Hotel – PERA PALACE HOTEL JUMEIRAH Property Type – 5 Star Property Category – Luxury, Modern Address – Mesrutiyet Cad. Tepebasi, No.52, Beyoglu, Istanbul 34430, Turkey -00902123774000 Room Type we stayed in – Deluxe Pera view room – GBP290.00 per room per night. Experience –We decided to book Pera Palace Jumeirah for 3 day stay. I do prefer staying in Historical Hotels/Palaces and Castles (only if I have a choice), so this was definitely one of the Hotels in my list. We reached Istanbul around 6 PM after driving all day from Thessaloniki (Greece) and as soon as we parked our car outside the Hotel’s main entrance, there were 4 men who did valet parking for us, welcomed us with huge smile, chit chatting about our drive and were amazed to hear that we are driving from UK to India. Then refreshing welcome drink was served at the reception.

As you enter Istanbul’s Iconic Hotel, you will be mesmerized by its timeless glamor and elegance. This luxurious heritage hotel is located in the heart of vibrant Beyoglu district overlooking the magnificent Golden Horn and the historical old city. It’s walking distance to Bosphorus, Galata Tower and the famous shopping streets of Istiklal, also you are not far from Bazaars. This indeed has the best location in Istanbul. This hotel has possibly everything you can ask for – Signature Restaurant, Agatha, Patisserie and Kubbeli – Hotel’s famed Tea lounge. They have Gym, Indoor jet streamed swimming pool, full spa and Turkish Hammam. Definitely expensive as any luxury Hotel would cost you but worth a visit if you have taste in historical places. Hotel also has century old wooden elevator which can be used by the guests besides the modern alternatives for everyday use.

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We were extremely happy from the moment we entered. Rooms were absolutely stunning, spacious and of course luxurious. I MUST say staff is extremely helpful. Iren; “The concierge lady”; I have no words to express my thanks to her. She is a beautiful, patient, warm and extremely helpful young women. As per our route plan, we were supposed to leave from Istanbul to Trabzon and then catch overnight ferry for Sochi but because of the language problem, we were unable to get any reply from Trabzon Ferry center. Yes you will find english speakers in Istanbul but once you are outside city, there are very slim chances that you will find english speakers. We had struggled for nearly 5 days and were unable to get any information on Sochi Ferry services (Trabzon – Sochi) but Iren helped us and made few calls during those 3 days and found us the right contact and the Ferry details. She was very efficient. Not only that but after we left Istanbul and reached Trabzon (12 hrs. drive) we needed English speaker in Trabzon too and we had to call her again in emergency. Thanks to her who was so patient and helped us once again. Overall staff is extremely helpful and ready to answer any question you have. You ask them anything and they will give you tons of options – that’s 10 out of 10 for me, we would definitely go to Pera Palace again. A very happy customer :-)

I would definitely recommend this Hotel if you are in Istanbul. Best thing is to book in advance so you can get non-refundable rate (advance purchase rate of GBP 190 per night, depending on season) and save little bit. Near By Attractions – Bosphorus, Galata Tower and the famous shopping streets of Istiklal. Applause Moment – I must say we have been very fortunate to stay in some of the finest Hotels in the world. The Pera palace definitely ranks up there.

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Pera Palace Hotel Jumeirah, Istanbul

Day 13: Breakfast in Austria, Lunch in Slovakia & Dinner in Hungary

Day 11: Czech Republic

Day 10: Munich (Via Neuschwanstein Castle)