New Landmark Hotel Opens On Okinawa Island

Hyatt Hotels Corporation, in collaboration with Ken Corporation and Ken Real Estate Lease, Ltd, today announced the opening of Hyatt Regency Naha, Okinawa—the first hotel under a Hyatt brand on the Japanese island of Okinawa. The hotel is the tenth hotel under a Hyatt brand in Japan, and it is the sixth Hyatt Regency hotel in the country, following Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka and Fukuoka.

A mere 20-minute drive from Naha Airport, Hyatt Regency Naha, Okinawa is located between Naha’s main street of Kokusai Dori and Tsuboya Yachimun Dori, a historical street lined with traditional pottery workshops. The hotel – offering traditional, warm Okinawan-style hospitality – provides an energizing and refreshing place where both business and leisure guests come to connect.

“We are delighted with the opening of the tenth Hyatt property in Japan and honored to further strengthen our relationship with Ken Corporation, a company with deep development and management experience,” said Hirohide Abe, senior vice president of Hyatt in Japan. “We are grateful to Ken Corporation President Shigeru Sato, who envisioned the development of such a prestigious hotel. We are also grateful for the passion of the project team behind this launch. This hotel showcases our franchise business in Asia Pacific and demonstrates Hyatt’s commitment to authentic hospitality. We believe this hotel will contribute to our goal of becoming the most preferred hotel company.”

Okinawa-inspired Interiors

The captivating décor at Hyatt Regency Naha, Okinawa celebrates its local culture. Adorning the interiors are soothing colorways highlighted with vibrant hues of red and blue. The hotel features carefully selected pottery and glassware inspired by rich Ryukyu culture, complemented by the convenience and comfort for which the Hyatt Regency brand is known.

Guestrooms with Views of the Naha Skyline

Hyatt Regency Naha, Okinawa is home to 294 guest rooms of eight different types, including 154 Deluxe Twin Rooms (344 square feet / 32 square meters) and nine luxurious Regency Executive Suites （688 square feet / 64 square meters). All guest rooms have been designed for both leisure and business, featuring a 40-inch flat-screen television with satellite programming, complimentary Wi-Fi, a coffee maker and complimentary mineral water. Standard guest rooms offer Pharmacopia natural and organic bath products from the U.S.; Club Rooms and Suites provide body care products by exclusive, historic Italian brand Acca Kappa.

The generously appointed suites are designed to reflect the calming wind and water of Okinawa. The large, contemporary rooms feature subtle details inspired by traditional Ryukyu culture and come equipped with a spacious shower room, plush beds dressed in 300-threadcount linens and two 55-inch flat-screen TVs.

All Club Rooms and Suites offer access to the exclusive Regency Club lounge. Located on the uppermost 18th floor and featuring an outdoor terrace, guests can gather, work or relax over complimentary breakfast, drinks throughout the day and evening cocktails. Personalized check-in, check-out and evening service is also available.

Restaurants and Bars

Hyatt Regency Naha, Okinawa offers four inspiring restaurants and bars showcasing international cuisine with a focus on locally sourced ingredients of the highest quality.

Sakurazaka is the hotel’s relaxed dining space, serving buffet-style breakfast and lunch with an array of tempting local and international dishes. Guests can enjoy a relaxing meal in the stylish, light-filled setting or dine al fresco on the beautiful outdoor terrace.

Located on the uppermost 18th floor, MILANO | GRILL specializes in creative Italian and grilled cuisine. During dinner, a selection of meat and seafood is prepared in the show kitchen, while traditional trolleys present appetizers and mouthwatering grilled fare, served tableside.

Adjacent to MILANO | GRILL, guests can enjoy a pre-dinner drink at The Bar, complemented by panoramic night views of the Naha skyline. Featuring live piano performances, The Bar is an ideal spot to enjoy fine wines, carefully crafted cocktails and a wide variety of quality spirits. During the day, guests can look out to the Kerama Islands, and at dusk, enjoy a beautiful sunset over the East China Sea.

The glass encased open space on the first floor is The Lounge, offering quality coffees, teas, pastries and light snacks.

