Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus {TUR}
Oct 1, 2022, 4:17 am
Conrad Istanbul
Cihannuma Mahallesi, Saray Caddesi No:5 Besiktas Istanbul, TR 34353
Conrad Istanbul = My Favorite Hilton Chain Property in Istanbul (10 Photos)
Conrad Istanbul
I reviewed this hotel two years ago during covid times and stayed a couple of times this year so I thought I would provide an upgrade with what has changed and what has not. At the moment many hotels in Istanbul are very expensive, a lot of them more than double the pre-covid prices and sometimes even 3x. Conrad is one where prices seem to remain a bit more reasonable and can now often be cheaper than many Hiltons and DoubleTrees in the city which makes it a no brainer for me. It continues to be my favorite Hilton property in Istanbul.
Check In
For my stay in the first half of 2022 the hotel had high occupancy and I did not get a suite upgrade. I asked about it at check-in and they said they would check again the next day if a suite becomes available and unfortunately it did not so we stayed in a non-suite.
For my latest stay a few days ago, surprisingly I was not auto-upgraded in the app ahead of time despite seeing many room types available online, for example even rooms with a better view (non-suites) were available but I did not get an upgrade. Once I arrived at the hotel I was welcomed as Diamond but I was given a room type as booked which was puzzling to me; I asked about suites. They said if I did not receive an upgrade it must be because there is no availability but I said it looks like there are many room types available online. The receptionist and her colleague checked a few things and found a family suite for us without further argument. I never had that room type before and I guess they assigned us this suite because they could see we had a baby in tow.
Room
The family suite does not look as great as the regular suites (too much carpet) but it had two full bathrooms, one with a shower and bath, and one with a shower only. This was quite convenient for us and I appreciated the thoughtful upgrade considering the baby. The view from our low floor was pretty much nothing but I guess that’s the compromise to make especially when receiving a complimentary upgrade rather than a suite which is paid for. Another difference from the regular suites is that the TV in the bedroom was at the foot of the bed, which reminded me of the setup at Conrad Bora Bora, completely on the other side of the planet.
The pillow menu is still available and the hotel is now being more explicit about having special bathroom toiletries available upon request from Refinery and Temple Spa brands, in addition to what’s found in dispenser bottles from Byredo. These are special extras that I appreciate.
Dining
I stopped by the executive lounge and did not notice major differences from the past. The service was quite good with staff proactively offering refills to guests.
Breakfast in my 2022 stays was far superior to the more limited buffet in 2020 during covid. The only downfall is that the restaurant tends to be very crowded after 9:30am and it’s not that easy to find a quiet spot so it’s more enjoyable for early risers.
Overall
Overall for the price paid I continue to be satisfied by the value proposition, not only within the Hilton chain but also when comparing with Hyatts and Marriotts which also have many hotels that have become priced very aggressively, unlike Conrad. Perhaps there is a temporary influx of guests and pricing might be out of whack at some hotels, we’ll see in 2023 what price levels become but Conrad will remain on my list of regular places unless something changes for the worse.
Oct 1, 2022, 6:07 am
As it runs 72h from arrival, a lot can change in those three days.
Oct 1, 2022, 1:04 pm
As it runs 72h from arrival, a lot can change in those three days.
My latest stay at Conrad Istanbul had high occupancy despite many room types being available online so that would explain the lack of upgrade originally.
Oct 2, 2022, 8:25 am
As it runs 72h from arrival, a lot can change in those three days.
Oct 2, 2022, 8:51 am
They could just block the inventory (like the rooms are dirty, broken etc) preventing auto to take the inventory. It's run locally, so properties you could just block them off for 15:00 local time 3 days in the future and it won't allocate inventory. With the way Hilton deals with properties I would say managed are more likely to do stuff like that than franchised. I find franchised play things by the book and on my travels are more likely to be pre-Covid standard than managed.
The key take away is it will never upgrade you to a type where there is just one example, covering most named suites, like Presidential, Royal and if occupancy is 50% or higher in the upgraded types it will skip or not work.
