Amy Adejokun
Section editor
The Conrad hotel is one of the major international hotels in Istanbul. A place away from the hustle and bustle of the old town, but close to the Bosphore, the Ortaköy and the Dolmabahçe Palace.
Hilton Conrad - © Marco Toninelli / EASYVOYAGE
Hilton Conrad - © Marco Toninelli / EASYVOYAGE
The Conrad hotel is located in the new town, in the highlands of Besiktas, near Yildiz Park and the Bosphorus. The airport is 14 miles from the hotel (allow half an hour by taxi for the transfer). To reach the old town by taxi will take you 15 minutes.
The 592 standard rooms all have the comfort that you would expect from a hotel of this class: air-conditioning, a direct telephone with Internet line, free safe, mini-bar, room-service 24 hours with a menu of main dishes. The only fault of the rooms is the lack of a balcony which is quite frustrating when you think of the view it could have. The bathrooms have a shower, bathtub, hair-dryer and make-up mirror. The toilets are separated.
Built in 1992, the Conrad hotel is a large modern 14-storey building whose white curves are a landmark. The large lobby is decorated with a central fountain and an imposing stairway. Nearby is the Café Monet, a bar-lounge where drinks and pastries are served. The top floor of the building has a bar with superb panoramic view over the Bosphorus and, beyond that, the Sultanahmet. On the sports side, the hotel has 2 tennis courts. On an all-purpose sports grounds you will be able to practise volley or basket.
The Conrad offers several possibilities. If you wish to have a gastronomic evening, go to Prego, the Italian restaurant (open only in the evening) or to Monet, the Mediterranean restaurant (open for all three meals). From lunchtime to midnight the Conrad opens a panoramic snack bar, located on the hotel's top floor. For nibbles during the day, you can also enjoy some pastries in the Pâtisserie Monet, open from 6 am to 9 pm.
The Conrad hotel has a small fitness centre with an indoor pool, a sauna, a steam bath, massages and a room for aerobics and yoga. The fitness room is quite modern but has only 15 machines, which is very few given the maximum capacity of the hotel! Complete renovated in June 2006: the rooms were redone completely with minimalist decor, Wifi...
massage, (paying), beauty salon, sauna, hammam, keep fit, spa, Turkish bath, wellness
tennis, gym, basketball, mountain bike, fitness, sports
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