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.
Pera Palace Hotel
The grand hotel built in the 1890s for Orient Express passengers, with its Agatha Christie Room, Orient Bar and domed Kubbeli Lounge afternoon tea.
At a glance
- Type
- Historic grand hotel
- Area
- Tepebaşı, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Price
- $$$$ · Luxury
- Official site
- perapalace.com
- Last checked
- October 23, 2026
Good to know
- Kubbeli Lounge afternoon tea
- Orient Bar
- Agatha Restaurant
- Spa
Why we recommend it
Designed by Alexandre Vallaury and opened in the 1890s to receive passengers from the Orient Express, the Pera Palace mixes neoclassical, Art Nouveau and oriental styles. After a major restoration it reopened in 2010, and its Legendary Rooms include one dedicated to Agatha Christie, who is said to have written part of Murder on the Orient Express here.
Even if you are not staying, the public rooms are worth a visit: afternoon tea is served daily from 15:00 to 18:00 under the dome of the Kubbeli Lounge, and the Orient Bar suits an evening cocktail. The hotel sits in Tepebaşı, close to İstiklal Avenue, the Pera Museum and the Tünel funicular.
Reviewed by Lifestylemetro · Details checked October 23, 2026
Pera Palace Hotel FAQs
Can non-guests have afternoon tea?
The Kubbeli Lounge serves traditional afternoon tea daily from 15:00 to 18:00; booking ahead is advisable.
What is the Agatha Christie Room?
One of the hotel's Legendary Rooms, kept as a memorial to the author, who reputedly wrote part of Murder on the Orient Express at the hotel.