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The Ottoman Hotel Park is
aptly named, an Ottoman-style boutique
hotel facing
one of Istanbul's
loveliest parks (map).
The hotel's setting is unique in this
teeming city. Rather than being jammed
into a narrow, noisy street, it overlooks Kadırga
Park, the second-largest park
in Old Istanbul (after Topkapı
Palace's
Gülhane
Parkı). Across the park is the Kadırga
Cultural Center (Kadırga
Kültür Merkezi), home of the Istanbul
Photography Museum.
The park is delightful, a green
oasis of lofty sycamores and green lawns
in a crowded city, but when
you take the elevator/lift up to the
hotel's rooftop terrace dining
room/lounge you'll be thrilled at the view over the
treetops to the Sea
of Marmara beyond.
The sweeping panorama is
a full 230°, from the Sultanahmet
(Blue) Mosque in the east to the
sun setting over an Armenian church
in the west. Sit outside on the open-air
terrace, or in the glass-enclosed section,
comfortably climate-controlled.
The hotel itself has been recently,
completely and beautifully renovated in what might be called an "updated
Ottoman" style. Turkish
design is claiming its rightful
place in the world, and the Ottoman
Hotel Park is a good example of it:
proud of its past but right up-to-date
with modern trends.
The 38 guest rooms are
bright and beautiful, with all conveniences
and modern systems for safety, security
and comfort. And note: only
38 rooms!
They go quickly. Reserve yours early
to avoid disappointment.
The staff and management of the hotel
must be mentioned because these people
are out to please you. They try hard,
and usually succeed. They want your
stay to be a pleasant, memorable experience.
You pay a small logistical price in
exchange for the delights and comforts
of the Ottoman Hotel Park: Istanbul's
major historical monuments, arranged
around the Hippodrome, are uphill,
a 9- to 12-minute walk away (Google
maps says it's 9 minutes: have
a look).
But the hotel has even
solved this minor issue with its periodic
shuttle to
the Hippodrome,
free to hotel guests. And the walk
is not bad in any case: you stroll
through a real Turkish residential
neighborhood dotted with historic buildings:
hamams
(Turkish baths), mosques, saints'
tombs, schools and konaks (Ottoman
townhouses).
Ottoman Hotel Park
Kadırga Limanı Caddesi No. 85, Kumkapı (map)
34122 Sultanahmet,
Istanbul, Turkey
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