its palatial lobby and rooftop dining, Swissôtel The Bosphorus, Istanbul has stunning views of the Bosphorus from the chic residential and business district of Maçka, overlooking Dolmabahçe Palace. Pürovel Spa & Sport, tennis courts and a swimming pool set in cedar woods, as well as a wide choice of specialist restaurants.
Double room from €150 per night
District: Sultanahmet
Converted from a 19th-century four-storey townhouse, the Ibrahim Pasha is the ideal place to stay for first-time visitors to Istanbul. The rooms are well-equipped and comfortable and are decorated in a contemporary-with-a-twist of Ottoman style. And there are minarets and domes aplenty on show from the rooftop terrace.
Double room from €70 per night
District: Sultanahmet
Each room is airy and full of charm in this delightfully peaceful small hotel just a minute’s walk from Ayasofya, Topkapı Palace and the Arasta Bazaar. Breakfast is in a secret courtyard of cypress and palm trees next to the romantic ivy-clad ruins of a 16th-century domed hamam, covered with wild delphiniums and snapdragons.
Double room from €70 per night
District: Sultanahmet
The Armada, in the historic Old City, puts you in the centre of genuine Istanbul. Unmissable sights such as Topkapı Palace and Ayasofya are a stroll away. The rooftop restaurant, with views of the Blue Mosque and the Sea of Marmara, is the perfect setting for a drink or dinner by moonlight to the rhythms of live gypsy music or traditional fasil.
Double room from €85 per night
District: Sultanahmet
Still one of Istanbul’s great hotels. If you want to be in the heart of history and the lap of luxury at the same time, this is the place to go for.
Double room from €250 per night
District: Sultanahmet
Situated next to Gülhane Park near Topkapı Palace and the Archeological Museum, Sirkeci Mansion offers a tranquil place to stay in the bustling historic centre.
Double room from €140 per night
District: Sultanahmet
The Turkoman is an ideally located guesthouse in the heart of historic Sultanahmet, overlooking the Hippodrome, across the square from the Blue Mosque and rubbing shoulders with the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art. Its advantages include amazing affordability, terrific rooftop terrace view and literally having the Old City’s major sights literally on your doorstep.
Double room from €69 per night
District: Ortaköy
Stylish apartments in Ortaköy, overlooking the prettiest seaside square in the city - built in the 1890s for a dynasty of Ottoman architects and transformed into a luxury designer hotel.
Double room from €185 per night
District: Beşiktaş
Shangri-La Bosphorus, is Istanbul’s newest luxury hotel located between Dolmabahçe Palace and the Naval Museum at Beşiktaş.
Double room from €215 per night
District: Beşiktaş
The Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul, the only Ottoman imperial palace and hotel on the Bosphorus, offers the ultimate in luxury and elegance.
Double room from €350 per night
District: Beşiktaş
Experience an intimate haven at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. The Bosphorus is the backdrop for this remodelled 19th-century Ottoman palace, with its 170 guest rooms, 25 suites, chic urban spa, fine restaurants and quayside pools, all awash with the light, space and excitement of a water’s-edge location.
Double room from €325 per night
District: Çengelköy
This elegant gem of a hotel, standing in an historic waterside setting, is an inspired conversion of an Ottoman distillery. It has its own private launch service across the Bosphorus, and offers spectacular views of the Old City.
Double room from €125 per night
District: Tarabya
One of Istanbul’s first 5-star hotels and a new member of The Leading Hotels of the World, the Grand Tarabya was entirely rebuilt to offer an exclusive Istanbul experience and the highest level of luxury with breathtaking panoramic views of the Bosphorus and Tarabya marina.
Double room from €155 per night
District: The Princes Islands – Büyükada
The Splendid Palas Hotel is a magnificent building with silvery domes and red shutters, on the largest of the Princes Islands, facing the Marmara on one side and the city of Istanbul on the other.
Double room from €135 per night
Alaçatı
A wonderful hotel in a little town that has become the Aegean showcase of rediscovered country chic. Taş (Stone) Hotel is a century-old stone house whose natural, unaffected style pioneered the vogue for Alaçatı. 7 rooms, a swimming pool set in a perfect lawn, and a superb breakfast of olives, village bread and home-made jam.
