Review: Raffles Istanbul hotel review

What’s this? A five-star Istanbul hotel with not a jot of faded Ottoman splendour to be seen… Yet Raffles is Istanbul through and through – a new moneyed side to the city that’s all gilt glass and Gucci, set as it is within the Zorlu Center (a sort of Dubai-does-Westfield on a giant scale) on a hilltop in Besiktas. Overstated glamour is the name of the game here. Vast crystal chandeliers dominate its sparkly atria and gourmet restaurants. Swimming pools glitter inside and out – in the extensive spa and in Lounge 6, a summertime rooftop pool bar showcasing long-reaching views and the work of the world’s leading cosmetic surgeons. The Long Bar is a wine-red Turkish take on the Singapore original which, as well as the signature Sling, shakes up uniquely Istanbul concoctions (the bourbon, cumin and baklava Topkapi Palace, for example). 181 contemporary rooms and penthouse suites, all with butler service, are stacked in high-rise towers, the best with views across the city to the strait beyond. Rest assured, the helipad is heated in winter.