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Built in 1892 at the terminus of the legendary Orient Express, the Pera Palace is a historic monument and the most famous hotel in Istanbul – this is where everyone from Alfred Hitchcock to the Kennedys bedded down in the golden age of travel.
A four-year, $23 million restoration has added mod cons including a spa and indoor pool, while maintaining many of the original Neoclassical French-Oriental furnishings – look out for the original lift and dazzling Murano chandeliers. Spies, intrigue, heads of state – this museum hotel oozes 120 years of history.
The upper west-facing rooms have balconies with spectacular views over the Golden Horn – room 411 is where Agatha Christie wrote Murder on the Orient Express.
Cocktails on the terrace as the sun sets behind the Golden Horn are a real treat; and there’s a superb buffet breakfast served in the Agatha restaurant, with its polished checkerboard flooring and black-and-white photography.
Don’t miss afternoon tea (3pm-6pm) in the atmospheric Kubbeli Salon, with divine French pastries served to the tinkling of a Schiedmayer grand piano.
The hotel fronts a fairly busy street lined with offices, shops and several other hotels, including the Marmara Pera Hotel with its trendy gourmet rooftop restaurant Mikla.
The hotel is located on a slope and there is another busy street below, although it’s a small price to pay for the grandstand views of the famous silhouette of the Golden Horn.
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Bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Istanbul , Marmara , Turkey[0 miles]
Experience an older, imperial Istanbul by enjoying traditional afternoon tea in a gilded, red-velvet salon at this famous 19th-century hotel.
Best for ages: 10+ | £8 | 1-2 hours
Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey[1.4 miles]
One of the greatest urban boat journeys, a glide down the Bosphorus strait passes Ottoman palaces, forts and picturesque villages.
Best for ages: 4+ | £10 | 1 hour to full day
Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey[1.6 miles]
Istanbul’s second largest market is a sensory wonderland, full to bursting with fragrant spices and sweets.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey[1.8 miles]
The grandest mosque in Istanbul, built in 1558, this iconic Byzantine beauty defines the Istanbul skyline.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Other worthwhile experiences in this destination if you have the time or the interest, closest first
Istanbul , Marmara Region, Turkey[0.1 miles]
A modern art museum housing the finest collection of modern and contemporary art in the country. The Modern’s temporary exhibits by Turkish and international artists – often organized in collaboration with MoMA (New York) and the Centre Pompidou (Paris) – are particularly exceptional.
Best for ages: 18+ | £4
Istanbul, Marmara Region, Turkey[0.2 miles]
World-class collections of Ottoman art, tiles and ceramics – plus big-name travelling exhibitions – set in a former grand hotel.
Best for ages: 18+ | £2
Istanbul , Marmara Region, Turkey[2.2 miles]
A fascinating and quirky military museum with an astonishing array of uniforms, weapons and battle standards. Upstairs, there is a room devoted to the revolutionary statesman Ataturk. Go around 3pm for an unforgettably weird re-creation of a 17th-century military band concert.
Best for ages: 13+ | £1
Istanbul , Marmara Region, Turkey[2.4 miles]
A huge transport museum featuring everything from submarines to streetcars, mechanical toys to wacky inventions.
Best for ages: 4+ | £1
Destination guides including or relevant to this place to stay
Marmara Region, Turkey
Exotic, inexhaustible and dynamic – East meets West head-on in this mesmerising city metropolis, famed for its extraordinarily rich history, superb food and shopping, and mind-blowingly magnificent, over-sized mosques.
