Pera Palace Hotel

AFTERNOON TEA REVIEW: Pera Palace is rated a Michelin Star for the afternoon they offer. I personally did not enjoy this experience as it did not live to the high standards they claim. - Food flavors were not the best as the food felt old and almost tasted like leftover sandwiches. - The buffet style afternoon tea was not refilled at any point, leaving some plates empty and others in a very bad shape. - Staff were very inattentive (chatting or on their phones) although there were only 3 total tables in the hall and over five staff. Management was loudly on the phone often and during the pianist performance as can be seen in the video. It’s a cool spot to visit for the history behind it however I do not recommend the afternoon tea as the price (2,000 TL/ Per Person) is certainly not equivalent to the experience you get.

We had the most amazing time at the Pera Palace! From the start, the service was incredible—they upgraded our room for our honeymoon and made us feel so special. The rooms were super clean, beautifully decorated, and the hotel itself was stunning. They even got us tickets to their concert, which was such a thoughtful touch. Room service twice a day was a treat, and every little detail made the stay unforgettable. Thank you, Pera Palace, for going above and beyond to make our honeymoon so magical!

This is truly the most extraordinary hotel I have ever encountered. The service is nothing short of exquisite, with every staff member radiating warmth and professionalism. Our three-night stay felt far too brief, and we found ourselves wishing for more time here. Breakfast each morning was a delightful experience, featuring a mouthwatering array of dishes that catered to every palate. The high tea was an absolute must, offering a perfect blend of savory and sweet treats that we savored in a beautifully elegant setting. We also indulged in the hammam and received soothing massages that left us feeling utterly rejuvenated. One of the highlights of our stay was enjoying a refreshing beer at the Orient Express bar – the ambiance there was simply enchanting. We resided in rooms 201 and 609, both of which provided us with a wonderful atmosphere and all the comforts we could desire. A heartfelt thank you to the entire team for making our stay so memorable!

It was an amazing experience from the first step into this historic hotel! We were welcomed at check-in with traditional Turkish hospitality (apple tea and hot hand towels). We were escorted to the first electric elevator in Turkey(the second one in Europe), and as part of our welcome, we could take this lift! |The hotel is full of history, including room 101 where Ataturk stayed - it's now a museum! Other historical persons stayed there, like Agatha Cristie who allegedly wrote part of her Murder on the Orient Express. And she has her room, you can book if you are lucky (411). |You can spend the whole day in the hotel, especially if you are a fan of travelling back in time. |Among everything else, I need to mention that the duvets in our room were so fluffy and comfortable :-)

Very good hotel in a good location. Doesn’t have a rooftop bar, isn’t directly on the Bosphorus, and abuts a busy street. But has a charming sense of faded glamour about it and a remarkable history. To me that’s far more interesting than a new building with new amenities. If you feel differently you might prefer to stay elsewhere. ||The breakfast was excellent. I’ve had buffet breakfasts at a number of 5* hotels and this could compete with all of them.

Wanted to stay here given its historical significance in this city as a hotel and some of its storied guests, and it didn't disappoint. I had a room on the 4th floor with a balcony and a lovely view of the Golden Horn (thanks to the receptionist who 'upgraded' my room when I asked for such a room). The elegance of the hotel sets it apart, particularly things like the amazingly old elevator (not in routine use but you can ask to ride it) and the beautiful setting of the Orent bar and the Library. The lobby is oddly small and unimpressive (for such a grand hotel) and note that the rooms (given their age) are not quote modern 5 star hotel standard - though still very nice. Only gave 4 stars overall as I felt the service level was not up to scratch. In the Orient bar, you can take a while to attract attention (and once I had to go up to the bar itself to be served). Another example was one morning at breakfast where I did not interact with any member of staff at any point! (I seated myself and no one approached me at any point, whether to clear finished plates, ask if I wanted tea/coffee, ask if I wanted to order anything from the egg menu, etc). This service level needs to be improved if they want to be maintain luxury hotel status.

Had a lovely stay here at this elegant historic hotel. The interior is just beautiful and the staff are really friendly, helpful and polite. Breakfast was very good. Lots of choices. I had a minor issue with my luggage on return and Erwin the Front Manager couldn’t have been more helpful in any way as he answered all my emails and arranged for my missing items to be shipped home. Nothing was too much trouble Definitely recommend and we would stay again.

