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TK in IST: Thread #3 - Transit and Stopover Hotel, Touristanbul, Sleeping Rooms

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Old Apr 4, 2019, 6:36 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Lefly
This thread is created for passengers with long connections in Istanbul Airport for TK.

PLEASE READ THIS WIKI CAREFULLY (especially the hotel fine print) before posting questions.


TRANSIT HOTEL (different from Stopover hotel):

TK will provide a free hotel to international transfer passengers at IST if:

- Economy Class ticket: connecting time is 12 hours or longer
- Business Class ticket: connecting time is 9 hours or longer

AND this connection must be the shortest possible option. If there is a 3-hour layover available, but you choose the 13-hour one, you are not eligible for the free transit hotel. This also applies if the shorter connection is fully booked: you still won't get the free hotel if there is a theoretical, but sold out, shorter connection.

If you need a visa to enter Turkey, you need to secure it at your own expense.
TK have a pool of hotels that they contract with, it is unfortunately not possible to know which hotel you'll end up at until you are sitting on the bus. Business class passengeres generally get five star hotels and Economy Class passengers get four star hotels. See the list on the bottom of this wiki for usual locations.

Hotel Desk E-Mail Adress: [email protected] - it's generally not necessary to email them, you can just show up
click here for Hotel Desk location

Click here for full Transit Hotel terms/conditions


STOPOVER HOTEL (different from Transit Hotel):

If you are on a round-trip ticket to-from certain cities/countries (click here for the list) and choose a connection longer than 20 hours, TK will provide one night at a four star hotel for Economy Class tickets and two nights at a five star hotel for Business Class tickets (three nights if traveling to/from USA).

At least 72 hours before your first flight, you must send an e-mail to the address that corresponds to your departure point on the list on this page (click here) and include your

full name
reservation code (PNR) or ticket number
date range for the anticipated accommodation
preferred room type (single, double or triple)
telephone and e-mail address

Visas and transfer to/from the airport are not covered by TK.

Click here for eligible origins/destinations and FAQ


TOURISTANBUL:

If you are on an international connection through IST and your connection time is 6-24 hours, you can take a free guided city tour. You must arrive at the hotel desk at least 30 minutes before the tours are scheduled to depart. After clearing immigration and leaving the baggage claim hall, turn right and go to the hotel desk (for location click here).

Touristanbul schedule and FAQ can be found here.


SLEEPING ROOMS:

Business Class and Elite Plus passengers on connections between 4 hours and 9 hours can get a private sleeping room at the M&S and Business lounges. One of the flights must be longer than eight hours and both need to be on TK, codeshare flights are excluded.

-----------------

Please list the hotel that you were provided, travel class, the Miles&Smiles or Star Alliance status of the passenger, the date, your username below and the post # that you have shared in the thread ( you could find the number at the top right side of your posts ) to create a database of passenger experiences.

For example: XXXXXXX Hotel, Business Class, M&S Elite, DD/MM/YYYY, ISTFlyer, #1


April 2019:
Renaissance Polat (Atatürk Airport), Business Class, M&S ELPL, reported by dabee69 in post #54
Renaissance Polat (Atatürk Airport), Business Class, TG*G, reported by bmi_Barry in post #79

May 2019:
Green Park Hotel ( Pendik ), IRROPS, reported by zing2istanbul in (post #753 in the TK ops from IST thread)
Crowne Plaza Aqua Florya, Business Class, TG*G, reported by bmi_Barry in post #91

June 2019:
Westside Arjaan by Rotana, Business Class, M&S ELPL, reported by finlandokie in post #169
August 2019:
Akgun Istanbul, economy class, per post 217
November 2019:
Polat/Renaissance, business-class E+ post 285 (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/31699696-post285.html)
December 2019:
Polat/Renaissance again, business-class E+ post 285

December 2020:
Polat Renaissance, business class E+

January 2021:
Polat Renaissance, business class (No Status)

November 2021:
Holiday Inn Istanbul Airport, economy class (No Status), #537
May 2022 Stopover hotel
Sheraton Istanbul Ataköy Hotel, business E+

May 2022
Westside Arjaan by Rotana, Business,*G, Sandy Hopper
Centro by Rotona (transit hotel), Business, *G, Nacho
Sheraton Istanbul Ataköy Hotel (stopover hotel), business, *G, Nacho

July 2022
Pullman, Business,*G, Sandy Hopper

July 2023
Polat Renaissance, business class, TK-E, iamaho
Sheraton Otel Esenyurt - with dinner included, business class, TK-E, iamaho

