by Rachel Felder
Just a short taxi ride from the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul’s new Akaretler Row Houses feel a million miles away from the grimy, congested frenzy of the city’s touristy landmarks. Originally built as housing for palace workers in the nineteenth century, the set of buildings have been transformed into an understated and elegant development that’s as modern as it is historic—kind of like Istanbul itself.
The anchor of the Houses is the newly opened W Hotel, the chain’s first European venture. With its Turkish flourished decor and dark lighting, it feels more like a local boutique hotel than part of an international chain. (See images below.) Though there is a Bliss spa and a branch of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market inside as an upscale alternative to the city’s ubiquitous kebabs and baklava. The restaurant and some of its rooms have views of the Bosphorus […]
Original post by Ami Kealoha
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