Amazing Turkish restaurant! The food is incredibly tasty, with perfectly balanced spices. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, complemented by beautiful decor. Service is excellent, with attentive and friendly staff. Highly recommended for a delightful dining experience!

What a beautiful hotel with a Michelin star rating. Food was definitely high quality that's why tone star. The service and attitude of staff in restaurant was ridiculous. While eating they were trying to take away our plates. For the price paid expected a bit better service and attitude. Unless you speak Turkish do not come here as they will not respect you in any way. Very disappointed.

Built in 1892, Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul is a captivating blend of historic charm and modern luxury. Notably, it has a special connection to the famous author Agatha Christie. The hotel boasts the room where she stayed, Room 411, which is now called the "Agatha Christie Room." It's said that she wrote part of her renowned novel "Murder on the Orient Express" during her stay at the Pera Palace, further enhancing the hotel's literary allure. A visit here allows you to immerse yourself in the same elegant surroundings that once inspired one of the greatest mystery writers of all time. It's majestic architecture and opulent interior transport you to a bygone era of elegance. The impeccable service and attention to detail by the staff make your stay truly exceptional. Whether you're sipping tea at the famous Orient Bar or enjoying the panoramic views from the terrace, Pera Palace offers an unforgettable experience that seamlessly blends past and present. A stay here is like stepping into a novel set in the heart of Istanbul's rich heritage.

I love historic hotels and Netflix, which is how I found out about this hotel. My Turkish husband and I had watched "Midnight at Pera Palace" on Netflix which is set here...in the show the rooms serve as time portals and the people go back and forth in time to help save the original Turkish republic. Just for fun, I wanted to see it so we took my mother-in-law and father-in-law and figured we'd have a drink at the bar or something. Luckily we got there during tea service time and the set up looked so inviting, we decided to try it out. What a lovely time we had! All of the sandwiches and sweets were amazing; there wasn't anything we didn't enjoy. The setup was beautiful as well and there was a live pianist playing. The best part was the service....absolutely top notch from beginning to end. If you enjoy being treated well in a stunning, historic setting, this is the place for you. Unfortunately we're not staying here, so the review is just for the tea and the amazing staff. But based on that alone, five stars barely seems enough.

The Pera Palace Hotel is a historic special category hotel & museum hotel located in the Pera district. It was built in 1892 to host passengers of the Orient Express. It holds the title of the oldest European hotel of Turkey. This was the first building in the Ottoman Empire to be powered by electricity, other than the imperial palaces. It was also the only address in the city to provide hot running water for its guests & has the 1st electric elevator in Constantinople & 2nd electric elevator in Europe. Agatha Christie died yesterday & her 1934 novel Murder on the Orient Express was allegedly written here. The hotel maintains Christie's room as a memorial to the author.

Lovely and intimate this place is not for your average public. History of this hotel is fascinating. Google and you will understand. If you are a book worm this is a perfect hotel for you. And for hotel hoppers like me this was an excellent location to do our "Love story" video shoot. When in Istanbul stop by for a quick tea or a glass of champagne just to pretend you have stayed here and take some awesome insta worthy pictures! Dress classy!

Horrible I book a double bed premium they gave me a hole in a wall. False advertising and didn't accommodate just said tomorrow. Worst place I have said in Istanbul .... Save your money and book somewhere else they will ruin your experience

From the moment you enter this historic hotel you are aware of how special it is. The staff sets the bar here. Attentive and pleasant. Our twin room was perfectly appointed. Most important, the beds were very comfortable and my daughter and I slept well each evening. We started our busy day each morning on the terrace for the well appointed breakfast buffet. There are many hotels in the area and huge national chain units near the coast that I would put up against the charm and warmth of this magnificent hotel.

At the time I checked into this remarkable hotel in 2016, I had visited 67 countries, most all for business travel, enjoying the perks that came with that when possible. The Pera Palace experience I enjoyed during my 3 day stay as a guest at the Jumeirah-owned historic mid-size luxury hotel was exuberant, congenial, and immaculately organizes.

Get room 312 (corner) -very spacious, tree windows and two balcony. And what a bath tube with a view!

