Guava

Just stayed at thıs property and all I can say ıs ıt's just great. What's curıous though ıs I am clearly a Gold VIP and even showed them at check ın but later on the hotel keeps sayıng I am a Dıamond VIP and even prınted so on the check out receıpt. Because the hotel was very full I was gıven a busıness floor room and the vıew was not great but ıt was clearly an upgrade over those non-refurbıshed floors and was gıven free lounge access and free breakfast at the lobby restaurant when asked whıch was nıce. They also went above and beyond to take out gıft shop purchase of 30 YTL when the shop sold me somethıng that ıs 6 tımes the nomınal value (callıng card) + I met the Executıve Floor manager who was very very nıce and who personally greeted me many tımes and dıd everythıng to ensure I had a very good stay.

I promısed her to wrıte a good revıew and I hıghly recommend thıs hotel. The only thıng I am not certaın ıs how they keep thınkıng I am a Dıamond when I am not? Granted there should be no dıfferentıatıon between the two when ıt comes to elıte recognıtıon ıt's pretty obvıous thıs hotel went a step above to treat Dıamond VIP better because the same clerk who checked me ın when I had the Gold card on hand seems to dısmıss ıt as just only gold but thıs same rep who next mornıng checked the system and saw me as a Dıamond VIP was a lot more cautıous and oblıgıng.

dlwalt

any additional trip reports?
staying here for 3 nights in August on reward stay

sdateUnited

I guess this trip report is a bit late to help the last poster, but I stayed here in June for 5 nights (on points) and thought it was an amazing place. I was there during Euro Cup 2008 and in particular on the night when Turkey beat Croatia to advance to the quarter finals. The mood in town was that of pure jubilation.

The rooms are pretty standard for Conrad. Large beds, great climate control, nice wooden built-in wardrobes and the bathrooms are done in granite and the fixtures and water pressure are excellent. Turn down service, comfy slippers, more towels that you could need, good iron. Tube TVs (24 inch maybe?) and the background music on the welcome channel is pretty cool (does anybody know if it is possible to find it somewhere?)

The S shaped hotel ensures that you gets views commensurate to the price (dollars or points) you are paying for your room. The suites and larger rooms had beautiful views of both old town and the bridge while our room had a view of the strait but our view was partly obscured by the hotel building itself.

But its difficult to complain about views because the hotel is situated atop a hill and the executive lounge has commanding views of the Bosporus. Breakfast is the single best thing about this hotel - its opulent and when served on the terrace, quite an experience. There are tons of freshly cut fruits available and they carry Turkish specialties which include pastries and mashed honeycomb that you can spread on your toast. We'd regularly spend an hour or more at breakfast drinking coffee and tea which they brought to our table and poring over our Lonely Planet guide deciding what to see that day. Being atop a hill you are sheltered from the noise of the street below and your views of what is happening in the town below are punctuated only by the light breeze which blows across the terrace. Also the banisters are solid plate glass so you're guaranteed great views in all directions. We only came back from evening canapes twice but they were also great - plenty of cold bottles of Turkish beer sitting in a large ice pail, a selection of 3-4 hot and 2-3 cold canapes and they brought bowls of nuts to your table when you sat down. Great place to watch ferries cross the strait during sunset. They keep serving drinks (on request) until 11 PM so we'd usually have another drink late before heading out for a late dinner or to the nightlife.

Finally the staff -- the doormen and concierge are friendly and given that most of the people in the hotel turn in somewhat early (we'd come back usually after 2 AM when the hotel lobby was totally quiet) the doormen were in a chatty and friendly mood and gave us excellent tips and sort of became our friends by the end of it. Then again Turkish people are universally charming and friendly. High marks for the staff at breakfast and on the executive floors.

So in summary, I have very good things to say about this hotel. I highly recommend Istanbul and this hotel in particular for anybody making summer vacation plans.

I cannot vouch for what Istanbul is like in the winter but in the summer the weather is amazing..it hardly rains and it doesn't get extremely hot and it wasn't humid at all during our stay. This certainly played into my impression of the hotel.. had my stay been for business and during the winter I'd probably have painted a slightly less rosy picture of the hotel and the town.

hfly

It does get extremely hot, can be extremely humid and can rain like hell. Sounds like you had a pleasant 5 days, but that is not the norm nor the average.

little_dc

I'm going to the Conrad over the MLK day weekend (Jan 17-19). I booked with the Jan Sale price of 80 Euro a night with breakfast.

Looking for any up-to-date suggestions getting from the airport to the hotel. I'm told taxis are fine to use, and somewhat cheap.