Meetings and Events

The Regency (882 square feet / 82 square meters with an 8.8 foot- / 2.7 meter-high ceiling) is a well-designed event space on the second floor, perfect for high-level board meetings, parties and cocktails for up to 50 guests. Equipped with the latest audiovisual capabilities, The Regency can be partitioned into two separate spaces (592 sq ft / 55 sqm and 290 sq ft / 55 sqm), making it ideal for intimate gatherings and parties.

Facilities

On the third floor of Hyatt Regency Naha, Okinawa is the first exclusive hotel fitness center in Naha. The Fitness Gym is equipped with the latest TechnoGym machines and a personal yoga lesson is available upon request. After a good workout, guests can unwind in the whirlpool or take a dip in the 55-foot / 17-meter outdoor swimming pool. An adjacent shallow pool is perfect for younger guests. As a hotel that puts everything at guests’ fingertips, guests who’ve worked up an appetite will enjoy HY Deli for an assortment of goods, from daily necessities to sweets, cakes and cookies, and alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine.

“Hyatt and Ken Corporation are excited to realize our vision of opening a hotel in the popular tourist destination of Okinawa,” said Hyatt Regency Naha, Okinawa General Manager Kento Sato. “Located only a three-minute walk from the main tourism and entertainment district Kokusai-dori, Hyatt Regency Naha, Okinawa brings a unique spirit to Okinawa’s hospitality market, showcasing both Ryukyu culture and the high standard of service for which the Hyatt Regency brand is known. Designed to cultivate connections with the local community and visitors, while offering a sophisticated level of hospitality, we look forward to welcoming guests and contributing positively to the tourism industry of Okinawa.”

The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.

Opening: Blu M’Bamou Palace Hotel, Brazzaville, Republic Of Congo

Carlson Rezidor, further strengthens its portfolio in Africa by announcing the Radisson Blu M’Bamou Palace Hotel in Brazzaville, capital city of the Republic of Congo. The upper upscale property with 178 rooms will be the first internationally branded hotel in Brazzaville and open in September 2015.

“We are delighted to arrive in the Republic of Congo – the 26th African country we are present in. Africa is our most important growth market, and we want to further expand our network together with existing and new partners”, said Wolfgang M. Neumann, President & CEO of Rezidor. Carlson Rezidor’s total portfolio in Africa now features 64 hotels with over 14,000 rooms in operation or under development, and the group has the largest pipeline on the entire continent.

The Radisson Blu M’Bamou Palace Hotel, Brazzaville is located less than 6km from the Maya Maya International airport. The property is situated on the banks of the Congo River and close to many local and regional banks as well as governmental institutions. Besides 178 guest rooms with Radisson Blu signature services such as free high-speed internet access, the hotel will offer an all-day dining restaurant, a main terrace and bar, a terrace pool bar, meeting & event space of 2,650m2, an outdoor swimming pool, a business class lounge, a gym & spa and a nightclub.

The Republic of Congo is located in central Africa and borders Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It has an estimated population of 4.4 million and is the 5th richest oil and gas producing country in Africa. Congo’s economy is a combination of an industrial sector relying mainly on petroleum and an oil sector representing around 65% of GDP, 85% of government revenue, and over 90% of exports. Timber, services and agriculture constitute the remaining main sectors, whilst the country also has large base metal, gold, iron and phosphate deposits. Brazzaville is a key port on the Congo River, and hosts as the country’s capital city many companies, government organizations and NGOs. Also the World Health Organization’s regional office for Africa is located in town.

“We are committed to the emerging market of Africa, and see further potential for our core brand Radisson Blu in capital cities and financial hubs across the continent. Our aim is to be a premier operator in Africa and a responsible partner: by giving jobs to local talent and interacting with the communities we are active in, we can make a huge difference”, commented Elie Younes, Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer of Rezidor.

The Radisson Blu Hotel in Brazzaville will be operated by The Rezidor Hotel Group.

