Hilton Gold. We stayed at this hotel in May 2013 and LOVED it. Did not get a Bosphorus view that time but the lounge, its view and food, made up for it.

Fast forward to May 2015: Shock! The lounge is now relocated with a view of a basketball court in a small park. The only hopeful thing is that they have not turned the old lounge into anything like hotel rooms, casting all the change in concrete. Maybe if enough customers register displeasure, it could be changed back. It was not only the view but also the food. The evening snacks resembled those at the SFO Hilton where we rested up before going home, whereas in 2013, the snacks were awesome. The only saving grace was that the restaurant breakfast, an option over the meager offerings in the lounge, was sumptuous.

We were told that many customers have been complaining. Our only consolation was that it was not a nice evening in Istanbul and, a few hours after evening lounge time, it poured rain with an old fashioned Midwest thunder and lightning storm! In fact, a couple of bolts of lightning caused the power to go out in the hotel. We were happy to still be in the lounge and not on an elevator. Our other consolation was that we were given a top floor Bosphorus view room.

I can't see paying the rate, though, in the future. We traveled all over, saving the Conrad for our last night in Europe. When things were slow on our trip, I would conjure up a view of sitting at a table on the deck, watching the boats sail by on the Bosphorus. Also dreamt of our morning at the Star Alliance Lounge at IST!! That did not disappoint.

Ah, well, next time an airport hotel to take the fun out of watching the cabbie's dodging traffic to get us there on time...