Intercontinental Istanbul By Ihg

“Excellent hotel & great location. Dining options were amazing! Service was first class!”

Lovely stay at intercontinental Istanbul. Room with Sea view was amazing.., mini bar had so much choice! Breakfast was one of the best with so much choice and presentation. Service was great!

“Beware!”

This was our first visit to Istanbul and unfortunately it’s not somewhere we would choose to return to. The hotel itself is fine—slightly dated, but clean and comfortable. One thing to note is that there is no kettle in the room, so if you enjoy a cup of tea, it’s worth bringing a travel kettle. … more

This was our first visit to Istanbul and unfortunately it’s not somewhere we would choose to return to. The hotel itself is fine—slightly dated, but clean and comfortable. One thing to note is that there is no kettle in the room, so if you enjoy a cup of tea, it’s worth bringing a travel kettle. Service was mixed. The poolside bar staff were particularly disappointing, with long waits for both food and drinks, on one occasion our order was given to another table after an hour and a half wait. In contrast, the pool attendants and the team in the City Lights Bar and Garden Restaurant were excellent. City Lights Bar is definitely worth a visit for the views—they are stunning, however drinks are very expensive. We stayed in room 1802, which also had a fantastic view over the Bosphorus. However, the breakfast service was less impressive, with some disorganisation and a lack of attentiveness. We also encountered a number of challenges outside the hotel. Prices in the area felt very high and we experienced several situations where we felt overcharged. It’s important to be cautious—particularly around Taksim Square—by checking menus carefully and agreeing prices in advance. There are also known street scams (such as shoe-shining), so being aware helps avoid issues. Traffic and driving standards were also a concern. We found driving to be very aggressive, with constant use of horns, and during our airport transfer the driver was using his phone while driving (watching a movie!), which felt unsafe. Finally, we found the food in the immediate area didn’t meet expectations in terms of authenticity, which added to our overall disappointment. Overall, while there were some positives—particularly the views and certain members of staff—we were disappointed with the overall experience.

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“very average, badly needs a refurb”

We stayed there for several nights prior to a cruise. Its quite dated and needs a good makeover. We were in a suite, so paid reasonable money. For a 5 star hotel you would expect USB ports/chargers and lifts that provided a reasonably efficient service. The buffet breakfast was way over crowded, th… more

We stayed there for several nights prior to a cruise. Its quite dated and needs a good makeover. We were in a suite, so paid reasonable money. For a 5 star hotel you would expect USB ports/chargers and lifts that provided a reasonably efficient service. The buffet breakfast was way over crowded, the servers had little time to attend to matters. Breakfast food selection was extensive, but found it very so so for a 5 star luxury hotel. The receptionist was extremely pleasant and helpful as were the check out folks.

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