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Pera Palace, Istanbul’s newest old hotel, is one of the most storied properties in Europe. Expressly built in 1892 to accommodate passengers arriving on the Orient Express from Paris (Istanbul being the last stop in the east), it was the first luxury hotel in the Ottoman Empire.
The grand dame’s guest book reads like a kaleidoscope of 20th century fame and royalty — including Ernest Hemingway, Queen Elizabeth II, Alfred Hitchcock, Greta Garbo and Jacqueline Kennedy. Frequent guest Agatha Christie is even said to have written much of Murder on the Orient Express in room 411 (you’ll find her original typewriter there, too).
But to its credit, Pera Palace hasn’t been turned into an historical theme park: there’s no cheesy gift shop or Hemingway whisky bar, though the recently-completed two-year restoration has breathed new life into some of the old-world touches that make the property unique.
Pera Palace was the first address in Istanbul with an electric elevator (it’s the second oldest in Europe after the Eiffel Tower’s), and if you ask them nicely, they’ll get a bellboy to operate it for you. It’s a beautiful thing.
The patisserie sports the original white lace curtains that decorated the space all those years ago (they’ve been cleaned, I promise!), and the oriental styled tea lounge (the Kubbeli Saloon) has been restored to the same architectural specifications by which it was built. That includes six glass ceiling domes that can still be opened by their partitioned glass “petals” — an old-school attempt at air-conditioning that is thankfully no longer needed.
The Pera Palace romance is everywhere — though nothing is overdone. The house car, a gorgeous 1949 Plymouth, is parked outside and is available for guest use. And afternoon tea is a stately affair with a live piano player and a generously stuffed buffet table (which sumptuous though it is, is crying out for a few Turkish treats amid the English desserts). Dinner at least is a bold fusion of east and west, serving French, Italian and Turkish flavors.
For more adventurous diners, though, the hotel’s location in the heart of the happening Beyoglu district is packed with a dizzying number of choices — including some of the best kebab this writer has ever tasted at Canım Ciğerim, just a stone’s throw from Pera Palace.
read more: 02. Sleep | boutique | historic | romantic | 05. Eat
