The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul — Fat Chicken Meal

Super cozy bed at the Ritz-Carlton Istanbul

Istanbul has long been one of my favourite cities and I was very excited to bring Simona and Olivia to experience it. And this time around we were lucky enough to stay at the Ritz-Carlton.

The hotel is located right next to the Besiktas stadium and just a short walk away from Taksim square. Originally we had planned to stay at a hotel in the Sultanahmet neighbourhood but we soon discovered that the location of the Ritz Carlton is really convenient.

Getting there

We took the Havabus from the airport directly to Taksim which took about 30 minutes. From Taksim, it was only a 5 minutes walk to the hotel. Of course, you could take a taxi or arrange a direct transfer with the hotel but we found the Havabus to be super convenient.

Getting Around

As mentioned above, you can just walk to Taksim square which takes between 5-10 minutes. from Taksim square, you can continue to walk along Istiklal Caddesi which is one of Istanbul’s main shopping destinations. This brings you all the way to Galata Tower.

Alternatively, Kabatas tram station is just a 5 minutes walk from the hotel. From there you can take the tram to Eminönü or Sultanhamet.

Also super close to the hotel is the Kabatas ferry terminal where you can take a ferry to Kadiköy which is on the Asian side of Istanbul.

Our room

We stayed in room 1422, a park view room. Our room was super spacious and comfortable. It had all the amenities you would expect and one highlight for me was the Nespresso machine as it always makes me happy to start the day with a good cup of coffee. The other highlight was the super comfy bed. In general, our room was very big. Even the bathroom was very spacious. This was great for Olivia who likes to run around and explore. You can watch the room tour video above to get a better impression of the room.

Entering the room, the bathroom is on the left and the main room is on the right.

Spacious room with king sized bed, desk and a sofa.

The bathroom with the toilet on the left in a separate room and a bathtub on the right.

Breakfast

One of the most important parts of a hotel stay is the breakfast and in the case of The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul, this is an absolute highlight of the hotel. A) because the quality of the food is fantastic but also B) because the view over the Bosporus, which you will have during your breakfast, is breathtaking.