Double room from €90 per night
Alaçatı
The Zeytin Konak (the Olive Mansion) stands on a peaceful street five minutes’ walk from the centre of Alaçatı, away from the noise of the area’s famed nightlife. The hotel consists of four unique and charming houses with a garden green all year surrounding two pools.
Double room from €90 per night
Ayvalık
A meticulously restored mansion from the 1800s converted into a charming, nine room boutique hotel. Macaron Konağı is ideally located in the historic area of Ayvalık, just 100 metres from the Aegean Sea.
Double room from €75 per night
Ayvalık – Cunda Island
Situated on the secluded western side of Cunda Island, where pine groves meet the Aegean Sea, Ortunç offers a blissful setting for a very relaxing retreat.
Double room from €140 per night
Ayvalık – Cunda Island
YundAntik features four registered historic mansions, carefully restored to reveal their original architectural features, set within a spacious garden in the heritage centre of Cunda Island in Ayvalık on the Aegean coast.
Double room from €120 per night
Urla – Izmir
This strikingly beautiful contemporary guesthouse is set close to the Aegean coast amidst the beautiful vineyards and gardens of Urla winery. Depending on the season, guests can observe or take part in the various steps of winemaking, such as harvesting, pruning and crushing.
Double room from €160 per night
Set in 12,000 square metres of landscaped gardens, ideally located in the heart of the city, Swissôtel Büyük Efes hosts more than 800 works of art by artists such as Fernando Botero and Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu.
Double room from €115 per night
Selçuk
The famous, long-established family-run hotel, built and landscaped in the style of an Ottoman inn.
Double room from €50 per night
Bodrum
El Vino is a secluded and intimate boutique hotel with a charming atmosphere and attentive, friendly service, tucked away in the centre of Bodrum. Comfortable rooms, swimming pool in lush surroundings, heated outdoor Jacuzzi, and a rooftop wine bar and restaurant…
Double room from €80 per night
Datça
A magnificent jewel-like Ottoman mansion, shaded by almond, olive and lemon trees, offering traditional Turkish hospitality with home comforts. The Mansion is a romantic getaway with tastefully furnished and beautiful rooms, magical corners in the yard such as rose and citrus gardens, with a pool area over-viewing the whole Mansion. The scenery is charming from every aspect.
Datça
A new boutique hotel in lovely gardens on a beach on the Datça peninsula, where the Mediterranean meets the Aegean.
Double room from €48 per night
A truly exclusive Preferred Boutique hotel that occupies a lovingly restored 16th-century caravanserai at the heart of historic Ankara, at the entrance to the historic Ankara citadel and close to the world-famous Museum of Anatolian Civilisations.
Double room from €135 per night
The Argos in Cappadocia is a world-class boutique hotel and one of the prestigious Eco Luxury Retreats of the world. The Argos offers 51 rooms and suites which combine modern luxury with carefully restored caves and tunnels.
Double room from €160 per night
Cappadocia – Üçhisar
A lavishly furnished, boutique cave hotel with dramatic views over Cappadocia’s tufa landscape.
Double room from €190 per night
Kastamonu
Two of Kastamonu’s konaks have been converted into good boutique hotels under the same management. The Uğurlu – at the top of the town, below the Kafkaesque fortress behind the bazaars quarter – is the more recent and the smarter, with a garden in which to sip your ice-cold Efes (not a treat available in many places in Kastamonu). The view of the castle is spectacular, the rooms spacious…
Double room from €80 per night
Safranbolu
The Western Black Sea town of Safranbolu is a Unesco World Heritage site and a perfect escape. The owners opened the Gülevi after sensitively restoring three neighbouring 18th-century mansions that share a delightful garden full of fruit trees.
Double room from €100 per night
Safranbolu
A 280 year old Ottoman mansion, renovated in January 2012, located in the vineyards of Safranbolu, next to an old water mill.
Double room from €80 per night
Faralya – Ölüdeniz
The Mandarin is a delightful boutique hotel situated in an unspoilt, natural setting close to southwest Turkey’s magnificent Turquoise Coast. Perfect for nature-lovers those who enjoy a home from home with a touch of luxury.
Double room from €235 per night
Marmaris
Three authentically restored old houses in the centre of the old town just below the castle. Very comfortable and well appointed rooms with views of the city or the sea. Free WiFi throughout.
Double room from €95 per night
