Four Seasons Sultnahmet

1   Not Recommended
October 17, 2014 by EXPERT

 Map | 3 Reviews | 67% Recommended
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Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet
 Map | 3 Reviews | 67% Recommended

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Of the two Four Seasons, we chose the old city location since our time was limited and we wanted the convenience of being able to walk around the neighborhood with our young son. This location did not have a pool, but that was fine since we were there at a slightly cooler time of year. We loved the history of the hotel with it having been a former prison. And we loved the fact that we could walk outside our front door and be right in the thick of some of the world's most historical architecture; or just relax at the hotel and soak in the 5x daily call to prayer.

Four Seasons Sultanahmet Exterior

 

Courtyard

Rooftop Lounge

Hagia Sophia View from Rooftop Lounge

Room

Our room was a sizeable base level (no upgrades available). It had high ceilings, a lovely view of the interior courtyard, and a good sized bathroom with an oversized tub and shower and some of the most colorful tiny tiles we have ever seen. DavidO worked with the hotel ahead of time to arrange a screen between our son's crib and the rest of the room; this worked surprisingly well to give us all a little privacy. As is expected with any Four Seasons, the room was beautifully outfitted and provided many useful amenities.

Service

The hotel was nearly full when we were there and the service wasn't flawless (see Opportunities for Improvement). However, everyone was quick to make corrections when things went wrong and people were clearly well intentioned.  They also did a lot to make our son's stay special, providing him with a stuffed animal upon arrival, his own set of towels, down bedding, and the most amazing ($) Bvlgari Petits et Mamans children's shampoo, lotion, perfume and soap set. The nanny the hotel provided was one of the hotel's massage therapists and she spent a lot of time playing with our son while we were touring Sultanahmet.

Dining

The food at the Four Seasons was very good with extensive Turkish selections. The breakfast buffet was not particularly large but the quality was excellent with the most memorable item being a display of local honey varieties. For atmosphere, the rooftop bar has to be the best in the city with views of both the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. We were lucky that it was open one evening while we were there because in early October, they only open it when the weather is fair.  

Activities

We spent our first day with our son exploring the local neighborhood and shopping in the Arasta Bazaar which is smaller and considered more upscale than some of Istanbul's other bazaars. We also took him to see the Blue Mosque. On our 2nd day, we left our son with a hotel nanny and spent the day with a guide. Because of the Four Seasons Sultanahmet's fabulous location, we were able to walk to classic sites like the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Roman Cistern, the Hippodrome and the Topkapi Palace.

Inside the Blue Mosque

Opportunities for Improvement

Unfortunately, there were a few hiccups during our stay. We had to ask twice for things on more than one occasion, particularly in the busy restaurant for breakfast. Also, one night we asked to have a table in the winter garden and requested a baby chair, etc., but they were not set up for us when we arrived and actually seemed a little surprised to see us. Lastly, the concierge mentioned he would call us on something he was working on, but the call never came. He had everything planned very nicely for us but we had to do our own follow up to make sure that was the case. As much as we loved the hotel, it definitely felt busy and the service suffered a bit as a result.

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