High-end hotel chain Raffles opens its first outpost in Turkey on September 1. Set in the cutting-edge Zorlu Center development in Besiktas on the European side of the Bosphorus, Raffles Istanbul is aimed squarely at high-fliers with a helipad, champagne bar and rooftop pool.
Sleek interiors feature glass and crystal with mosaic details for local flavour and 181 rooms with balconies. The hotel’s art collection, specially commissioned from local artists, combines paintings, sculpture, photography and video installations. An art concierge will guide guests to venues including the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art and the contemporary art space SALT.
The spa offers treatments using Organic Pharmacy products, and food comes courtesy of executive chef Ali Ronay, overseeing two restaurants, with a background including Kempinski Barbaros Bay, Ritz-Carlton and Dean & Delucain Istanbul.
Doubles from €600 B&B, raffles.com
