The Peninsula, Istanbul

The Peninsula Istanbul is our top pick for all the right reasons: a best-in-class location looking straight onto the Bosphorus, placing you moments from the city’s most soulful sights, plus resort-style spoils you rarely find in the heart of a city. Whether you arrive at the private dock by boat or wander in from the waterfront promenade, you’re stepping into a retreat that blends clean-lined international glamour with artisanal Turkish touches. Need we say more?

LOCATION

Set directly on a revitalised stretch of the Bosphorus Strait, this is a front-row address for sunrise runs or unhurried afternoon strolls as the boats glide by. You’re an easy walk from the newly reimagined Istanbul Museum of Modern Art and the galleries and cafés of buzzy Karaköy. Crossing to the Old City is easy by car, placing Topkapi, Hagia Sophia, and the Grand Bazaar well within reach. Ferries to the Asian side are close at hand, too, turning a day of neighbourhood-hopping into a breezy, scenic ritual.

YOUR ROOM

Choice is the watchword when it comes to your stay here. Immaculately appointed open-plan rooms – many with views across the water – pair silky textiles with polished woods, Bosphorus-blue accents, and marble bathrooms made for lingering soaks. At the top end, sleek multi-bedroom suites bring generous salons and broad balconies poised above the strait, ideal for sunrise coffees or golden hour drinks. Across the board, thoughtful in-room touches make travel effortless, from smart lighting to discreet technology. Whichever you choose, we’d always go for a room with a Bosphorus view. It’s an endlessly cinematic backdrop from dawn to dusk.

WHO IT SUITS

This is a place that genuinely suits everyone. Families will love the freedom of interconnecting rooms and multi-bedroom suites, expansive public spaces where little legs can roam, and pool time between adventures. For couples, romance is baked in: candlelit dinners on a private balcony, sunset martinis on the roof, and a two-person hammam ritual at the spa. Groups can also spread out in larger suites, convene over long lunches by the water, and take to the Bosphorus by private boat. Throughout, the service is the Peninsula signature: gracious, intuitive, and never intrusive so every guest feels personally looked after.

WHY WE LIKE IT

We’ll start with those iconic Bosphorus views, and keep going. The hotel’s private dock turns Istanbul’s fabled waterway into your personal thoroughfare, perfect for sunrise boat trips and traffic-free sightseeing. The spa is extensive, serene, and offers some seriously rejuvenating hammam treatments, complemented by both indoor and outdoor pools. Dining here is also a destination in itself: ascend to the rooftop for Gallada, helmed by Fatih Tutak (one of the city’s finest chefs) for contemporary Anatolian flavours, then slip next door to the bar for a nightcap under the stars.

SUSTAINABILITY

A standout initiative is the rooftop herb garden, cultivated with a local urban farming collective to produce seasonal fruits, vegetables, and herbs for the hotel’s kitchens and cocktail menu, shortening supply chains and dialling up flavour. Smart systems quietly reduce consumption behind the scenes, while green spaces and thoughtful design ensure that luxury treads lightly here.