Air China Launches Third Daily Nonstop Los Angeles - Beijing Service

Air China officials and China-bound passengers at Tom Bradley International Terminal welcomed the arrival of the inaugural flight of the airline’s third daily nonstop service from Beijing (CA 887) at 9 a.m. PDT today. China’s national flag carrier is also celebrating today the first day of the relocation of its airport operations from Terminal 2 to the Los Angeles International Airport’s (LAX) bigger and newly renovated Tom Bradley International Terminal.

“The increase in connectivity between Los Angeles and Beijing offers travelers more flexibility and convenient options. More important, it will increase the bilateral trade between the USA and China and increase cultural ties between the world’s two largest economies,” Dr. Zhihang Chi, Air China’s Vice President for North America, stated.

Every daily round-trip international flight on a wide-body aircraft at LAX generates $623 million annually. It also provides 3,120 local jobs to the regional economy, according to the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation.

All of Air China’s three Los Angeles (LAX)-Beijing (PEK) daily nonstop services are operated by the new generation B777-300ER. Air China is the only airline with a nonstop service between these two cities.

Featuring state of the art green technology, the B777-300ER delivers better fuel burn performance and is much quieter than any other aircraft. With a spacious three-cabin interior, ambient lighting and enhanced entertainment system, the B777-300ER provides transpacific passengers with a smooth, comfortable experience. Air China’s triple seven features eight luxury suites in the Forbidden Pavilion (first class), 41 fully-flat sleeper seats in the Capital Pavilion (business class) and 259 economy seats with individual TV monitors and in-seat audio-video demand.

Please refer to the chart below for details of Air China’s Los Angeles-Beijing services. Note: This is for reference only and the schedule may be subject to change. All times are local. *+1 = Next Day.

PEK-LAX CA887 12:00 9:00 B777-300 Daily
LAX-PEK CA888 11:30 15:10+1* B777-300 Daily
PEK-LAX CA987 15:00 12:00 B777-300 Daily
LAX-PEK CA988 14:20 18:00+1* B777-300 Daily
PEK-LAX CA983 21:00 18:00 B777-300 Daily
LAX-PEK CA984 1:40 05:20+1* B777-300 Daily

Air China offers nonstop services to Beijing from its seven gateways in North America: Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington Dulles, Houston, Honolulu and Vancouver. In addition to Los Angeles, Air China is also the only airline with nonstop services to Beijing from New York and Houston. If offers double daily services from New York’s JFK International; daily services from Houston, Vancouver and San Francisco; four times weekly service from Washington Dulles and three times weekly from Honolulu to Beijing.

On Sept. 29, 2015, Air China will launch the three times weekly nonstop service between Beijing and Montreal. It will be the first transpacific direct link between these two cities. The new Montreal service will bring Air China’s number of gateways in North America to a total of eight.

New Terminal Opens At Prince Mohammed Bin Abdul Aziz International Airport In Madinah, Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) and Tibah Airports Development Company today announced the opening of the new terminal at Prince Mohammed Bin Abdul Aziz International Airport (PMIA) in Madinah Al-Munawarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

This iconic project consists of a new terminal of 156,940 square metres of terminal space on three floors, 16 aircraft stands served by passenger boarding bridges and 20 remote apron stands. The project also includes the implementation of a widened and extended runway, with 10 km of taxiways capable of accommodating A380 size aircraft linking the runway to the terminal building and ensuring the fast and efficient movement of aircraft.

This Public Private Partnership (PPP) and fast track Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) project was completed in 30 months and is the first USGBC LEED GOLD Certified airport terminal outside of the USA and is also the first in the MENA region. The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), as Grantor, has contracted with Tibah, as Investor, through a Build Operate and Transfer Agreement which is the first airport privatization in Saudi Arabia. The Tibah Consortium, which comprises TAV Airports with Al Rajhi and Saudi Oger, appointed a Contractor Consortium comprising TAV Airports and ACC to design and construct Phase 1 facilities. The value of the contract was approximately US$ 1.2 billion.

