Pera Palace Hotel, Istanbul

Big but mattress needs turning

Sophisticated elegance

Nothing

Location, lobby bar and interior - all fantastic.

This hotel definitely deserves better restaurant. We got dinner in Agatha there and were dissapointed. I believe that it was much better while, Ms. Agatha Christie has been staying in Pera Palace.

Authentic historical hotel in the heart of the city. Feel the touch of Orient Express legend.

The Concierge team at Pera Palace is truly exceptional. Their level of care, attention to detail, and genuine hospitality made our stay unforgettable. From thoughtful recommendations to seamless arrangements, every request was handled with grace and professionalism. This is, without doubt, one of the finest Concierge teams I have ever encountered. Thank you for making our experience truly special.

N/A

Bed too soft

It was a real pleasure to be guest on this hotel, a true historical landmark of Istanbul.

Breakfast choices could be improved.

We regret not staying at this hotel longer. It has a special atomosphere that only a historic authentic hotel can provide. We liked the nice bathtub with good water pressure, comfortable bed and the view. The recpetion is cozy and staff are great, always welcoming us with nice greetings. Special thanks to Esma and other stuff who helped us finding Airpods that we forgot. The Bar is also great. Will come back!

An upgrade to the hair dryer would be good.

Room--we liked it--spacious, good view of river, comfortable, good cooling system. Liked the location, close to many restaurants.

I can't think of anything

Lovely old building with lots of history. Staff very helpful. Bed and bedding top quality Attaturk room is fascinating. In a noisy area but well sound proofed and lots of good restaurants nearby.

The hairdrier is screwed into the back of a drawer in the small bathroom. Very awkward and also old type that requires holding a button down. Need upgrading. Bring your own ! Spa insisted we spent 800TL on swim ‘bonnets’ but nobody else was wearing them. Rooms quite small but original.

Location, services, history of the hotel

The hotel had a nice feel to it. We had a lovely big room with a great view over the Golden Horn. Breakfast was particularly amazing so don't rush it! The bar was cosy for a drink. It was close to one of the main shopping strips with lots of restaurants tucked into the nearby streets.

Beautiful hotel -museum where you can feel and breath the history, the main reason for our stay and it didn’t disappoint on that In a great area of Istanbul for exploring, ambling, enjoying. Breakfast fabulous- one of best ever. Orient bar stylish and comfortable. Midnight in the long salon incredibly atmospheric ..

Ahhh we wanted to like everything and loved the hotel itself A lot of the detractors have been covered in the other reviews-I’ll also contact the hotel directly. Main flags then for staying here - There is a 6 lane road at the back of the hotel - sea view side -if sensitive to noise or fumes perhaps to avoid, definitely the lower floors. The bathroom we had was tiny with a bathtub in the shower cubicle and a slippy marble step out - a bit hazardous and to avoid if any mobility issues. The pool is teeny - not for swimming . As the hotel is a museum as well with popular cafe too, in the afternoons especially it’s v busy. + the salon is out of bounds to guests 3-6 as it’s in use solely for afternoon teas. Space is tight in the lobby so guests don’t have anywhere to sit and chat, wait for arrivals etc without being harried. However the main issue is the brusqueness and borderline rudeness of some of the staff- a real shame as also a lot are lovely. As is human nature the negative interactions are the ones that can make the most impact.

Wonderful,historical hotel. Staff were very friendly and helpful.

Simple: 10/10 for me. I was looking for an historical hotel, and with its rich history (Orient Express, Ataturk etc.) the Pera Palace delivered in spades. The staff was exceptional, especially Gamze (spelling), who worked in the breakfast room. So friendly, knew our room number and breakfast preferences after day 1. Exceptional service! I also loved the fact that you can walk to most major attractions and see a lot of the city while doing so, and there is a metro station and taxi rank close by too. Highly recommended!

Nothing! Only side comment is that the area around the hotel has become built-up (outside of their control, obviously), but at the same time it does give you that sense of being in a large, international city.

