|
Istanbul's Sirkeci
Konak Hotel is
a gem of a 5-star boutique hotel
tucked down a quiet side street just
steps away from the Gülhane
tram stop on
the Zeytinburnu-Kabatas
tram line,
and right beside the walls of Gülhane
Park, the pleasure
ground of the Ottoman sultans
(map).
Attractively faced with wood, it consists
of 52 guest rooms,
all of them decorated in a style that
mixes Ottoman influences with up-to-the-minute
luxury.
Big,
comfortable beds come with
a menu
of pillow types to suit
the most unexpected preferences and
allergies.
Tea and coffee-making facilities by the bed are a nice touch, as are
the foreign-language television
channels on the plasma-screen TV. But it’s
the little details – the magazine
on the table, the Turkish
delight on
the bed – that really mark this
out as a hotel which goes that extra
mile to please its guests.
The bathrooms, with
tubs and underfloor heating, come equipped
with a range of toiletries,
including olive oil soap. They
have washcloths, not
normally found in Turkish bathrooms,
hair dryers, make-up mirrors, and heated
towel racks.
All the rooms
have Wifi
Internet access and
some are designated for non-smokers.
Several elevators/lifts serve
all floors, and a number of rooms are
specially designed and equipped for disabled travelers.
The deluxe rooms are
particularly fine, with wet bars, bathrooms
with separate shower and tub-and-shower
facilities, and private terraces with
Gülhane
Park views.
In fact, any guest at the Sirkeci
Konak can enjoy views of the park from
the sun
terrace on the top floor.
Stretch out in a chaise longue and
let the sun soak in, or order a beverage
and gaze at the forest of poplars just
on the other side of Gülhane
Park's
stone walls. (On a recent visit, I
watched storks circle and land in a
nest high up in one of the trees.)
The physical comforts of
the hotel are one thing. The apparent
friendliness and willingness of the well-trained
staff are quite another. I
found it exceptional when I stayed
here in November 2009.
A Guest Relations
Manager is almost always present
in the public areas to answer questions
and help you to make any travel arrangements
you may need.
Breakfast, served in the ground-floor
Neyzade Restaurant, is a veritable
banquet of hot and cold dishes, regional
cheeses, home-made jams, etc. You’ll
even be served the hotel’s own
Sirkeci Daily Express which gives you
the weather forecast, warns you of
museum closures and suggests a few
helpful Turkish phrases to learn during
the day.
Afternoon tea is
served in the ground-floor sitting
area between 17:00 (5 pm) and 18:00
(6 pm) daily. It’s
a great chance to meet your affable
host, Mr Faruk Boyaci, whose family
originally came from Cappadocia.
This is a hotel which provides everything
you need in the same spot. The lowest
floor holds a small swimming
pool with
a bar, right beside a luxurious private
hamam whose
walls are lined with marble interspersed
with reproduction Iznik
tiles.
There’s also a small sauna and
a well-equipped exercise room with
a full complement of workout equipment
and body-toning machines. The Internet
café has computers
and printers to use for personal email
or business. All
are available at no charge to hotel
guests.
In the evening the Neyzade
Restaurant
serves an excellent
selection of Turkish regional cuisine
at surprisingly moderate prices in
stylish surroundings. In summer the
restaurant migrates to the roof
terrace which
offers great views into Gulhane
Park.
The hotel's Sirkeci Balıkçısı (Sirkeci
Fisherman) Restaurant is
a good choice for seafood, also
at moderate prices and— refreshingly— no
tussles over the bill. In summer the
restaurant migrates to the roof
terrace which offers great
views into Gulhane
Park.
In fact, fine cuisine is such a focus
at the Sirkeci Konak that the hotel
even offers 45-minute cooking
lessons at no charge to hotel
guests several times per week: you
learn how to prepare several traditional
Turkish dishes, then dine on the results.
The attractions of Old
Istanbul—the
Topkapi
Palace, Aya
Sofya, the Blue
Mosque and Hippodrome—are
a 10-minute uphill walk away in Sultanahmet,
while the ferry
docks for
the Bosphorus, Haydarpasa
Station,
Üsküdar and Kadiköy are
just a short stroll downhill in Eminönü.
The hotel's location, on a
side street of hotels and shops directly
opposite the walls of Gülhane
Park,
is a blessing in disguise because
of the quiet.
Although only a half-block from a major
street and tram stop, there is little
traffic noise. As there are no minaret
loudspeakers nearby, the call
to prayer comes
as a beautiful, distant bit of song.
The Sirkeci
Konak Hotel is part
of the Sirkeci
Group Hotels which includes
the nearby Erboy
Hotel, Orient
Express Hotel. and
Ilkay
Hotel.
It prides itself on its service
and its welcome.
Click
here to check rates
and availability for the Sirkeci Konak Hotel. When you
make a reservation, please
mention
TTP. Here’s why.
Sirkeci Konak Hotel
Taya Hatun Sokak No. 5 (map)
34120 Sirkeci, Istanbul, Turkey
Tel +90 (212) 528 4344
Fax +90 (212) 528 4455
info@sirkecikonak.com
www.sirkecikonak.com
|