The new terminal and airfield is built to the highest international standards and allows for an initial operating capacity of 8 million passengers per year. The terminal is modular to allow for expansion in Phase 2 to suit the expected future increases in passenger and aircraft traffic, with state-of-the-art facilities affirming PMIA's current and future role as a major gateway for scheduled passengers, as well as Hajj and Umrah Pilgrims to the Holy City of Madinah and the greater Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The project includes a mosque for 1,000 worshippers, and 20 support buildings including dedicated Hajj facilities for Hajj passengers, and a new Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Building.

CH2M, a global engineering consultancy with over 40 years of transportation infrastructure experience in the Saudi Arabia, was appointed jointly by GACA and Tibah to be the Independent Engineer for the Project. Using experts from the UK, USA and the Middle East, CH2M reviewed the design and provided a team on site to monitor that the facilities were in accordance with the agreed technical requirements.

Joe Stratford, CH2M's Project Director, said: "This iconic infrastructure project will facilitate increasing growth in passenger numbers and aircraft movements through provision of world-class modern airport airfield, passenger terminal and landside infrastructure. We are proud to have had the opportunity to play a significant role in the successful and timely delivery of these new facilities."

CH2M is a global engineering company partnering with public and private clients to tackle the world's most complex infrastructure and natural resource challenges. The firm's work is concentrated in the water, transportation, energy, environment and industrial markets. With US$6.1 billion in revenue and 25,000 employees, CH2M is an industry leader in program management, construction management, operations management and design, as ranked by Engineering News-Record and named a leader in sustainable engineering by Verdantix. CH2M's business integrity and commitment to the well-being of people and the planet has earned the company a spot on Ethisphere's World's Most Ethical Companies list for seven years in a row.

The firm first started working in the Middle East in 1976 and has since grown to 18 offices and over 2400 employees. CH2M HILL is working on some of the most iconic infrastructure programs in the region including the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup™, the Riyadh Public Transport Program, the Inner Doha Re-sewerage Integrated System (IDRIS) project and the Abu Dhabi Shah Gas Development.

Travelore Tips: Top Free Things To Do In Cape Town

A relatively weak rand makes Cape Town a more affordable destination to visit, and the city certainly provides value for money when it comes to eating and accommodation. However, everyone likes to get something for free, and in this respect the Mother City is overflowing with options.

V&A Waterfront

Attracting 24 million visitors a year – more than Cairo’s pyramids – to its glitzy mix of retail and tourist entertainment, the V&A Waterfront remains a working harbour with much of its historic fabric intact. One of the best ways to get an insight into its past, as well as make sense of this sprawling site, is to follow the self-guided historical walking tour; pick up a free map detailing the route at the visitor information centre on Dock Rd.

Pin this imageStatues of South Africa's four Nobel laureates in V&A Waterfront's Nobel Square. Image by Simon Richmond / Lonely Planet

Along the way have your photo taken with Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela – larger-than-life statues of both men, designed by Claudette Schreuders, stand in Nobel Square beside those of South Africa’s two other Nobel Prize winners, Nkosi Albert Luthuli and FW de Klerk. At the Nelson Mandela Gateway, departure point for ferries to Robben Island, there’s a good free exhibition about the freedom struggle and life in the prison that is now a Unesco World Heritage Site.

The Market Square Ampitheatre is the focus of much free entertainment, including buskers and various musical and dance acts. Videos are shown on a giant screen and there are live shows from 5pm to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

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Mountains hikes

Table Mountain National Park is an amazing natural resource that is the pride of the Mother City. Although there are admission fees to some parts of the park, such as Boulders (home to a colony of African Penguins) and the Cape of Good Hope nature reserve, there’s no charge for hiking the myriad trails on Table Mountain, up Lion’s Head or along Signal Hill.

None of the routes up Table Mountain are easy, but the 3km-long Platteklip Gorge route, accessed from Tafelberg Rd, is at least straightforward. It’s very steep and you should reckon on it taking you about 2½ hours to reach the upper cableway station at a steady pace. Be warned that the route is exposed to the sun, so climb as early in the morning as possible, bring plenty of water and sunblock, and preferably don’t climb alone.

