W Istanbul: Luxury Boutique Hotel

Welcome to the luxurious W Marriott Hotel in Istanbul. This amazing boutique hotel is full of charm and luxury. We stayed at the W Istanbul for two nights and were super impressed with the service, staff, and amenities provided. I couldn’t recommend this hotel enough. Rihanna even stayed here when she was visiting, so you know it’s great!

The W

This luxurious hotel sits right by the Bosphorus Strait, which is a stretch of water that divides the European side and Asian side of Istanbul. However, it’s all still considered Turkey. The hotel opened in 2008 along with the transformed Akaretler Row Houses, which line the street. The Akaretler Row Houses were built in 1875 to accommodate the most high-ranking officials of Dolmabahce Palace. Since then, they’ve been renovated into contemporary luxury shops, residences, restaurants, art galleries, and the W Istanbul sits at the center.

Our Room

We stayed in the E Wow Suite #470, which had a private elevator. The suite had a sitting room, living room, bedrooms with luxurious bathtubs, a dining room, and a terrace with an amazing view of the city. The decor throughout the suite was super cool and matched the theme throughout the whole hotel. The suite had a few unique touches such as LED colorful strip lights, circular beds, and mirrored walls and ceilings. From our balcony, we could hear Muslim music and chants as the people in the city were praying. This occurred about three times a day, which was super cool. 

Amenities

There are a ton of cool features you can experience while staying at this hotel. There’s a lounge in the W with a mirrored tunnel entrance illuminated by colorful lighting. In the lounge, they serve delicious signature cocktails and have various dining options. They’ll also provide you with options of popular dining spots nearby, which is super nice if you’re unfamiliar with the area. You can check out Spa Soul, where you can kick back and relax after a long day of exploring Istanbul. This luxurious spa center offers unique experiences such as a Turkish bath. They also have various services such as massages, skin treatments, and facials. Along with the spa, the W has a fitness center packed with high-quality equipment. 

COVID-19 Policies

The W, like all the other Marriott locations, have taken great measures to protect both the guests and the staff. All of the staff members are required to wear masks and gloves. Also, they will remain at a safe social distance. High-traffic areas such as the lounge, gym, and spa are being cleaned more frequently. We were overall very impressed with the cleanliness of this hotel and would highly recommend it if you’re traveling through Istanbul.

In conclusion, the service and staff were incredible. They went out of their way to make sure we had a memorable time. They gave us a super nice welcome basket and had us picked up from the airport in a Mercedes, as you can see above! I would 100% stay here again. Thanks for following along on my journey of traveling the world through a global pandemic. This has truly been one of the best years of my life. If you would like to know more about me and my passion for seeing the world, you can read more here. I am looking forward to the adventures ahead in Istanbul and can’t wait to share them with you!