luxtravels

I wouldn't put too much value on club lounges in Turkey, unless they are something extraordinary. Food and drinks are abundant and very affordable, even in high-end spots.
E.g. the lounge in Hilton Bosphorus is a tad depressing whereas if you go a couple floors down out on the lobby-balcony restaurant you'll be in a really cozy and lively outdoor setting with drinks that won't break the budget. I spent more time there than in the lounge.

Jacuzzis I don't know about. My go-to hotel if I returned to IST would be Conrad followed by Bomonti. But Bosphorus can be a wild-card to experience for a night or two.

mediator

Hello,
I am planning for a two-day stay at Istanbul in April. I am debating between DT Topkapi and DT Sirkeci. Both are reasonably priced but Topkapi is closer to the airport whereas Sirkeci is closer to all the major attractions. My flight back to home leaves at 9am from IST. Any suggestions? Open to other options as well. I’m also Hilton diamond. Thanks in advance.

philiphenry

Hello
Were going to Istanbul for tourism, please I’m wondering if anyone can suggest the best Hilton to stay at for tourism, so as to have easy travel around.
Any information and suggestions, much appreciated.
Many thanks
Henry

Friendly Traveling Deathmerchant

See: DISCUSSION for Hilton Honors Hotels in Istanbul, Turkey {TUR}
30 pages of data to base decisions upon!
(I liked the old, classy Hilton Bosphorus, central/close enough to things, nice breakfast buffet, decent lounge, some views. Feels like you're in the 1970's middle east Hilton glory days. but that's also dated.
The Conrad nearby is good too.
Alternatively, the newer-to-Hilton "Hagia Sofia Mansions" is right smack in the middle of the touristy attractions.)

All prices equal, Conrad a little nicer/newer rooms, Hilton Bos a little closer to things and still has lots of amenities.

Gertjaars

Conrad Istanbul is much better than the Hilton Istanbul. Had a 2 night stay at the Conrad as a Dimaond, super early check in, and was upgraded to the Park Suite with terrace.

Danny Martello

For first timer tourists I would not recommend the Conrad. Have stayed there several times. Location is key for first timers. It's highly unlikly to be upgraded to the Park Suite so I wouldn't raise expectations. Isn't about everyone a HH Diamond these days? Sirkeci area is ideal in terms of location or the Taksim area.

IAN-UK

That's a brave statement!

it might be true on an "other things being equal" basis: Conrad vs Hilton generally swings in Conrad's favour. But those things are seldom equal, and for Istanbul one of most unequal is location and access to the city and to its transport systems, and where the guest needs to be.


Congratulations on the prime suite upgrade from (I'm guessing) an entry level booking. But such largesse is not the standard response to Diamond reservations: if it were, they'd soon exhaust their inventory of prestige accommodation

​​​​​

Gertjaars

It was a 1 king bed booking I made on the https://www.hiltonhonorsaspirecard.com/ website for 2 nights at the conrad. Came with the $100 property credit.
Was my first time in Turkey from US,my flight landed at 6 am, hotel had no problem offering complimentary 9 am check in and the upgrade to the park suite with terrace. Pool was great, sauna/steam room were also a plus, and they totally spoiled us on those 2 nights.

I'm not sure why the property isn't liked by others on here - is it the location?

zeer0

I also don't get the obsession with location. Istanbul has some of the cheapest taxis in the world, you can get anywhere for $5-10.

Danny Martello

Has nothing to do about taxis being cheap or not. I do not want to get into a car in Istanbul and get stuck in a merciless traffic jam. And they are merciless in this area. I like the Conrad, but it's in one of the least walkable areas. I love walking, consider myself an obsessive walker and don't mind that hill. The location has an unpleasant feel for me. It's nowhere near a metro station.

pokeflute

Did a small Hilton crawl over the past few days 15-18 March, 2022

DT Sirkeci - king room upgraded to king suite
Hagia Sofia Curio - King room upgraded to king superior. Requested for suite and was granted Hagia Sofia suite
DT Piyalepasa - King room upgraded to nothing. Lousy property and I advise all to avoid.
Conrad Bosphorous - Twin room upgraded to executive twin bosphorous view.

Diamond status.

thinking if i should try my luck at Hilton bomonti or others before i leave Istanbul.

IAN-UK

Was there lousiness beyond the non-upgrade? It's in a location quite convenient for me, and i've been meaning to try it. I'm as much a fan of upgrades as the next Diamond …. but it's not the end of the world.

There often seems to a correlation between non attainment of an upgrade and general dissatisfaction with a hotel.

pokeflute

Wifi wasn't working when logging in with last name and room number. Had to use temporary access code which is too slow to even watch YouTube. Not sure how does 0.5mbps sound to you but that’s just appropriate to send messages only. As a diamond, I’m pretty sure i know my last name is properly recorded in the system.

Bathroom was smelly with sewage smell emitting from the gutter drain.
No cups provided in the bathroom for brushing teeth.
Shower is partially broken; after adjusting the temperature, sudden unexpected freezing cold followed by hot water unmixed then back to the right temperature. It is a “constant feature” of the broken mixer tap so I could kind of avoid it by timing, but still uncomfortable nonetheless.

There is hourly shuttle from hotel to taksim square at xx:15 min and return trip at xx:30 min in front of the elysium hotel. Unfortunately this info is not posted on the website nor informed to guests before arriving.

Breakfast is OK but the scrambled eggs were way too soggy. Fruit juices are very watered down and sugar added. For comparison, Conrad and Curio Hagia Sofia were both providing real fresh juices. I am aware of the branding/pricing difference and would go for those in the future for any visits to IST.

hfly

FYI in my experience that Conrad Orange Juice (etc) is NOT fresh, yes it has pulp, etc, but is 100% not fresh.

IAN-UK

There are crafty, and some not so crafty, ways of fooling folk …..