Pin this imageView of Twelve Apostles and Camps Bay from top of Lion's Head, Cape Town. Image by Simon Richmond / Lonely Planet

However, there’s no need to reach Table Mountain’s summit to get brilliant views. A short hike up behind the lower cableway station will bring you to the Contour Path, running a fairly level way eastwards around Devil’s Peak to the King’s Blockhouse. The Pipe Track runs along the west side of the mountain towards the Twelve Apostles and provides stunning coastal views.

Beautiful beaches

Looking down from the Pipe Track you’ll spy some of Cape Town’s most beautiful beaches. Separated from the bar and restaurant lined promenade by palm trees and a grassy bank, Camps Bay is a gorgeous sweep of soft sand. However it can get crowded, particularly on weekends, and is exposed to the wind. The surf is strong and the Atlantic Ocean is freezing, so it's also not particularly suitable for swimming.

More sheltered are Clifton's four beaches, split by giant granite boulders. Clifton 3rd, the prettiest and most secluded of the quartet, cocooned by hillside beach houses, is popular with gay Capetonians, as is Sandy Bay, the nudist beach further south down the Atlantic coast. You don't need to be gay or a nudist to enjoy either beach, though, and the latter has amazing giant rock formations to explore.

Huts at Muizenberg Beach, Cape Town. Image by Simon Richmond / Lonely Planet

Families will love Muizenberg and St James beaches, both lined with colourfully painted Victorian chalets. Located on the False Bay side of Cape Town, both have much warmer water than on the Atlantic side. Also consider a walk along blissful Noordhoek Beach. In the middle of this 5km beach, the rusted shell of the steamship Kakapo sticks out of the sand like a weird sculpture. It ran aground here on its maiden voyage in 1900 from Britain to Australia.

Street art

It costs nothing to admire the vivid street art that decorates the sides of many buildings in District Six and Woodstock. A blue-hued painting of Nelson Mandela covers one side of electricity Substation 13 on Canterbury St, while on the other is a mural dedicated to District Six. Both images are the work of Mak1one (mak1one.com; aka Maxwell Southgate) who also decorated the façade of Charly’s Bakery opposite, and whose distinctive street art can be spotted at several other locations around town.

Another prolific street artist is Faith47 (faith47.com). Land & Liberty, her image of a mother with a baby strapped to her back pointing up towards Lion’s Head, covers the side of an eight-storey building on Keizersgracht. The side of another building viewed from De Waal Drive, is the canvas for the artist’s The Harvest. This proud African woman holding a crop of reeds integrates electronic lights that switch on when a donation is made to the #ANOTHER LIGHTUP project (anotherlightup.com), which funds lighting for public spaces in the township of Monwabisi Park.

Pin this image'The Harvest' by Faith 47, Cape Town. Image by Simon Richmond / Lonely Planet

A grid of streets off Albert Rd around the Woodstock Exchange is a canvas for some amazing street art, much of it created during a collaborative project between a word of art and Adidas Originals in 2011. More pieces have been added since, such as Raised By Wolves by Nardstar, and Freedom Day Mural by Freddy Sam.

Gardens and parks

It costs nothing to stroll through the shady Company’s Gardens in the heart of the city centre, where you can admire various sights: trees that date back to the times of the Dutch East India Company, pretty flower beds and a variety of statues, including a bronze one of politician and mining magnate Cecil Rhodes.

Also in the city centre, the Prestwich Memorial Garden is dotted with a collection of quirky sculptures and installations by Capetonian artists; these include the rainbow arch It’s Beautiful Here by Heath Nash and Full Cycle Tree by KEAG, the latter being made from recycled plastic.

Pin this image'It's Beautiful Here' by Heath Nash, Prestwich Memorial Garden, Cape Town. Image by Simon Richmond / Lonely Planet

An eco-legacy of World Cup 2010 is the Green Point Urban Park, which showcases the biodiversity of the Cape and provides a front row view to the Cape Town Stadium. And from the beautifully laid-out urban Oranjezicht City Farm on the slopes of Table Mountain, there are splendid views of the Table Bay harbour.

