The Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul is set on the Asian side of Istanbul, in Beyoglu. It is a beautiful historic and museum Hotel.
history
Pera Palace was built in 1892 for the purpose of hosting the passengers of the Orient Express. They even have the original Sedan Chair that carried passengers from the Orient Express in Sirkeci Train Station to the Pera Palace Hotel.
The hotel has 115 rooms, each furnished in a classical style combining European and Ottoman influences.
Pera Palace is well located. About 250 yards from Istiklal Avenue and Taskim Square and 15 minutes walk to Galata Tower, you are not far from the hustle and bustle but yet far enough to get away from it all.
The hotel was the first building in Turkey (second in Europe), after the Ottoman Palaces, to be powered by electricity and to have water supply.
Pera Palace Hotel has a working historic Electric Elevator that was built in 1892 with wood and cast iron.
A lot of famous writers have stayed there including Hemingway and Agatha Christie.
Named after the murder mystery writer, Agatha Restaurant within the Hotel offers contemporary Turkish cuisine. This is also where the breakfast is served.
There is a bar in the hotel, Orient Bar & Terrace, which is a popular meeting point for Istanbul’s high society and international travelers.
The hotel is doing its best to preserve its legendary cultural heritage to allow guests to have that time travel experience. It is no surprise that Pera Palace Hotel is the “Pearl of Istanbul”.
tHE ROOMS AND FACILITIES IN THE HOTEL
The guest relations team were helpful and once I booked our stay they were quick with dealing with any queries I had.
On arrival, we were greeted and our bags taken away from us. The check in process was smooth. The manager took up the ancient elevator and showed us to our rooms.
The corridors were lined with marble floors and in every corner there was a beautiful piece of historic furniture and information.
The Deluxe room we checked into was spacious with a King Size Bed, Rich Burgundy Interiors, Pillow Cases with Gold Motifs, Historical Furniture including a classic Chaise Lounge and an Obscured Glass that divided the bedroom and bathroom.
The bathroom was marble and there was a beautiful stand alone bath tub with an overhead shower.
Our room overlooked the City side and had a little French balcony. Whilst it wasn’t the best view it was a nice cute, peaceful and private balcony.
We had a bowl full of fresh fruit waiting for us in the room. Along with this the standard tea and coffee facilities were available.
After a day of flying and walking around Pera, we enjoyed some Turkish Tea in the bar and then returned to our room for a good comfortable nights sleep.
The next morning we paid Pera SPA (The hotel’s SPA) a visit. The spa had a beautiful Hammam Bath, Sauna, Steam Room, Indoor Jet Stream Swimming Pool & Jacuzzi. You can also have luxury treatments there.
For breakfast we were treated to a lovely buffet that had a combination of local tradition items like cheese, honey & salad as well as pastries, meats and a cooked breakfast. The selection was vast and the service was excellent.
Through out the visit we felt welcomed and valued. I wish we had more than one night there. If you are planning on a visit to Istanbul I would recommend Pera Palace Hotel. Try and stay more than one night to take in all the finesse of the bygone era.
Neha
I’ve heard so much about this hotel on social media and now I know why! It looks beautiful! I’m a huge fan of this style and it just looks amazing. What a. Special stay
What a lovely room, especially that balcony!
Love the historical vibes of this place! I have been in Istanbul but didn’t know about this hotel that served Orient Express passengers.
I love the shot from Istanbul, I never had the chance to plan a trip there but it will come! This hotel looks so pretty and the style is absolutely unique!
I love the hotel’s connection to the Orient Express and Agatha Christie. That’s totally cool. The antique furnishings look amazing as well. I would definitely consider staying here if I went to Istanbul.
Wow, it’s amazing to think that a hotel that was built over 100 years ago, still stands strong, and preserving it’s heritage, the interior looks amazing, the rooms look so beautiful, and the spa is the perfect thing to do to wind down after a long day. I’ll keep this hotel in mind when I visit Istanbul
I actually used to live in Istanbul, so it was really fun to revisit it through this post!
I love boutique hotels and Pera Palace looks pretty cool! Interesting that it was made to accommodate the travellers on the Orient Express and also, that many famous authors have stayed there, that speaks volumes about the place! So cool of them to name their restaurant after Agatha Christie. I love Turkish food!
Oh the interior is just beautiful!!!!! And ok that bath tub has my name all over it. Looks like you had an amazing stay and the “Pearl of Istanbul” is definitely a fitting name for sure! Plus, imagine laying in the same bed Hemingway did hahaa.