An opulent hotel steeped in history, Pera Palace beautifully combines tradition with luxury and is centrally located in the Beyoglu district. Agatha Christie loved this hotel so much, there is a room (#411) dedicated to her. Allegedly, it was in this room she wrote the famous, "Murder on the Orient Express." The moment you walk in to Pera Palace, you feel as though you have been transported back to the grand days of the Orient Express. It is no wonder Pera Palace was so loved by passengers who traveled on the famous train and is Still loved by so many. There is a lovely patisserie adjacent to the hotel with delicious pastries on display. Come for the afternoon high tea that is served in the tea lounge or head over to the orient bar for some drinks in the evening. You will be surrounded by sumptuous antiques, artwork, and historical books. There is a stunning mother of pearl inlaid wood bookshelf in the large saloon that displayed very rare signed copies of well known literary works. Don't forget to check out the Ataturk Museum room #101.

Great service, amazing location and an outstanding hotel with quite a legacy! Rooms are decorated with class in mind, and the bathrooms are lined with marble. This hotel has been around for over 125 years and still has unquie furniture to reflect the charm of a by gone era. This hotel was the first hotel in Istanbul to have an elevator and when you arrive they will take you up in it along with showing you the various memorabilia they have which makes this hotel unique!

I have not seen a small hotel like this. It is super luxurious with that old elegance from the beginning of the century. Service is impeccable and the staff is hyper courteous. This is the hotel where Agatha Christie wrote many of her novels. Visited by Ernest Hemingway. The furniture is really antique. Artifacts and memorabilia of the hotel glorious dates are around the property in conspicuous places. Highly recommended it.

We absolutely loved the Pera Palace - hands down the best 5-star we've stayed in. The history, the ambience, the service.....all just perfect! Historically, this hotel cannot be beat. Built by the Orient Express as a luxury hotel for its passengers to stay in Istanbul, the vibe remains. It was the first and only building to be powered by electricity, other than the Ottoman Palaces. It was also the only address in the city to provide hot running water for its guests and was home to the first electric elevator in Istanbul. The basic rooms are spacious - particularly given European standards - and extremely well-appointed (Moulton Brown products, yay!). Nespresso coffee, lots of windows, beautiful bathrooms, a pillow menu fergodsake!. The staff is without doubt what puts this hotel up and over to 5 stars....they are friendly without being fakey, clearly are sincere in wanting to help you, and really go out of their way to make your stay the very best it can be. Example: They gave us a great recommendation for a special dinner on our last night....a place with a great view, fantastic food..etc. They sent a porter to WALK US TO THE RESTAURANT!!!! Seriously. And he was sweet and chatty the entire 10-minute walk. It's these little touches - going above and beyond - that make a five-star. Period. If you are at all historically inclined, a must-see is the Attaturk room. Rich with history from the founding father of Turkey, it's an incredibly special place. The bed he slept in as he wrote the Turkish constitution, his sitting room, letters written during this important time. It's a must-see, and you need to ask for someone to take you into the room (they are quite modest about it..). The bar is also rich with history - Hemmingway, Agatha Christie, Greta Garbo, Queen Elizabeth - this was the place to stay in Istanbul once-upon-a-time, and it is again. It's dark, velvety, comfy, sumptuous. Order something old-school. Finally, the reference in my title to "Istanbul Passage" is a great book by Joseph Kanon that takes place post-WWII in Turkey. Many of the scenes are in the Pera Palace. Very cool. Windstar clients: Stay here. You'll be glad you did. Stayed June 2012, traveled with family

I know. I know. I only gave the Orient Bar 2 stars. However, afternoon tea at fancy hotels is one of my favorite urban vacation experiences. The setting just off the lobby is spectacular. Their format is different than others I've done in that it's a buffet and the savory fare is served. Fortunately the fare is a major step up from the bar food. I got my money's worth so to speak and I was pleased with everything. The problem is the service is horrible and not at all acceptable for 5 star standards. Had to request place setting and beverage service a few times. Shouldn't have to do this especially when the venue is empty. Not terribly impressed with Istanbul but really disappointed with this hotel and glad that I decided not to splurge and stay here. Service is a key part of the 5 star rating and they repeatedly fall short.

