Novotel Istanbul Bosphorus – A Review By Punam Mohandas
The Novotel Istanbul Bosphorus is a most pleasing property and quite unlike any other Novotel I’ve stayed at. For starters, as you enter the hotel through revolving doors into a square foyer, you will see the lobby opens up into a remarkably spacious and tastefully done up waiting lounge, with an atrium roof and comfortable settee seating in fawn, offset by aquamarine carpeting. Pale sunlight filters through the skylights, while low-hanging clear glass lanterns are festooned with mistletoe and baubles, seeing as how it’s the Christmas season. Fitting in extremely well with this atmosphere of general bonhomie is the suave and amiable general manager, Mr Ogut Erkan, who is the epitome of a dignified hotelier.
Accommodation at the Novotel Istanbul Bosphorus includes 200-keys, categorised as: Superior twin bed (24sqm); Superior queen bed, which is the best-selling category (24sqm); Junior Suite (38sqm); Executive Junior Suite (38sqm); Suite (47sqm) and Executive Bosphorus Suite (47sqm.) Unfortunately, only 40 rooms overlook the Bosphorus Strait and hence, are always much in demand. It’s a pity that a hotel which is in such proximity to the Strait does not have more rooms with a view.
The Executive Junior Suite has a small but cosy living room with an L-shaped sofa bed and a narrow view of the Bosphorus, however, the bedroom is more spacious. The colour play here is mustard and grey. Most suites are equipped with bath tubs and all provide bathrobes which strangely, does not extend to the other categories.
The Executive Suite offers a clearer and fuller Bosphorus view. The colour theme here in the chair backs and sofa cushions is turmeric. This suite also has a four seater dining table and a sofabed. There are two flat screen televisions, one in each room. A sliding door separates the living area from the bedroom to ensure privacy. The bedroom is extremely spacious, with a sweeping view of the Bosphorus.
My superior room was very comfortable and rather large. Simply furnished, with polka dot printed curtains, it had excellent reading lights both above the bed as well as by the settee.
All rooms have French balconies. Room amenities include minibar, electronic safe, tea/coffee maker, two complimentary bottles of water daily (more on a chargeable basis) and flat screen television. Platters of fresh seasonal fruit and baklava are provided daily. While the bathroom is kitted with shower gel, shampoo and suchlike, I am at a loss to understand why there are no shower caps or cotton buds. Moreover, there are no jet sprays in the toilets.
F&B options include the all-day dining Murver restaurant with 150-200 covers and a magnificent view of the Bosphorus. Breakfast is a lavish affair and spread out over several counters; strangely, the traditional Turkish coffee is at an extra charge of 15 lira! This restaurant offers a limited dinner menu, which does not take vegetarians into account. Also, apparently prior booking is required for tables by the window, as the staff inform you in an offhand manner. A far friendlier option is the 50-covers Gourmet Bar in the lobby, quite secluded and done up in deep coral. The same menu is available as room service, very reasonably priced. After a nasty experience at Murver, I was taken care of very well by Mr Cemil here at the Gourmet Bar, who rustled up some pasta for me and mitigated the unpleasantness of Murver somewhat with his soothing manner.
Recreational facilities include a kids’ corner in the lobby with play station; a small jewellery shop in the lobby; an indoor swimming pool; a fitness facility; barber saloon; sauna and steam rooms and a hamami, which is managed directly by the hotel. It is common for men and women with no separate timings, so do be warned. Entrance to the hamami is at 150 lira for 30-minutes. Apart from this, if you require the exfoliation or any massages (there are two spacious massage rooms), it will be at an extra charge. It must be said that the hamami is exceedingly clean.
Convention facilities include halls such as the Karakoy I and II that can take 50-pax each theatre style and the Galata I, II and III that can accommodate a 100-pax each. The Galata hall can be partitioned; when opened fully, it can take 300-pax. Sometimes, this space is also used as a dining area for groups; there is a narrow, pre-function area where the buffet can be set up. Apart from these, there is a 20-seater boardroom in the Executive Lounge. There is free wifi across the hotel.
The air conditioning/heating works very efficiently; the boiler can sometimes be a bit dodgy, where the water temperature veers from hot to cool rather moodily. Pest control is adequate.
Housekeeping staff, although very friendly and polite, can be lax; for instance, they forgot to close my balcony door – in the freezing winter! They don’t speak English; among the Front Office team too, the male staff speak good English, while some of the female staff find it challenging. The breakfast F&B team is brisk and cheerful; it would be exceedingly amiss of me if I did not make particular mention of the softspoken and ever-smiling Ms Tugce, who would be an asset to any team! This girl unfailingly remembered how I liked my coffee and how many sugars I took in it, daily – which is quite a feat, seeing as how the hotel was at full occupancy and there were so many guests! F&B service in the evening however, is a different story altogether. There is a distinct nose-in-the-air attitude, as I had occasion to complain about. It is most unfortunate that the affability and hospitality of the General Manager is not percolating down to the staff!
