Eternal Elegance at Istanbul's Pera Palace Hotel

When the first travellers aboard the famed Orient Express railroad arrived at Istanbul’s Sirkeci Station in 1889, Turkey’s metropolis did not have a single hotel that could match the elegance of the rail cars. The sophistication and refinement the passengers had ẹnjoyed aboard the train left them as soon as they stepped off the platform in ancient Constantinople.

But six years later, the Pera Palace Hotel thoroughly remedied the shortcoming. And today, the Pera Palace remains the epitomy of luxury and comfort in this crossroads city.

Straddling the Bophorus Strait, Istanbul — as it has been known since 1930 — has one leg in Europe, the other in Asia. That has always made it an enigmatic destination, where layers of history unfold before one’s very eyes. First settled in the 7th Century B.C. by Greeks and Persians, it was later conquered by the Romans. By the 5th Century A.D., Constantinople was the capital of the grand Byzantine Empire and the world’s largest Christian city (a fact that didn’t dissuade Venetian crusaders from laying it waste in 1204). It was replaced in 1354 by the Muslim Ottoman Empire, which persisted until 1922 when that empire dissolved and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk emerged as the founding father of modern-day Turkey.

The Pera Palace Hotel was woven into the fabric of this remarkable history as the 19th Century came to an end. Centrally located in the historic Beyoglu neighbourhood, it is within walking distance of the upscale shops of Istiklal Caddesi, the eclectic restaurants of trendy Taksim, and the coffee shops at the base of Galata Tower. The Grand Bazaar, Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are not far away by taxi in the old town of Sultanahmet. The view from guest-room balconies takes in the constant activity of ferries on the Golden Horn and ships on the Bosphorus, punctuated by the jumble of mosques and minarets in the old city.

Breaking ground

Alexander Vallaury, a French-Turkish architect living in the city, drew inspiration from Istanbul’s cultural mélange, designing it as a blend of neoclassical, art nouveau and Oriental styles. Already known for the city’s Ottoman Bank Headquarters and Archaeology Museum, Vallaury broke ground on the hostelry in 1892. He employed 15 stonemasons who worked painstakingly for 18 months; construction took three years.

Upon completion in 1895, a lavish ball was attended by royal visitors and other cultivated guests. It was only the first of many swanky soirées. Callers came from near and far to marvel at the first hotel in Turkey (indeed, the first building other than the Ottoman palaces) with hot running water for its guests … and electricity, including an electric elevator that still díplays its original cast-iron design and wood paneling. It is in full working order.

President Atatürk stayed at the Pera Palace in 1917 for the first time. From then on, Room 101 was his room choice. Decorated (at Atatürk’s request) in sunset pink, the room is now a museum in the leader’s honor, and houses many prized belongings — including a collection of rare Turkish and foreign Atatürk books, along with magazines, postcards and medals commemorating him.

Exquisite decor

Today, new arrivals are greeted to a colonnaded hall of white Carrara marble by an enthusiastic team of valets in dove-gray uniforms. Throughout the property, original 19th-century fixtures hearken to a bygone era. Exquisite Murano glass chandeliers accent the marble floors, handsome wood paneling and wrought-iron details.

The property boasts 115 guest rooms, including 16 suites, all furnished with antiques. Thirty-nine of the rooms have balconies overlooking the Golden Horn; 44 deluxe rooms and nine studios have views of the surrounding Pera area. All are furnished with hand-woven carpets, Turkish and Italian fabrics and artworks. Each marble bathroom was created to resemble a traditional hammam, or Turkish steam bath.

Bookcases inlaid with mother of pearl were part of a €23 million, two-year renovation completed in 2010 by the Jumeirah group. The Dubai-based hospitality company preserved the old elegance of the Pera Palace, even as it unveiled a chic and elegantly modern new look with attention to every luxury detail — and numerous nods to the property’s storied past.

Dining and drinking

The Palace’s fine-dining retreat — serving an acclaimed fusion of Turkish, French and Italian cuisine — is named the Agatha Restaurant. That’s no accident. The hotel, after all, was immortalized in Agatha Christie’s 1934 best-seller Murder on the Orient Express. Christie supposedly wrote parts of the whodunnit when she stayed in room 411.

And she was not alone among literati and other luminary guests who frequented the Pera Palace and its opulent Orient Bar and lounge room. The list of purported tipplers has included Ernest Hemingway, Alfred Hitchcock and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, all of whom have had their names bestowed upon individual guest suites. Other visitors included Swedish-American actress Greta Garbo, Austrian Emperor Franz Josef I, English King Edward VIII … and notorious Dutch spy Mata Hari.

Today it remains a focal meeting place for Istanbul society. Guests can relive its illustrious past by sitting on barstools once frequented by the rich and famous: It’s not hard to picture Hemingway swigging whiskey while reciting narratives of global exploration. Outside, the Orient Terrace has sweeping views of the Golden Horn and is the perfect venue for people-watching on warm evenings.

Hot tea and steam

The British tradition of afternoon tea persists at the Kubbeli Saloon & Tea Lounge. Here, where sunlight glimmers through colorful stained-glass windows, sippers may socialize with Istanbul’s cultivated elite as pianists perform on the Schiedmayer grand piano. Adjacent to the reception desk, the colorful, Belle Époque-style Patisserie de Pera serves strong Turkish coffee with French pastries, including decadent eclairs, tarts and cakes.

One more discovery awaits. Nestled in a far corner of the lower level of the hotel, the immaculatePera Spa provides a recharge from busy explorations of the city. At least once in a visit, the hammam beckons: This Ottoman steam bath, reflecting Asian influence, has been a welcome Turkish tradition since the 15th Century. The spa also has a Jacuzzi tub and a traditional Finnish sauna. The heated swimming pool, indoor and jet-steamed, is open year-round. Treatments include a range of body treatments, aroma massages, scrubs and wraps.

A stay at the Pera Palace is like lodging at a magnificent museum. History, it seems, is recalled in every nook and cranny. Take, for example, the luxuriant sedan chair still accorded a place of honor in the lobby. When the hotel opened at the end of the 19th Century, it was used to transport privileged Orient Express patrons from SirkeciStation to the city’s finest hotel. Close your eyes, daydream just a little, and you might well imagine yourself in that chair.