Hotel
Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul
A five-star Kempinski hotel built around a restored 19th-century Ottoman palace on the Bosphorus shore, with an infinity pool and 317 rooms.
Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet
A luxury hotel in a converted early 20th-century neoclassical prison, steps from Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque in the heart of Sultanahmet.
At a glance
- Type
- Luxury heritage hotel
- Area
- Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Price
- $$$$ · Luxury
- Official site
- fourseasons.com
- Last checked
- October 23, 2026
Good to know
- Spa with Turkish hammam
- Courtyard garden
- Access to Bosphorus sister-hotel pools
Why we recommend it
Few hotels have a back story like this one. The building, designed by Mimar Kemaleddin Bey in the Turkish neoclassical style from 1918, served as a prison for decades before its conversion into a Four Seasons, and its pointed arches, tiles, domes and towers survive around a central courtyard garden.
Rooms look over the courtyard, the garden or towards the Sea of Marmara, and Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapı are all a few minutes' walk away, which is the property's real luxury. There is a spa with a traditional hammam, and guests can use the indoor and outdoor pools at the sister hotel on the Bosphorus, with transfers provided. Book early for spring and autumn.
Reviewed by Lifestylemetro · Details checked October 23, 2026
Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet FAQs
Was it really a prison?
Yes — the building was designed by Mimar Kemaleddin Bey from 1918 and used as a prison before becoming a hotel.
Is there a pool?
Not on site, but guests have access to the indoor and outdoor pools at the Four Seasons on the Bosphorus, with private transfers.