Has anyone used the Conrad concierge services at Atatürk International Airport?? What do they offer, is there a fee??

http://conradhotels1.hilton.com/en/c...HCCI_Concierge

Also is taxi the best way to get to most of the tourist areas? Is the public transportation?

sdateUnited

I was there less than 6 months ago

If you arrive late at night then you can still get a taxi but it will cost you. I didn't use the hotel's car service but getting back to the airport was a breeze, just have the doorman hail a cab. Paid about 35 pounds at night, less than 20 during the day (back when 2 USD == 1 GBP)

Getting around the city is easy. There is a tram service from the Dolhmabace Palace to the old town (where all the main attractions are). taxis are cheap and plentiful and quite modern as well.

Just be careful when going too far outside the center by cab. One time a driver took us for a real hike and we got fleeced on the fare

hfly

You over paid, back when the GBP was 2 to 1 to the $, it would have cost 17.5 GBP max before midnight, and 50% more than that between midnight and 6AM.

JDiver

A year later, this member asks if anyone has anything to add? We're in Istanbul August 2010, and want to book the Conrad, which we do not know, or the Hilton, which we do (the Hilton is a bit remote.) <Bump!> TIA!

hfly

If you think the Hilton remote, you will consider the Conrad VERY remote. In reality both are considered quite central.

more4less

Probably can be considered remote if you want to visit the Topkapi area/Santa Sofia/... but in such a huge city I do not think either hotels are remote

JDiver

I consider the Four Seasons "central" - the Hilton properties are north of town and require walking and public transport (tram, light rail, ferry, but or ?) or a thirty-plus minute tax ride to Sultanahmet. Perhaps I misspoke using the word "remote" but if so, "central" would not be overly accurate, either, IMO.

hfly

Its a perception thing. To anyone who lives or frequents Istanbul, the Sultanahmet area is NOT a central area and perhaps visited only once in a blue moon. Other than for tourists there is little of interest to anyone past perhaps the first visit. In most peoples reference, Taksim, which the Hilton is quite near IS considered the middle of town.

millburnmike

Okay, so it sounds like the Conrad rebounded from some of the bashing.

For my first trip to Istanbul in mid-February (business a few days and staying over the weekend before heading back to UK), which one would FT'ers recommend?

Being my first visit, I want to do the tourist things for that is important as is the lounge (HH Gold) and fitness center.

GBM.flights

I just came back from 2 nights at the Conrad (January sale).
The hotel corridors need some renovation as it looks a bit run down.
Room was fine, clean, vintage furniture. Breakfast had plenty of choice, not too much fruit though.
I couldn't have the late check out. Fully booked on monday they claimed(hard to believe, but fine)
As mentioned before there are plenty of restaurants 5 minute walking down the avenue. And a Starbucks for those not adapting to the turkish stuff.

What I wanted to add to the previous posts discussion is on the distance and cost to Sultanahmet.
An easy way I found is by commuter boat, which provides a fantastic view of/from the Bosphorus, ensures a visit to Asia and gets you on the cheap (3 TRY = 1.5 €) to the top attractions of Istanbul. and plenty of photo opp.

How to:
Exit Conrad walk down the avenue (Barbaros), stay on the left sidewalk all the way down to the Besiktas dock (~10min)
Look for the booth that says Usküdar and pay 1.5 TRY/pp to the enter the pier. Board the boat which will take you for an enjoyable 10minute ride across the Bosphorus.
Welcome to Asia!
Walk 100m to your right side as you exit the pier. Look for the booth that says Eminönü.
Buy a token for another 1.5 TRY/pp at the booth, walk 15 mts to your left, insert in the gate. walk to the boat.
Coffee and tea available for purchase (~1 TRY if i recall)
After 15 minutes you'll arrive at the dock near the Galata bridge.
As you exit follow the tram tracks to your left and trek up to Topkapi, Hagia Sophia and so on (~15 min). Plenty of shopping and lively atmosphere to enjoy this vibrant city.

have to return for further exploring

GBM

JDiver

Thanks for the report, GBM! Nearby restaurants (we can forget S'bucks, we love Turkish / Mediterranean food!) and ten minutes from the and Beşiktaş dock with all its feribot options - very nice! I booked a Great Getaway stay there in August; we can only hope the weather is fairly decent and not beastly.

From there, feribots to Eminönü, the restaurants at Ortaköy, the Black Sea port of Anadolu Kavağı (and its hilltop Yoros Castle ruins, a pleasure to hike up to before a nice seafood meal riverside there or across the Bosphorus at Sariyer with its many restaurants prior to visiting the excellent Sadberk Hanim Museum just south in Büyükdere), Usküdar (anyone remember the once-popular earthy Eartha Kit song “Üsküdara Gider Iken” - While Going to Üsküdar - about a lovesick secretary, iirc?) The feribot link leads to Tom Brosnahan's (Lonely Planet's first Turkey book author) website, full of helpful information.

We've spent pleasant days "cruising" the feribot system stitching back and forth between Europe and Asia, seeing sights, enjoying food, and meeting some very hospitable Turks - some families have shared sweet tea and simit bread with us, even though we were unable to communicate much in words.