Contributed by Simon Richmond

Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/south-africa/travel-tips-and-articles/top-free-things-to-do-in-cape-town#ixzz3ekCqnAw6

Top 10 Hotels In Istanbul

Up on the roof … the terrace at Hotel Miniature, Istanbul

History often comes served with a contemporary twist in Istanbul hotels. Choose from a boutique hotel that once housed a sultan’s tailor, a night in the city’s former US embassy, a cool hostel with its own pizzeria and more

Hotel Miniature

Tucked into the heart of Sultanahmet, Istanbul’s Old City, the Hotel Miniature occupies a building with a rich history. After its construction in 1875, the premises went from housing an elite intellectual club to a courthouse, from a police station headquarters to the offices of a local newspaper. Today, the 19th-century vibe remains in its carefully restored original facade, the guestrooms’ exposed brick walls and traditional tiling in the common areas. But there are plenty of 21st-century features too, including a panoramic rooftop terrace and spa area. The Miniature is a short stroll from must-see sights including theTopkapı Palace and the Hagia Sophia.
• Doubles from €109 B&B. Molla Fenari Sokak 22, +90 212 514 0131,hotelminiatureistanbul.com

Hammamhane

Around the corner from Orhan Pamuk’s Museum of Innocence, Hammamhane is the ancient Çukurcuma suburb’s newest gem. Manager Bulent Tiğli will greet you with a glass of Turkish tea on arrival, along with the inside scoop on the hotel’s history. The hotel is built around the historic Çukurcuma Hamamı, a derelict Turkish bath where art installations are often displayed. Hammamhane has just been granted permission to restore the steambath to its original marble-clad glory and it will reopen next year. The best thing about Hammamhane’s 14 designer rooms is the fact that all can sleep a family of three. Up to four guests can squeeze into the two terrace suites that have balconies over the rear breakfast garden.
• Doubles from €99 B&B. Firuzağa Mah, Cukurcuma Cad 45, +90 212 293 4963,hammamhane.com

Suriye48

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This mega-apartment sleeps nine guests in four bedrooms. It sits atop Suriye Pasajı, an ornate shopping mall that housed a silent cinema in the 1920s. Inside the top-floor flat, centuries-old frescoes remain. The furnishings, however, are a shade haphazard. Ramshackle club chairs and creaky parquet floors look old enough to welcome journalists from Le Stamboul, the French newspaper that was published on the arcade’s ground floor from the late 19th century until about 100 years ago.
• Apartment from €200 a night. İstiklal Cad, Suriye Pasajı 166, +90 532 550 6493, suriye48.com

Banker Han

Istanbul’s Karaköy neighbourhood has shaken off its rowdy dockyard roots. Warehouses are now patisseries and pop-up souks. Former shipping offices house stylish hotels such as Banker Han, which opened in spring 2015. Rooms range from the bargain (Urban Singles with laptop safes and walk-in glass showers) to the blowout (the three Urban Lofts with original columns and private sea view terraces). Because Banker Han is the accommodation sponsor of November’s Contemporary Istanbul art fair, the hotel’s bare brick walls are splashed with colourful canvases. Manager Sandra Anido completes the mix with regular film screenings, wine tastings, book clubs and temporary shops hosting local wares.
• Doubles from €76.50 B&B. Sokagi Nr2, +90 212 243 5617, bankerhan.com

Peradays

 Photograph: https://www.facebook.com/peradays/photos_stream?ref=page_internal

Owner-manager Bora knows how to make guests happy: which usually involves plying newcomers with fiery Turkish wine before escorting them up to the top-floor terrace of this award-winning guesthouse. Peradays is all about personal service. In a 19th-century townhouse beside Istiklal Caddesi (Istanbul’s equivalent to London’s Oxford Street), it features nine suites across five storeys. Guests may wander to the breakfast bar (which is moved up to the rooftop in summer) for tulip-shaped glasses of free tea, or the complimentary breakfast, which groans with almond-stuffed olives, cheese pastries, honeycomb, preserved apricots and clotted cream.
• Doubles from €90 B&B. Hamalbaşı Cad 32, +90 212 245 1270, peradays.com

