Travel
enating
ra Palace
nbul
as-Quischote
Timeless decadence displayed in the
Kubbeli Ceilings
neither in the suite nor in
the bathroom.
After unpacking, I went downstairs
to the famous Orient Bar, where
many a writer downed more than
a few cocktails and bottles of
champagne. With a bit of
imagination, I could see Hercule
Poirot sitting in a corner, twisting
his moustache and pondering his
latest case; or Sarah Bernhardt,
swishing in a whirl of silk, furs and
pearls. The decoration, the ceiling,
the skylights all will do this to you.
During refurbishment, a treasure
trove of Christoffl silver was
discovered hidden away in the cellar,
which is now polished and used in
the elegant dining room.
You can either swim in the pool, keep
fit in the state of the art gym or
have a Turkish bath and massage in
the hamam. Beauty products used
are specially made for the Pera
Palace in France.
Where, you might ask, does the
rejuvenating part come in? Well it´s
the modern spa, which is responsible
for that. Located in the lower floor,
you enter an oasis of magic blue
light, soft music and every
imaginable kind of beauty treatment.
Once in that blue wonderful world,
my worries vanished and I like to
think that with them, a few years
were shed as well.
conveniently. Just a few steps from
Taksim Square, I took the metro to
the historical district of
Sultanahmed, where all the famous
sites like Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque,
Grand Bazaar and more are located,
all within walking distance of each
other. Tram and metro are the best
way to move around in Istanbul, far
better than taxi, because traffic in
the city is diabolical at all hours.
As far as sightseeing is concerned,
the hotel couldn’t be located more
Pedestrian areas around Taksim
Square are full with shops, if you