I just stayed here this past weekend, and also have mostly rave reviews. Unfortunately I can't add too much to the great descriptions from AZ Travels the World and SanDiego1K, but here is a bit.

I wanted to use one free night and one paid night, but thought that this might be a problem as I wanted to book the Deluxe room (the 2nd lowest category), as opposed to the standard room, so that I would get an upgrade to the Spa room. When I called reservations to redeem my free night, she said that she had a Deluxe room available for me. ^ So I tacked on the second night (at 350 euros, plus 40 for a second person), and got my upgrade to the spectacular Spa room, which others have described well -- basically, the whole bathroom is a hamam, with tasteful fixtures, floors, and lighting.

My room had a view of a more than a sliver of the Bosphorous, from the large windows that open. I really liked some of the small (or not so small) details that others have pointed out -- the little Eye of Fatima charm, the room gadgets that were very easy to operate (unlike some hotels in which I have stayed), and the drinking water. The room has a DVD player, and, even though it was the first days of the new rules, they honored the free internet for Diamond members without my asking.

The concierge welcomed me, saying that she recognized me from the Regency Club of the Hyatt, where she used to work, and the guest relations manager escorted me to my room, which I really didn't need but enjoyed. Overall I found the service excellent -- the front desk was welcoming, and when I showed up before 10:00am, as soon as I uttered my name, they acted as if they were expecting me and produced my room immediately for check-in. All of the bellmen were very articulate in English and helpful. It's true that none of the taxis knew about the place, but I had stayed at the Hilton Parksa before, which is right down the block, so I directed the taxis there as a starting point.

My only complaint is the dining. I ate at Prime, the steak house upstairs, and had low expectations. Unfortunately, they were fulfilled. The steak was average (and therefore overpriced), served with a horrific "bearnaise" sauce and I chose a relatively decent "potato risotto." The caesar salad was also disappointing; it had no anchovies. But the service, including the chef at the open grill area where they finish the steak, was excellent. In typical Istanbul fashion, the wine was exorbitant (although I had a glass of Turkish Syrah, one of the lowest-price selections, and it was fine). Also, the breakfast (although complimentary to me and my companion by virtue of my Diamond status) was a bit underwhelming. It's a small buffet with only basic cold items and no hot items, except for eggs available to order. It would be nice to have another option, akin to most of the other five-star hotels in the city. The lobby also features a chic wine bar, at which I had drinks in the mid-day.

I didn't see the spa, and unfortunately I was a couple of weeks early for the pool.

I absolutely look forward to returning to this hotel. It totally blew away the W, for example. I will probably make this my top choice in the city, except over the summer when the pool at the Kempinski Cirigan Palace (and hopefully the new Four Seasons, which is next to try) can't be beat.