#bunk taksim

 Photograph: F Doruk Seymen

Yes, it’s a hostel. And no, you don’t have to step over a backpacker to reach your dodgy dorm; #bunk taksim has stylish doubles (walk-in glass showers and discreet reading lights) and four-person dormitories – all en suite. Since 2014 it has been welcoming holidaymakers with table football, a roof terrace and an in-house pizzeria. Mixed or female-only six-person dorms (beds from €17pp) contain digital pin lockers and communal hairdryers. Its original outpost, #bunk beyoglu, is adjacent to the British Consulate, a 10-minute stroll away.
• Doubles from €60 (breakfast €5pp extra). Papa Roncalli Sokak 34, +90 212 343 0095, bunkhostels.com

Soho House

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 Photograph: Soho House Istanbul

The latest outpost of Soho House, in Palazzo Corpi, has history in spades. Built by a Genoese shipping magnate with a penchant for Carrara marble floors and Italian rosewood, the palazzo served as the US embassy until its all-too-ostentatious location forced its move to safer suburbs in 2003. Open since spring 2015, the palazzo’s renovated refinement pans from original frescoes to 1,000-crystal chandeliers. Contemporary accoutrements include a private hammam and a rooftop splashpool (watch the Golden Horn sunset as you cool off). However, Soho House is far from cheap, but even the budget-conscious might wish to splash out for a night in a room with Ottoman-inspired art-deco furnishings.
• Doubles from €195 room-only. Meşrutiyet Cad 56, +90 212 377 7100,sohohouseistanbul.com

10 Karaköy

This new venue is the first Turkish addition to the Morgans Hotel Group’s high-profile portfolio (which includes Miami’s Delano). In Istanbul’s fashionable Karaköy district, the hotel occupies the premises of the late 19th-century Büyük Balıklı Han. This historical trading inn was reserved for the sale of local seafood, referenced by the bronze fish featured in the fountain in the hotel’s grand marble foyer. Karaköy’s spacious guestrooms – all 71 of them – feature sleek furnishings created by the award-winning Metex Design Group, high ceilings and Turkish artwork. The Slow Food-style Rudolf Restaurant, led by renowned Dutch chef Rudolf Van Nunen, is also on site.
• Doubles from €167 B&B. Kemeraltı Caddesi 10, +90 212 703 3333,morganshotelgroup.com

The Public

The Public is a new hotel that is right at the centre of Istiklal Caddesi, downtown Istanbul’s bustling shopping boulevard. Designed by prolific Ottoman-Armenian architect Hovsep Aznavur in 1901, the recently restored building has now been classified a historical monument. The 52 guestrooms feature details such as all-natural L’Occitane bath products and Philippe Starck water-saving taps. Other design touches range from 1950s-style Smeg fridges and Bugatti kettles to bathrobes by Istanbul fashion designer Bahar Korçan. In the 1901 Café and Bistro, natural light filters into a central courtyard area from the glass-domed roof.
• Doubles from €140 B&B. Turnacıbaşı Cad 1, +90 444 33 34, hotelthepublic.com

Armada Pera

This boutique hotel has 20 rooms and occupies the five-storey Parma Apartmanı, an elegant 1930s building in Istanbul’s buzzing Beyoğlu neighbourhood. In the late 19th century it was the private home of Paul Parma, tailor to Sultan Abdülhamid II (the last autocratic ruler of the Ottoman empire) and owner of the era’s fashionable Parma Atelier. Today, the historic hotel showcases antique sewing paraphernalia and a beautifully restored original lift. Guestrooms are simple: wooden floors, crisp cotton linens and marble-clad bathrooms. Visitors with bigger budgets can plump for one of Armada Pera’s five art-nouveau suites. Peeking out over the city skyline, these are decked out in a mix of European and Ottoman-style period furnishings, including carved bed frames and Middle Eastern carpets.
• Doubles from €81 room-only B&B. Hamalbaşı Cad 28, +90 212 293 7373,armadapera.com

Contributed by Tristan Rutherford and Kathryn Tomasetti, www.theguardian.com