Gorgeous architecture and public areas

Average toiletries, and room furnishings; and rather uninterested staff.

A beautiful property with lots of history

We didn’t have the best view from our room

Amazing! Lovely historical hotel Great breakfast and staff were helpful and friendly We were upgraded which was fun ;) Would return

Period building mixing old charm with modern luxuries. The common areas were like visiting a museum (quite cool to see the old books, utensils, machines, using the old lift). The bed was super comfy and sound proofing was good too (the street could get noisy at times). The breakfast was superb and it changed daily.

All was good

It was our second stay at Pera Palace. The hotel has a ton of charm and you can „feel” the history everywhere you go. We picked Hemingway Suite. - The room was very large with great layout - very comfortable for both work and leisure - We had a nice little balcony, great for a morning coffee - It was very clean, housekeeping did a great job (most of the time) - Everyone on the staff was kind and welcoming - Breakfast buffet was very, very good. It had a large variety of options, some changing daily. All high quality products. - The gym is nice - Building itself is beautiful and historic - The decor was on point, classic luxury - It’s in a great location, albeit a bit busy, but it’s easy to walk anywhere you want to go

If Pera had a fantastic top-level staff, it would be a 10/10. If it had a neutral, luxury-trained staff it would be a 9. Sadly, the staff is at the same time great (their attitude, always smiling, polite and kind) and lackluster (seems lacking in training in some areas). Feels very hit or miss - some of the Staff are truly fantastic and some less so. Which sadly brings Pera to 8/10. Couple of examples: - We had to ask twice or three times for some of the things. - One day I broke a glass and asked for housekeeping to clean the room, as we were on the way out. We came back to „cleaned” room and changed towels but no one bothered to clean the broken glass on the floor, which we ended up doing ourselves. - Staff doesn’t always understand English. - In the Orient Bar we had to wait for a drink so long, it seemed they forgot our order. - A minor and expected in such a historic building, but the water pressure in the bathroom is not great. Overall, if Pera Palace could improve their staff training to match luxury hotels standard, it would be an absolutely top location in Istanbul. We still had a great time!

Pera Palace is a historic gem of a property that delivers superb service.

Nothing.

Beautiful historic hotel in a great location. Stayed in the Jackie Kennedy suite which was sparsely furnished but very large. The staff is very nice and immediately attentive.

I found the shower odd- no hot water but hot water in the handheld in the tub. So had to shower while holding the handheld. Note to hotel- you towel bars or hooks closer to the shower area!

The Pera Palace is always a very special place to stay.

Nothing to complain about! Lighting more readily accessible from the bed for use at night would be useful but this is not a major issue. The room I had was stunning.

The location. The Palace, the history and the level of service. Spacious room with nice view on Istanbul and the bosphorus. Steps of Istiklal street yet in a very quite elegant area.

None

The historical importance of this hotel was quite significant and enjoyable.

Our room wasn't as nice as I expected. The balcony was tiny, and the table top was chipped. The furniture was a little tired.

I loved the staff, history and quality of the hotel.

Lovely old storied hotel. Staff very professional and helpful - excellent service all round.

The Orient bar is an iconic hotel bar and I was very disappointed that it was closed while the Terrace was open.

Beautiful historic hotel. The staff were so friendly, especially to our young daughter who wanted to walk through every room.

Nothing

Everything was excellent

Beautifully preserved and great location

Tried a few cocktails and they were not well made. Staff not very friendly. Multiple power cuts during stay and construction going on in building opposite which caused a noise from early in the morning. Due to the stay being over national holiday there was an event in the hotel for one night that had music playing loudly till late and facilities were not available. It is bad form for a hotel to not preemptively warn guest about possible disruptions as the price point for the rooms is on the expectation that all facilities are available.

What we liked - it's a unique historical hotel. Great service from the staff - they helped with anything we needed. Spacious room, tea/coffee making facilities and even an umbrella in the room, comfortable beds. Huge selection for breakfast and good quality food.