September 2023
Pullman, Business, *G, SEA-Flyer
Pullman, Business, no status, SEA-Flyer
LaQuinta by Wyndham, Y E+, DaveS
Sheraton Esenyurt, Business, E+, Jaenks, assigned by my request

October 2023
Ramada Plaza Tekstilkent, Business, TK E, Lefly




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TK in IST: Thread #3 - Transit and Stopover Hotel, Touristanbul, Sleeping Rooms

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Old Jun 12, 2022, 10:10 am
  #766  
SCS
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 168
Has anyone tried to use the free stopover hotel as part of a longer than 48 hour stay in Istanbul? I can't figure out if the two-night limit for business class implies that staying in the city for a longer period renders you ineligible for the benefit, or if in that situation you could still get the two free nights and then arrange your own accommodation for the rest of the time in Istanbul.
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Old Jun 19, 2022, 10:07 am
  #767  
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Join Date: Nov 2018
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Originally Posted by SCS
Has anyone tried to use the free stopover hotel as part of a longer than 48 hour stay in Istanbul? I can't figure out if the two-night limit for business class implies that staying in the city for a longer period renders you ineligible for the benefit, or if in that situation you could still get the two free nights and then arrange your own accommodation for the rest of the time in Istanbul.
Yes, you could do that.
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Old Jun 28, 2022, 12:47 am
  #768  
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
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Programs: Alaska MVP 75K, Delta Plat, Bonvoy Ambasador, Hilton diamond.
Posts: 527
is the complementary "touristanbul" restarted?

I realize the website says the tour is still suspended however phone customer service stated that they have restarted? Anyone have any recent interaction with the hotel desk that can confirm?

https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-i.../touristanbul/
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Old Jun 30, 2022, 1:46 pm
  #769  
Moderator, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles & Accor ALL
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: BRU
Programs: TK*G, Accor ALL Platinum
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Touristanbul will restart 1 July.

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Old Jul 2, 2022, 11:10 pm
  #770  
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: Midwest USA
Posts: 130
Originally Posted by starflyergold
i might be the last person to realize this but just got to IST and tried to join the tour this morning only to find out that you cannot do Touristanbul if you did not book your ticket directly through TK. We’re on an ANA RTW. The language on the website says you must be flying TK arriving and departing and on “codeshare or operated” flights. So if we booked through TK but had a United flight that would be okay but not vice versa so despite being on TK for both legs we are not eligible. Pretty frustrating as I had initially booked a private tour with a guide and just canceled it upon the announcement that Touristanbul was resuming. Not sure what we’re going to do, I don’t feel entirely prepared to leave the airport with zero plan but we have 20 hours to kill. Feel like the wiki should be updated that it has to be a flight booked directly with Turkish to help others in the future.

Last edited by rariya; Jul 3, 2022 at 1:25 am
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Old Jul 2, 2022, 11:29 pm
  #771  
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: Mucci, Untappd 8000+
Posts: 255
In May THY put me up at the WestSide Arjaan by Rotana, in proximity to Mall of Istanbul.
The gym, pool, sauna/steam room were a welcome amenity.

In July it would have been the BH, had I not half-jokingly implored the agent not to send me there.
Polat? Nope. Sheraton? No can do. Pullman? Yes!

The room and bathroom in particular were far superior to the WestSide.
I missed the gym, pool & spa due to early departure. They looked impressive.

It was J both times.
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Old Jul 3, 2022, 5:57 am
  #772  
SCS
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 168
Originally Posted by Sandy Hopper
In May THY put me up at the WestSide Arjaan by Rotana, in proximity to Mall of Istanbul.
The gym, pool, sauna/steam room were a welcome amenity.

In July it would have been the BH, had I not half-jokingly implored the agent not to send me there.
Polat? Nope. Sheraton? No can do. Pullman? Yes!

The room and bathroom in particular were far superior to the WestSide.
I missed the gym, pool & spa due to early departure. They looked impressive.

It was J both times.
At what point did you have this negotiation? You have to submit an advance request by email, right? So was this after you had landed at IST?

Edit: guessing this was transit hotel? I was thinking of stopover hotel. Which if I’m understanding correctly does not provide any opportunity to negotiate.

Last edited by SCS; Jul 3, 2022 at 6:02 am
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Old Jul 3, 2022, 9:24 am
  #773  
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: Mucci, Untappd 8000+
Posts: 255
Originally Posted by SCS
At what point did you have this negotiation? You have to submit an advance request by email, right? So was this after you had landed at IST?

Edit: guessing this was transit hotel? I was thinking of stopover hotel. Which if I’m understanding correctly does not provide any opportunity to negotiate.
It happened at the hotel desk.
AFAIK neither the transit nor the stopover hotel is negotiable.

