The Grand Tarabya

we stayed here during the latter half of our trip in istanbul. the hotel is definitely far from the tourist attractions, so it may be ideal to stay here if you are looking to get away from the city. you can get to the old town or new town by taking the metro, but you would have to take a taxi to the metro station, but it’s a straight shot to taxim square.
the views from the hotel are gorgeous. if you can splurge for the bosphorus, you should do it, b/​c it’s beautiful. the spa is pretty nice, but i feel like it’s too big and doesn’t make use of the space efficiently.
one thing that did bother me about the room was that there was just glass between the bathroom and the bed. if one person is trying to sleep, and the other person is in the bathroom, there’s no way to dim the lights, and there is no curtain. i think that’s pretty poor design. other than that, the room was huge and the bed comfy.