What it is

An Ottoman-era palace built in the 1800s, and revamped for today—with blissful hammams, indoor and outdoor pools (the latter flanked by striped cabanas), and a high-tech 22,600-square-foot spa.

What it isn't

Hangry. The six on-site bars and restaurants include Aqua, a seafood spot the peeps out on the adjacent Bosphorus with an inventive menu (order the mini crab buns with garlic and mango mayonnaise.)

What we think

It’s no wonder well-heeled globetrotters from across the world pull up their yachts to this hotel, perched on the glimmering Bosphorus with its own private dock. Even “starter” guest quarters here, the “Superior Room,” will drop your jaw—with their cushy window seats that look out on lush gardens, mahogany furniture, marble-lined bathrooms, and roomy floor plan (a whopping 484-square-feet). For even larger digs, indulge in a suite; the three bedroom Atik Pasha suite is tucked in the original estate, with a 2,765-square-foot floor plan and a separate living room that (ahem) knows how to live, with views of the river below. Wherever you stay here, you’ll be treated to sumptuous amenities—from the down duvets and pillows to the twice a day housekeeping. Warning: it’s not easy to go back to real life after this.

You're here because

You’ve grown addicted to Four Seasons’s particularly lovely service; services here include helicopter rentals, private cruise arrangements, babysitting, dry cleaning, and 24-hour room service (get the kebabs with tomato sauce, yogurt and pita bread).

The Moment

You’re imagining Jane Jetson herself would revel in the spa’s Triple Detox Therapy—after all, what’s more futuristically fun than stimulating your metabolism under infrared rays of an MLX iDome? Afterwards, you treat yourself with some old school solace: an hour of bathing beauty in the hammam.

Restaurants & Bars

Aqua - Mediterranean Cuisine

The Club - Asian & Mediterranean Cuisine

Ocakbasi - Traditional cuisine

Yali Lounge

Location

Straddling the Bosphorus river, a few blocks from Yildiz Park— a former imperial garden with 19th century pavilions that locals love for picnic spots.