Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul

Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul is built around a 19th-century Ottoman palace on the European shore of the Bosphorus, between Beşiktaş and Ortaköy. The palace was built in the 1860s for Sultan Abdülaziz by members of the Balyan family of architects and was gutted by fire in 1910. It stood as a ruin for decades before being restored and joined by a modern hotel building, and it now operates as a five-star Kempinski hotel. The hotel describes itself as the only Ottoman imperial palace on the Bosphorus that is also a luxury hotel.

There are 317 rooms in total, divided between the modern hotel wing and the historic palace, where the palace suites are among the most lavish in the city. The rooms to ask for are those facing the Bosphorus, as the garden-side rooms look inland. Breakfast and dinner on the long waterfront terrace, with ships passing a few metres away, are among the hotel's great pleasures.

The outdoor infinity pool sits right on the water's edge and seems to merge with the strait. The Sanitas Spa offers a hammam, treatments and massages. Dining options include Tuğra, the fine-dining restaurant in the palace, focusing on Ottoman cuisine, along with Bellini, Gazebo, Ruya İstanbul and Le Fumoir, so guests can eat well without leaving the property. Non-guests can also book the restaurants, which makes a Bosphorus-side dinner here an option even if you are staying elsewhere.

This is a hotel for special occasions, honeymoons and travellers who want to stay somewhere with a strong sense of history and space, away from the crowds of the old city. Families are well catered for thanks to the pool and gardens. Book Bosphorus-view rooms well in advance for spring and autumn, which are the most popular seasons, and check whether breakfast is included in your rate.

The location is quieter than Sultanahmet or Beyoğlu. Beşiktaş, with its ferry pier, market and restaurants, and Ortaköy, with its waterfront mosque and cafés, are both within walking distance along the shore road. To reach the historic peninsula you will need a taxi, or a bus or ferry from Beşiktaş combined with the tram from Kabataş. Dolmabahçe Palace is a short drive or a pleasant walk south.