I just asked if they had any alternative transit hotel to the BH
since there’s a pool of hotels they choose from.
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Old Jul 5, 2022, 7:21 pm
  #774  
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
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That’s some poorly worded exclusion language

Originally Posted by rariya
i might be the last person to realize this but just got to IST and tried to join the tour this morning only to find out that you cannot do Touristanbul if you did not book your ticket directly through TK. We’re on an ANA RTW. The language on the website says you must be flying TK arriving and departing and on “codeshare or operated” flights. So if we booked through TK but had a United flight that would be okay but not vice versa so despite being on TK for both legs we are not eligible. Pretty frustrating as I had initially booked a private tour with a guide and just canceled it upon the announcement that Touristanbul was resuming. Not sure what we’re going to do, I don’t feel entirely prepared to leave the airport with zero plan but we have 20 hours to kill. Feel like the wiki should be updated that it has to be a flight booked directly with Turkish to help others in the future.
Wow. The way I read the published TK exclusions, any TK metal flight or TK ticketed codeshare qualifies. There is no mention of ticketing carrier requirement! I’m on an ANA RTW ticket myself and was planning on taking advantage of the touristanbul offer. Glad I did not shell out $ for entry visa’s for the entire family only to be turned away.
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Old Jul 5, 2022, 8:47 pm
  #775  
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: Midwest USA
Posts: 130
Originally Posted by bubu-SNA
Wow. The way I read the published TK exclusions, any TK metal flight or TK ticketed codeshare qualifies. There is no mention of ticketing carrier requirement! I’m on an ANA RTW ticket myself and was planning on taking advantage of the touristanbul offer. Glad I did not shell out $ for entry visa’s for the entire family only to be turned away.
Yeah we purchased the entry visas and everything. A big waste of time and money but it happens I guess, glad to help others so they aren’t put in the same spot. I made the guy at the counter talk to me multiple times and even pulled up the Touristanbul FAQ about codeshares and kept repeating that he understood the confusion but this is the policy. I offered to pay for the tour as well which was denied. He was nice enough but got irritated with me pressing back on him and eventually snapped that he had worked there for 3 years and this is the policy.

Also worth noting that I had emailed the free hotel service when they first reinstated that and they said I wasn’t eligible because we needed a round trip ticket which I guess RTW does not qualify. Also didn’t qualify for the sleep rooms at the lounge because our layover was too long. We were able to take showers at least and the food at the lounge was amazing. Regardless, I wouldn’t wish 22 hours in a lounge on anyone lol. Lesson learned!
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Old Jul 7, 2022, 5:29 pm
  #776  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: MEL
Programs: QF Bronze, UA GM
Posts: 145
Quick question: how far out from travel are bookings typically confirmed for the free two night stopover hotel?

(I'll be taking advantage of the IST stopover program in late October to get two nights accommodation. I emailed TK's free hotel program address in Australia a couple of weeks ago. They've confirmed I'm eligible for the accommodation but I've heard nothing since. I'm wondering whether bookings are typically done well in advance or a few days out...)
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Old Jul 11, 2022, 11:52 pm
  #777  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: AMEX PLT, AA PPro, Spire AMB
Posts: 1,617
Question - we are on an ATH-IST, where there is a later option that is a “codeshare” flight between Aegean/Turkish that wasn’t an open for us when booking. The ATH-IST flight that we are taking is TK operated/metal…how does that then work for transit hotel availibility?
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Old Jul 22, 2022, 3:56 am
  #778  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: VLC
Programs: TK Elite, IHG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 78
Elite passenger in Economy ticket.
Europark otel (https://www.europarkotel.com/) 45 min away from airport. Got in the bus 10 min after arriving to desk.
Pretty decent hotel for a night sleep.
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Old Aug 4, 2022, 4:42 pm
  #779  
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Toulouse
Programs: TK*G
Posts: 283
Hello all,
I am arriving from BRU at 2340 connecting to SFO the next day at 0810 (8 hours 30 mins of connection time) on J-class (TK Elite member). I believe that I am eligible for the sleeping rooms in the TK lounge. Am I right? And normally can I prebook them or is it on a first-come-first-served basis?
Thanks in advance!
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Old Aug 4, 2022, 5:55 pm
  #780  
 
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: MSP
Programs: DL 1MM PM: UA Plat
Posts: 88
Hi all!

is there a way to reserve a sleeping room in the Business Lounge in advance? I scrolled through posts but might have missed the info. I will arrive INT around 23:30 and leave 9:00 next morning in J on TK
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