This is my third favorite hotel in all the world, topped only by a concrete-floored-40-watt-bulb room overlooking the bay at Kas, Turkey, and the extraordinary hotel at the top of the medieval village Cagne Sur Mer in Provence, very near Monaco. We spent a couple of nights at the Pera Palas, and it was our introduction to Istanbul, perhaps the greatest city in the world. The City is the gateway to Asia Minor with all its remarkable history, and of course it possesses remarkable locations such as the very very ancient spice market and Hagia Sophia, a church built in the 5th century on top of a more ancient temple of Diana. But the room we were assigned at the Palas had a marble bathtub that was 10 feet long. It was three feet deep. Marble. My suggestion is that you avoid the western copy-cat hotels in Istanbul and have a real-life experience of Ottoman Turkey at the Pera Palas.

The location of the hotel was great and the view of our hotel room was fantastic. I did think it was a little funny how they were playing Christmas music in the lobby (mind you, I went in July). Silly that breakfast wasn't included with our stay. And I wasn't about to pay 38 euros to eat breakfast there. I ordered room service one night and was pretty disappointed with the quality of the food. Especially because it was 30 TL. Went to the bar one night and overpayed for a glass of disgusting wine and water that I had never ordered. The three stars are for the location and the view. That's pretty much it.

Classic turn of the century elegance. Service, rooms, dining, and patio all superb. It's history and place in Istanbul cannot be surpassed.

I love this place. It is full of history. It is well kept. I did not stay over because I learned about it while I was in Istanbul. I already had my hotel paid. But pay a visit was a mist do. The ambiance is so elegant and classic and classy. I had dinner at the terrace- which is a wonderful spot to watch the sunset. The food was good but not exceptional. I tasted the lamb. The selection of wines is good. The service is great. The place is a mist go.

This may have been the nicest hotel I have ever stayed at anywhere in the world. The staff was outstanding. I still dream of this place and can't wait to go back.

One of the most enjoyable experience I had in Turkey's hotels. Very very professional staff, the hotel is amazing from the inside, the lobby takes you to the nineteenth century atmosphere. Love it for sure. I recommend it to every one.

I loved the location of this hotel! I was there only for 5 days and it was amazing to be living in the center of everything! Istiklal street is a 2 min walk. More about the hotel .. it has a really nice old world charm to it... we went to the cafe which was nice too! They have a hamam which I didn't use as I went to the aya sofya hamam :).. the real deal! Rooms were gorgeous and so was the service.

Stayed here on New Year's Day and had the best time exploring the hotel and taking in its' charm. Had afternoon tea at the breathtaking Kubbeli Salon (happy I booked a month before as all seats were taken!), explored the hotel, saw the gorgeous 2nd ever elevator in the world ( 1st was installed at EiffelTower and the 2nd at Pera Palace!). Pool was gorgeous, nice spa area and even spent time lounging on the chaise longue in our room reading Agatha's biography! Yep - she made Room 411 famous and was the 2nd reason I picked Turkey for these hols!! Afternoon tea was delicious- the turkish tea is the best we've ever had ANYWHERE in turkey! The pastries were very good with some original twists. Had drinks at the dark Orient Bar(where Hemingway downed his drinks back in 1922) until 1am and basically never left the hotel! Bfast the next morning was at the newly opened Agatha restaurant and it was lavish to say the least! My highlight was the 5 types of compotes/spreads offered - braised fig compote, braised walnut compote, choc spread, sweet tahini, blackberry jam, peanut butter( the best i've ever had!) and butter (as good as the ones the France!) -all were simply divine! Pera Palace was also the place where the British handed over the KeyOfIstanbul to the (would be) 1st President of Turkey after WWI. Recommended.

My wife and I stayed for 5 days in May. The hotel is physically beauiful, retaining its late-19th century extreme luxury atmosphere. Our Golden Horn room was not large, but it was perfectly adequate, and very quiet. The shower was the most luxurious that I have seen in a hotel - with three independently controlled sprays. Breakfast buffet was elaborate. Service was polite, but the hotel staff seemed very rushed at times. They could probably use more help. The location of this hotel is perfect for a tourist. One block away from the amazingly busy Istiklal Street, which is a combination of Fifth AVenue and Times Square. Hordes of people walking up and down the 2 mile pedestrian thoroughfare lined with international as well as Turkish shops selling everything from high-end clothes to the Turkish versionof Gyro sandwiches. The narrow pedestrian side streets off of Istiklal ae a journey into the past - small shops selling everything from fresh fish to pickles. Scores of sidewalk restaurants. Definitely worth a long walk. The old part of the city, with all the tourist attractions, is a 20 minute taxi ride away (15 TL). I definitely recommend this hotel.