Small things that could be better - we could hear some noise in the street even with windows shut, and bathroom drainage could be better

Breakfast was excellent

Beautiful hotel. Very convenient. The staff was amazing and extremely accommodating. Amazing location, very safe, and near wonderful restaurants

Beautiful old building but with great facilities. Location was perfect as was the staff. The concierge went out of his way to help

Nothing.

excellent location, excellent breakfast and excellent room, clean, spacious and with a nice Golden Horn view... This place has a well-deserved reputation and historical value. Nothing to add...

Price was a bit higher than expected, but I can understand the reason behind. In every detail, you feel the comfort and luxury.

Loved the location and the service. Very comfortable.

Not enough lifts.

All went well - this isn't a modern hotel and therefore it is not realistic to expect all facilities that would come with such an establishment. However, the history, restoration and general ambience more than make up for this. Will come again.

Little bit of confusion with billing due to taking a significant deposit on arrival (room fee plus extra) and then when leaving appearing to take the full amount again, including giving us a receipt for the full amount. 24Hrs later (after we got home) Revolut adjusted and it was correct, however it would have been good if the hotel had someone who could have explained better at the time, we ended up just taking on trust.

Very classy place! Location location location!

Too much construction etc in immediate vicinity

Beautiful, historic and friendly

n/a

The refreshing juices at the entrance were enjoyable, the staff were very nice in particular we would like to express our satisfaction with Mr Mehmet Can, the Mustafizur Kemal Ataturk musuem was fascinating and lastly the location was at the heart of the beyoglu district so it was a good stay overall.

The rooms weren’t refurbished so renovations would be a next step.

The building is stunning and full of history, with an impressive effort to preserve its original charm while offering modern luxury. I really appreciated the touches of old-world elegance, like the marble stool and the fact that my shower cabin had three independent showers — a small but unique luxury. Staying here truly feels like experiencing a piece of history without sacrificing comfort.

The breakfast felt a bit average compared to the overall standard of the hotel, and the room cleaning could be improved. I understand the last major refurbishment was in 2008, and while the hotel has aged gracefully, a minor update would make sense. For example, my TV didn’t support Chromecast, which would have been nice for streaming music or watching movies.

Good history and staffs.

The bathroom facilities are a bit old.

Perfect location for exploring Istanbul.

Everything about Petra Palace is perfect. The location, the staff, the rooms and amentiies. Reading about the history is an added bonus which makes you feel like you have stepped back in time.

Nothing.

Super nice historical hotel

Spa and sports center are below average

Wonderful historic hotel with exceptional design and hospitality located in the Pera district with lots of bars, restaurants and shops around. Nights were calm nevertheless. Everything was clean and the staff friendly and welcoming.

The building was built as a hotel to host high class passenger of Orient Express in 1895 and still serves as a hotel. You can feel the glory of the those times from the architecture, wide marble stairways, historical wooden elevator, paintings, antique furnitures and chandelier. Best place for whom like history and luxury. It is like a time travelling but in a modern hotel. I stayed in king room, 5th floor, clean and comfy, no traffic noise. I used pool and jacuzzi, clean and silent. Hotel staff is very helpful especially Esma was so nice and even offered a free tour of the hotel. I will definitely visit again.

Nothing really. A minor thing: Pool area can be slippery on bare foot, anti-slip bands on the floor will be helpful.

The location was excellent, the staff very good, and it felt special to be in such a historically significant place. The hotel does a good job of making this history accessible. The room was comfortable and clean and the hotel quiet.

This hotel has more history than most other Istanbul hotels added together. I stayed here in 1995, 2005, 2013 and now 2025, since a major refurb in about 2010 it’s been a genuine 5 star hotel. Our bed was incredibly comfortable, our Greta Garbo corner room was absolutely lovely.

I’m only sorry we couldn’t see the Agatha Christie room 411 as it was occupied.

Great to live the history and the moment

Bit noisy the walls dont have any soundproof but wasnt any major issue and not any view