Istanbul now has possibly its most exclusive hotel with the opening of the Armaggan Bosphorus Suites yesterday, owned by high-end design brand Armaggan, which specialise in silverware, textiles and leather goods.
Seen as a residence rather than a hotel, three gleaming white restored yalis (waterfront mansions dating back to 1863) sit on the European shores of the Bosphorus.
Seventeen suites have high hand-painted ceilings hung with antique glass chandeliers, silk curtains and, as you’d expect, fabrics, soaps, cuisine (local and organic) and objets d’art made by Armaggan.
And of course, there’s an ornate Turkish hammam — and spa — in the hotel’s basement.
Each mansion has a terrace with spectacular views looking out across the Bosphorus, its Asian and European sides now linked by an underwater railway tunnel linking the two sides of Istanbul, which opened just this autumn.
Excursions available in the area range from private jet trips to the lunar-landscapes of Cappadocia to after-hours shopping at Armaggan’s two flagship emporiums. The definition of a lap of luxury.
Suites from £1,525 B&B including transfers, armaggan.com
