I started writing a post about our amazing week in Türkiye’s largest city, Istanbul. As I began describing where we stayed on our trip, I soon discovered that I needed to write a separate post about this amazing, luxury historic hotel. The Pera Palace hotel has such an interesting history and is so aesthetically beautiful, that I simply fell in love with it.
Location of the Pera Palace Hotel
Istanbul is famously a city that straddles the border between the two continents of Asia and Europe. The Pera Palace Hotel is located in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, on the European side of the Bosphorus. The hotel overlooks the Golden Horn and has unique views of where the Bosphorus Strait joins with the Sea of Marmara, and beyond to the Old City.
This Beyoğlu district is famous for its shopping and nightlife – don’t miss exploring Taksim Square and Istiklal Street! The Beyoğlu district is also home to historical landmarks such as the Galata Tower and the Kamondo Stairs. I will go into more detail about these must-see sights in Istanbul, in my next post.
Although you will have to cross the Bosphorus to see the Sultanahmet district, which is where the big-ticket, must-see Istanbul destinations are, it is only a short distance away. You should really explore both the Asian and European side of this fascinating city, so why not stay on the less touristy side, in a luxury historic hotel?
The Architectural Design of the Pera Palace Hotel
I loved the Art-Nouveau design of this charming historic hotel, built by architect Alexander Vallaury, and opened in 1895. The interior is stylish and elegant, with baroque and neo-classical furnishings of carved wood, dripping in red velvet, and all lit by stunning Murano chandeliers.
Each space in the hotel is exquisitely designed from the Kubbeli Lounge with its domed ceiling, the moody Orient Bar, the Carrara marble of the Hall, to the light and airy Patisserie De Pera. I took so many photos, but they don’t do justice to just how beautiful it is.
The Pera Palace is known as a museum hotel, and staying there really is like stepping back in time, to a romantic bygone era. I absolutely loved it.
Pera Palace History
If only those walls could talk!
The Pera Palace was originally built to host passengers from the famous Orient Express. You can still see the original Orient Express train station in Istanbul, the Sirkeci Terminal. Although it is now a cafe, the original building has been retained, and it still has that old world charm. Next to the Orient Express Cafe is a small rail museum, which is free, but was closed when we visited.
Passengers were transferred from the station to the hotel in sedan chairs. Located next to the foyer in the Pera Palace Hotel, is one of these original sedan chairs. So much history!
The Pera Palace Hotel is a hotel of firsts. It was the first modern hotel in Istanbul to have electricity. It was also the first Hotel in Türkiye to have an electric lift (more on that later!).
With a history spanning the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and two World Wars, the list of famous guests includes the who’s who of Europe! Earnest Hemingway, Alfred Hitchcock, Agatha Christie all frequented the Pera Palace. Agatha Christie is said to have written Murder on the Orient Express while staying at the luxury historic hotel.
Even though there are other luxurious hotels in Istanbul, the elegance, the charm and the history of the Pera Palace has kept drawing famous visitors through its revolving front door for over a century.
The Rooms at the Pera Palace
Some of the suites at the Pera Palace Hotel have been named after famous guests that stayed there. I loved the Alfred Hitchcock suite, with his image as a line drawing relief on the door. Known as legendary suites and rooms, you can also stay in the Earnest Hemingway suite, the Mata Hari suite, the Greta Garbo room, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Room and the infamous Agatha Christie room.
Our room was on the top floor and had a balcony with fantastic views of the Beyoğlu district, the Bosphorus and over to the Sultanahmet district. The room was spacious, with a very comfortable bed, chaise lounge and desk.
Things I Loved about this Luxury Historic hotel
There is so much to love about this hotel, here are some of my highlights:
Afternoon Tea at Pera Palace
Every day in the stunning Kubbeli Lounge, a traditional afternoon tea is served. Between 3 and 5 pm, serenaded by piano tunes, the Pera Palace lays out the most amazing spread of sweet and savoury delights. I am more a lover of savoury and the food choices weighed heavily in favour of the sweet, but there was still so much to choose from, I didn’t know where to start!
The Kubbeli Lounge has been added to the Michelin Guide’s recommended restaurants list, so be sure to book, as it is very popular.
Orient Bar at the Pera Palace
Oh, I loved this room! Red velvet armchairs, stained glass windows, tasseled drapes and amazing cocktails! You can just imagine the meetings, the rendezvous and conversations that have happened in this bar, over a signature cocktail or two!
The Orient Terrace, adjacent to the Orient Bar, looked like it would be an idyllic location for a beverage in summer. We were there in January, it was freezing cold, no one was crazy enough to be sitting out there, in fact, I’m pretty sure it would be closed in winter and the colder months.
The Historic Elevator
Türkiye’s first electric elevator is in the Pera Palace hotel, and although not working during our stay, it is still operational today. The art nouveau wooden interior cabin of the elevator is the original. With the assistance of a lift boy, famous guests would travel in the ascending cage up to their room. Oh, how I wish we could have done the same!
The Patisserie De Pera
The first thing that struck me about the patisserie is the magnificent Murano chandeliers and the pretty pink furnishings. The patisserie offers delicious handmade chocolates, French pastries and cakes as well as Turkish delicacies. Yes, I did purchase some tasty little treats to take back to our room for a little late-night snacking! How gorgeous is this room?
The Ataturk Museum Room
Perhaps one of the most famous guests at the hotel was the Turkish National hero, Mustafa Atatürk. He is revered as the defender of Turkey against the invading allied forces, he founded the modern Republic of Turkey and was its first president. As a key political figure in Turkey, Ataturk hosted many guests at the Pera Palace Hotel.
His regular room, room 101, was converted into a museum in his honour, on the 100-year anniversary of his birth. Some of his personal belongings and artifacts of the time are displayed in the room, which is free to view, but entrance times are limited to between 10-11am and 3-4pm, with a maximum of 50 guests. This room was very interesting to wander through and gave a real glimpse into his life, and that of Türkiye’s elite, in years gone by. I can see why the Pera Palace is known as a museum hotel!
The Staff at the Pera Palace Hotel
I can’t say enough about the staff at this hotel. They were friendly, professional and helpful, and every one of them that we met, seemed so happy to be working there. I will share one exchange I had with the concierge that exemplifies how proud the staff are to work where they work.
I mentioned to him that I had seen a show on Netflix called Midnight at the Pera Palace, which filmed some scenes at the hotel. He excitedly pulled out his phone and began showing me other Turkish movies/ shows that featured the Pera Palace hotel. I love that!
Gift Shop
Next to the foyer is a small gift shop with Pera Palace merchandise, some jewelry and my purchase ….. a book! Not to be confused with the Netflix show by the same name, the book Midnight at the Pera Palace, by Charles King, tells the story of Istanbul between the wars – a tale of spies, jazz dancers, revolutionaries, beauty queens and diplomats, with the Pera Palace hotel as the focal point.
I love history and love staying in a place that has a story to tell. That’s why I rave about this luxury historic hotel to anyone who will listen, it has so many stories to tell! I highly recommend staying at the Pera Palace hotel during your stay in Istanbul. If not staying, then at least go and look around, have the Afternoon Tea or a drink in the Orient Bar, you won’t be disappointed. If you love hotels with a story, as much as I do, you may also be interested in the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN.
