A Slice of History in Istanbul’s Luxury Neighborhood: The Bebek Hotel by the Stay

There’s more to Istanbul than the Golden Horn. It’s a city of 15 million people at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Each of its neighborhoods has its own personality, with the northern, riverside district of Bebek becoming one of the most cosmopolitan and posh. But until recently, it didn’t really have a hotel as cool as it is.

That changed last year with the reimagining and reopening of the Bebek Hotel, as part of one of Turkey’s rising hotel groups. The Stay currently comprises several hotels in Istanbul’s most interesting neighborhoods and in the stylish beach town Alacati.

In Bebek, they found one of the neighborhood’s classic properties. The posh Bebek Hotel served as the background for thousands of photographs, inspired people and generally was the stuff of dreams since the 1950s. Now it’s back and better than ever.

The handful of rooms are large (starting at roughly 450 square feet) and stylish, full of period details and luxurious flourishes by acclaimed local architect Mahmut Anlar. They have curvaceous Deco furniture and lamps, opulent colors and French windows overlooking Cevdet Pasa Avenue, the main promenade in Bebek, or—even better—the Bosphorus River. (Disclosure: I recently stayed in one as their guest.)

The riverside location gets even better use in the rooftop bar and two restaurants, one of which is outside. These have fairy-tale views over the shimmering river, as well as carefully crafted signature cocktails and local delicacies. (This being Turkey, the portions are huge and meant to be shared.)

Service is polished but informal, making the Bebek Hotel a delightfully uncomplicated place to return to after a day of sightseeing, shopping grazing through Istanbul’s fantastic markets and restaurants. It’s not a showy performer, but it’s having a compelling second act.

Pro tip: For a change of pace from the hotel’s restaurants, head down the street to the new Patio Bebek for a variety of delicious international flavors.

Getting there: Turkish Airlines connects 12 North American gateways with Istanbul, with new airplanes, award-winning cuisine and in-flight wellness programs. More than ever, it is a powerhouse, flying to more countries and destinations than other airline, and with the largest seat capacity (more than 25 million) of an European airline. The spiffy new, state-of-the-art airport in Istanbul is the world’s largest international hub, and has plenty of options for shopping, dining and enjoying the time before a flight.