Istanbul
CVK Park Bosphorus Hotel Istanbul
Travelzoo Staff
Why We Love This Hotel
- The Izaka Restaurant has panoramic views of the Bosphorus Bridge
- This grand 5-star hotel is a few minutes' walk from Taksim Square & the subway
- It has a 20-metre swimming pool with a retractable roof & a spa
- Pastries, cookies, truffles, chocolates & ice cream are served in the lounge at weekends
Overview
Tick off two continents in one trip with a visit to Istanbul, a city that spreads across Europe and Asia. And what better way to do it than to stay in the 5-star CVK Park Bosphorus Hotel Istanbul, a 6-minute walk from Taksim Square.
The hotel opened in October 2013 and features a 20-metre swimming pool with a retractable roof, a spa with a sauna, a Turkish bath, a steam room and a gym, two restaurants and a lounge serving pastries, cookies, truffles, chocolates and ice cream at 5pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
The main restaurant, Gümüşuya Restaurant, serves international food and the Izaka Restaurant -- which has panoramic views of the Bosphorus Bridge -- serves Middle Eastern and Turkish cuisine, sushi, and Byzantine, Armenian and Ottoman mezzes. Head to the Hezarfen Teras for drinks and views of the Sea of Marmara.
Lonely Planet says "this magical meeting place of East and West has more top-drawer attractions than it has minarets (and that's a lot)", so here are a few highlights: Istanbul Modern, an art gallery showcasing Turkish and international paintings and mixed-media pieces; Hagia Sophia, a domed basilica from the 6th century, which is now a museum; and Topkapi Palace where you can see how the sultans and their many concubines lived. The palace has numerous exhibitions and even has a tooth of the Prophet Muhammad.
Çiçek Pasajı (Flower Passage) is a 15-minute walk from the hotel and is an arcade filled with restaurants serving traditional Turkish food.
For shopping, go to the Grand Bazaar, which dates back to the 15th century. Here you'll find items such as Turkish carpets and jewellery. Don't forget to haggle.