I think its beneficial in hotels that don't upgrade often, as it locks it in and you could complain if they remove it. Properties that were always generous will remain generous. For example Canary Wharf.
Mar 2, 2023, 10:11 am
Neutral Note on Upgrades:
- Upgraded 72 hours prior from a base King room to a King Executive Bosphorus room - I asked about suites at check-in as I had noticed Park Suites online the night before - the agent mentioned something about Partial Bosphorus View, but I'm pretty sure she said "room" and not "suite", which would have been a downgrade from the pre-upgrade - perhaps, I misheard - she told me that the room I was in was what I would like, which is fine, I guess - I didn't check online in the moment as it doesn't matter that much to me for one night
- The styling in the room is traditional, but I found it pleasant
- The desk chair and small green chair were both comfortable
- Bed was comfortable - covers of good thickness (not too thin, not too thick), just-right / slightly-plush mattress, plush pillows
- Shower pressure from the wand head was quite nice, and despite the non-circular arrangement of the water holes, I found this completely good for a comfortable shower when placed in the higher holder
- The view of the Bosphorus was nice - fun to watch ships
- Brought a nice gift of nuts, juices, and chocolates (I had one of the chocolates, and it was some kind of divine coffee truffle)
- The Executive Lounge offering was very nice
- The service here rivaled that of Grosvenor House in Dubai - I could barely take a sip of any beverage without my glass being refilled
- Gulbarhar (I'm sure I'm butchering the spelling), the Lounge Manager, was super thorough and always refilling my water and asking if I needed anything
- Really delicious afternoon tea desserts with some delicious caramel sauce
- Mac and cheese at evening service was really tasty
- Breakfast is either in the restaurant or Executive Lounge (they are next to each other) for Diamonds
- The restaurant staff seemed to think that it was "my first day" and it's not included - I think they thought I had just checked in that morning, but they let me in "as I was a Diamond" - no billing issues at check-out - I think this might have been a misunderstanding on my part - no reason to think Diamonds are limited to the lounge when Golds would get the restaurant
- Definitely more choices in the restaurant (I did look at the lounge) - especially the omelet station - but it did seem like finding a clean table was a bit hard for some parties after I had sat down
- Omelet was tasty, and I liked the flatbread and marble cake
- Lounge would definitely be more calm - only a few folks in there - but no omelets
- I asked about late checkout, and when I said 2 PM, they gave it to me with no issue or extra checking of their computers
- Front desk service at check-out was very friendly - lots of conversation about my travels
- EUR-TRY exchange rate used was very fair
- Bell staff was very friendly - remembered me across both days, asked about my travel habits, etc.
- Working 115 V shaver charger in the bathroom - my toothbrush was so excited
- Noise isolation from the hallway was not great, and housekeepers started vacuuming around 9 AM
- U-shape of the building means the Bosphorus view rooms on my end of the building look into other rooms as well as the window for the elevator lobby
- No washcloths (Hilton Bomonti has these)
Photos:
Mar 3, 2023, 8:07 am
- U-shape of the building means the Bosphorus view rooms on my end of the building look into other rooms as well as the window for the elevator lobby
- No washcloths (Hilton Bomonti has these)
Photos:
Besides the view issue, how was the walk to/from the room from the elevator? Having been at analogous Hiltons, being at one end of a curve can mean a whole bunch of walking and walking and walking.
Also interesting about the lack of washcloths.
David
Mar 3, 2023, 8:20 am
Besides the view issue, how was the walk to/from the room from the elevator? Having been at analogous Hiltons, being at one end of a curve can mean a whole bunch of walking and walking and walking.
Also interesting about the lack of washcloths.
David
This was the third Istanbul hotel in a row without washcloths (Marriott Sisli, Ren Polat Bosphorus, and Conrad). Hilton Bomonti and now JW Marmara Sea have bucked that trend. It's happened enough times that it appears to be a Turkish phenomenon!
Mar 23, 2023, 8:10 pm
Mar 24, 2023, 1:55 am