At the moment, the road leading to the Novotel Istanbul Bosphorus and indeed the port itself, is a bit of a mess. Come summer 2020 and the Galata Port will re-open, after having undergone five years of extensive renovation. This will make it a major tourist hub for cruise ships, in turn making the Novotel Istanbul Bosphorus a premium location to stay at. The area immediately behind the hotel already has a very buzzing nightlife, jam packed as it is with pubs and restaurants. There is also a baklava shop and a Sok (pronounced ‘Shock’) supermarket. The pier too has some local cafes and eateries. Best of all, one of Istanbul’s most popular hamamis, the Kilic Ali Pasa, is right around the corner from the hotel!
What to do: It is a good 25-30 minute steep and uphill walk to Istiklal street in the Taksim area! This is the city’s best-known shopping street and eventually leads to the Galata Tower. Save your time – pick up an Istanbul travel card for 30-lira (of which seven is deducted for the card, so you’re left with 23 but you can top this up easily) which allows you access on the tram, bus, metro and ferry. The tram stop for the Novotel – five minutes walking from the hotel – is Tophane and the ferry stop is Karakoy (not to be confused with Kadakoy). You can take the tram to Sultan Ahmed stop, from where you can take in local attractions such as the Hagia Sofia museum (72lira per person; 105lira for fast track entry) and adjoining Blue Mosque (seven lira per person), Topkapi Palace (behind the Blue Mosque; (72lira per person; 105lira for fast track entry) and Grand Bazaar (about 5-6 minute walk away.) Continue on the tram to Eminonu, which gets you to the Spice Bazaar and which has infinitely more beautiful and delicate interiors compared to the Grand Bazaar. From Eminonu, you can take a ferry for three lira and go to Kadakoy on the Asian side; check out the contrasts between the Asian and European sides of Istanbul. To go to the Bosphorus Bridge, head for Besiktas.
(Note: Much as in Bengali, the ‘s’ is pronounced as ‘sh’ in Turkish.)
What to eat: Schwarmas are very common and you can see them being sold all around the city. Apart from this, try out Pide, which is the Turkish variant of pizza; Adana kebab (usually made with beef, so make sure to check; lamb versions are also available); Menemen (Turkish omelette); Borek (thin sheets of flour filled with either potato, cheese or meat); Sish Tawouk (grilled chicken); Manti (the Turkish equivalent of ravioli) and Ayran (the Turkish equivalent of lassi!) If you are not adventurous in your food tastes, the usual suspects like Burger King, McDonald, KFC, Starbucks, Papa John, Domino’s pizza and Pizza Hut abound.
What to buy from Grand Bazaar: the Nazar (evil eye) souveniers; Turkish lamps; kilims (cotton rugs) or silk/woolen/bamboo silk carpets; dervish statues; pottery. The Zultanite stone is famous from Turkey and is known to change colours 2-3 times according to different lighting conditions, however, be wary, as most shopkeepers are selling cheap imitations. It’s hard to buy the genuine stone nowadays.
What to buy from Spice Bazaar: Different teas such as pomegranate, rose, chrysanthemum and suchlike; spices such as saffron (the Iranian version is better; the Turkish one is cheaper but has little colour or fragrance), paprika, chilli, zataar, cardamom; nuts such as pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, apricot almonds, pine nuts, figs, dates. And of course, the baklava as well as Turkish delight (locum). The best shop to buy baklava from is Hafiz Mustafa, with many branches around the city.
(Note: Turkey still uses the local currency of lira; at the time of going to press, it was 6.58 to a euro. Almost all shops will take euros, American dollars or British pounds, but restaurants will usually take only lira or else card payments.)
All major airlines fly into Istanbul’s new international airport, while some European carriers fly into Sabiha Gokcen airport (SAW). The metro line from the airport to the city centre will take another two years to be operational, but meanwhile, you can take the Havast shuttle bus into the city for 18 lira. For the Novotel Istanbul Bosphorus, you need to head to Taksim. Once here, take a taxi for approximately 20-25 lira to get to the hotel. Alternatively, you can ask the Novotel to arrange an airport pick-up for you at 70 Euros.
NOVOTEL ISTANBUL BOSPHORUS
Tel: +90 212 372 07 00
Fax: +90 212 372 07 07
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.novotelistanbulbosphorus.com
Punam Mohandas asserts her right to be identified as the author of this work. Any views or opinions expressed in this review is that of the author.
