Hotel Les OttomansHere is a five-star hotel whose true stellar rating so far exceeds similarly-classed hotels that it should be rated its own galaxy. In the case of Hotel Les Ottomans, any rating system will fall woefully short in its capacity to accurately assess the wonders of this incredible place. This is a retreat to be savored, a place in which to be pampered, and a venue offering an experience that will live long in the memory.
The 10-suite, 18th-century
mansion Hotel Les Ottomans pampers its guests like
Sultans, with rooms loaded with period-inspired furniture and textiles,
tassel-and-bead design work, intricate wood, iron and glass, all
accompanied by in-room state-of-the-art technology. Both the
upstairs and downstairs areas of our suite featured portable
touch-screen control pads to operate lights, music, plasma televisions,
curtains, and temperature settings. Our room came equipped with a laptop
computer with free high-speed internet access. Also available for
business needs are wireless office lounge, fax and photocopy machines,
personal secretary and translators. Located gloriously beside the
waters of Istanbul’s historic Bosphorus
not far from the bridge of the same name, Les Ottomans
used to be the seaside mansion of a well-known Pasha by the family name
Muhsinzade. After spending years in the art of hotel management, Ms.
Ahu Kerimoglu Aysal poured an enormous amount of energy and resources
into restoring this sultan’s palace into what now is a world-class
luxurious boutique hotel. Arches and columns have been inspired by the
Harem Room of Topkapi Palace in addition to the richly patterned
weavings and designs of Ottoman wood and glass handcrafts and venerable
antiques that are found throughout the hotel. Artistically-painted
ceilings, stunning chandeliers, and inlaid wood floors create a warm and
authentic environment that exudes the feeling of privilege and elegance.
So many features of this hotel are
unique and most defy adequate description. It is the first and only
hotel in Turkey planned and decorated according the principles of Feng
Shui and has received its certificate from the prestigious Feng Shui
master Yap Cheng Hai. Its Caudalie Vinotherapie SPA measures 2,400
square meters and is composed of six sections offering personalized and
exclusive service. These include Swedish, Sauvignon, Bordeaux Hot
Stone, Asian Traditional Tai, Bali and Lomi Lomi Nui massages. Unique
facial and skin care products by Caudalie utilize grape seed extracts
containing antioxidants that have proven to be 10,000 times more capable
of halting the damage of free radicals than Vitamin E, damage that is
responsible for premature wrinkling of the skin. The spa center is
equipped with a wood barrel bath, Finnish Sauna, Aroma Steam Bath, Ice
Fountain, liquid sound pool, solarium for tanning, and offers oxygen
therapy, Pilates sessions, and a wide array of facial services. A
thirteen-meter long salt water pool with adjoining Jacuzzi pool are separated
by a mosaic tile waterfall. Several rooms in the spa are devoted to
enhancing relaxation where heated tile lounge chairs beckon. A
meditation room offers the unique experience of chromatherapy in an
environment of soothing, alternately changing hues of colored light. An
independent fitness center, packed with the latest in strength,
cardiovascular and weight training equipment, is also staffed with
professional personal fitness trainers who are readily available to
offer assistance and counsel. Our son enjoyed the personal attention
and helpful instruction he was given at the various stations while
working out during both days of our stay.
And there is more!
Yali Hatun Restaurant Here delicious gourmet meals of Turkish and International cuisines are presented in an atmosphere of lavish splendor. With a capacity for 120 persons, it becomes the ideal place for weddings, engagement ceremonies, special invitations and elegant social affairs. Within the restaurant there is also a library featuring a special book collection and stunning fireplace.
Has Oda, Sultan Meryem and Sultan Nigar Lounges Meeting rooms for 50, 150 and 180 persons respectively serve as the ideal environment for special business dinners, cocktail parties, sit-down dinners and seminars. According to the need, chairs may be arranged theater style or suitable for sitting at tables. There may be few other places in all of Istanbul that could handle up to 400 people in such an exclusive setting.
Meclis Meeting Room offers a relaxed working environment for up to 20 persons in which necessary technical equipment is available. The spacious oval table allows participants to work efficiently while a service buffet is brought in for coffee breaks.
Kav Mahal Guests may entertain up to 14 of their friends in the warm environment of a tastefully decorated wine cellar where premier wines have been selected.
Cinema The pleasure of a private cinema is made available to guests in which groups of up to fifteen persons may sit in relaxed comfort.
Q Jazz by Les Ottomans In another elegant section of the hotel, jazz, R&B, soul, and blues performers are invited to perform for distinguished guests who are passionate about Jazz on the Bosphorus. “Surprise Gala Nights” are periodically held here.
Our written greeting from the Les Ottomans hotel manager put into words, I believe, the hotel’s operating philosophy that guarantees each guest an experience that few, if any, hotels can match: “No effort will be spared to offer you a most comfortable and relaxing stay, with a team always willing and committed to enhance your overall experience.” These words were fulfilled again and again throughout both days of our far-too-short visit. A personalized “Les Ottomans business card” issued by the hotel was presented to us upon check in. With this and dozens of other gestures, we were made to feel more like esteemed royalty than mere hotel guests.
Our suite, one of just ten original and unique “mini palaces,” was resplendent with elegance and soothing charm. Ascending the spiral staircase to our upstairs master bedroom, we discovered a giant bed featuring the most comfortable mattress we could remember lying upon. The huge plasma television set swung out from the wall with just a push of a button on the electronic console set on the bedside table. Shaded skylights on the ceiling above opened and closed to our desired preference. A stunning, glass-enclosed bathtub and marble-lined shower invited us to bathe in glorious splendor, allowing us to enjoy our morning cleansing ritual with hedonistic delight. Downstairs, a never-ending breakfast feast was brought to our table by attentive servers who loaded our table repeatedly with mounds of scrumptious delicacies, enticing us to exchange our disciplined resolve for loosening our belts another notch to accommodate our indulgence.
Writing now, so many days after our tour of five countries in which we visited over a dozen five-star hotels over a period of forty days, I can safely say that Hotel Les Ottomans belongs distinctly within a class of its own, a boutique hotel unmatched in all around excellence. Our stay there was magical, memorable and exquisite beyond words. When I look back over a fabulous holiday experience and begin to recall the fondest memories out of dozens of wonderful moments, our stay at Hotel Les Ottomans rises to the surface again and again.
Hotel Les Ottomans
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