Crowne Plaza Istanbuk - Florya stayed Sept 2020

What is your Priority Club status?
Spire

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked King Deluxe Pool Access with Terrace. Received Studio Suite Pool Access with Terrace

How are the rooms?
Room was nice. I feel like Studio Suite is a bit of an oxymoron; it was all one room. But it had the pool access I wanted from a nice terrace with sea view.

How is the exec. lounge?
Actual lounge closed, but replacement options were given. Breakfast was at the downstairs restaurant near the pool: order from menu since buffet is closed. Then there was 'Happy Hour' from 5-7pm I the upstairs bar that had a special club menu with some hot meals. The another club menu in same bar from 7-11pm. For the upstairs bar club offerings, you would still be presented a bill and sign it with your room number but the charge did not appear on room bill at checkout. Great deal as the club offerings were normal items from the (probably overpriced) restaurant menu. Nice view of the sea from ther as well.

What was good and what was bad?
Good - Staff were very professional. Good spire recognition. Upgrade, club lounge, plus 4 drink vouchers for the bar which could be used for fancy cocktails that weren't part of the 7-11pm club offerings (beer and wine).

Location is great on the sea, next to the aquarium and a train line (Marmaray) with a 25 minute ride to the old town.

Ok - Staff probably spoke great English, but through the masks a lot was lost so communication could be difficult at the front desk and at breakfast.

Bad?- Apparently the hotel specifically caters to men traveling to Istanbul for hair transplant surgery.. Good for them I guess, but I constantly felt like I was living in that old SNL skit Massive Headwound Harry. Probably would have been less off-putting had I known to expect that at breakfast/dinner etc., but I looked it up online to figure out what was going on.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
I thought the paid rate was good. I booked it because the IC was still closed, but I could see myself returning even before my hair falls out.