Once again I found myself back at Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus. I will be back in Istanbul for 2 nights before returning to Singapore. I also like to have a little buffer rather than connecting straight away if I am on two different bookings. It is just safer. This will also allow me to take the opportunity to check out some more attractions and places in Istanbul. I had a really good experience back here in Conrad Istanbul when I stayed in their Family Suite back in January. I did a thorough review back then so do check it out. There are a plethora of options for Hilton members over here in Istanbul but the Conrad is the best property among them. They are excellent with elite treatment and you are right in the middle to check out various attractions. The team originally upgraded me to a suite again but I wanted to try out a different room type to review it so I opted for the Executive Bosphorus Room. This is not as spacious but I won’t be in the room much. Anything for a review! I shall not dwell too much about the property and just share the room.
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
I booked the base level room again this time around and a couple of days out I can see from the app that I have been upgraded to a Park Suite. This is nice of them. From my experience, they are very generous with upgrades here for Diamond members. I wanted to try something different here and got the Executive Bosphorus View room instead. To recap, Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus comes with 553 guest rooms and suites spread across 18 categories. You can check out the breakdown below.
| Rooms | Executive Lounge Access | Bathtub |
|---|---|---|
| Deluxe | No | Yes |
| Deluxe Park View | No | Yes |
| Deluxe Partial Bosphorus View | No | Yes |
| Executive Park View | Yes | Yes |
| Executive Bosphorus View | Yes | Yes |
| Two Bedroom Family with City View | No | Yes |
| Park Suite | Yes | Yes |
| Family Suite with City View | Yes | Yes |
| Park Suite with Balcony | Yes | Yes |
| Bosphorus Suite | Yes | Yes |
| Bosphorus Suite with Balcony | Yes | Yes |
| Grand Deluxe Bosphorus Suite | Yes | Yes |
| Bosphorus Suite with Kitchen | Yes | Yes |
| Deluxe Suite with Kitchen | Yes | Yes |
| Two Bedroom Family Suite with Kitchen | Yes | Yes |
| Two Bedroom Deluxe Suite with Kitchen | Yes | Yes |
| Ambassador Suite | Yes | Yes |
| Presidential Suite | Yes | Yes |
Checking In
I landed at Istanbul airport at about 12.30pm. We had a long taxi and by the time our ride arrived, we got to the hotel at around 2.30pm after a 45-minute drive. As usual, I got an airport transfer from Istanbul Shuttle. Upon arrival, the bell boy came over to help me with my bags and also to usher me over to the check-in counters. There was quite a crowd since it was the peak hour at hotels. Instead, I went over to the Executive Lounge to check in where I was immediately helped to. I was helped by a friendly associate at the lounge who reconfirmed everything. I was also thanked for being a Diamond member. This room would have cost around 275 Euros a night.
Executive Bosphorus Room
I was assigned a room on the highest floor of the property. This will promise you the best Bosphorus view. It is the best non-suite category room over here. I got room 1508 to be exact. The Executive Bosphorus view room is a cosy one. It certainly doesn’t offer as much space as the suites but made up for it in terms of views. Right upon entering, you can see the wardrobe to the right. It is on the smaller side but very well equipped. There is everything that you might need for your stay. I just wish that it was slightly bigger.
On the other side of the entranceway is the bathroom. It is well-designed with a single sink and plenty of counter space. It is equipped with all sorts of amenities and toiletries. As usual, you can find Byredo amenities in large pump-size bottles which is the standard brand in Conrad properties. The bathroom comes with both a tub and a standing shower.
I love the set-up over here where the design has them all in the showering room. This allows you to get from the tub to the shower easily without water getting all over the place. The water pressure and temperature control are excellent. I love that they had this pool-style shower head too. You can get it from all sorts of directions.
Moving back to the main part of the room, you can find a luggage rack by the side. It can fit a medium size suitcase well. I wish that it was a little deeper. Next to it is the minibar area. It comes with a proper Nespresso coffee machine and a kettle. Packaged tea and capsules are provided too. Bottled drinking water is found here too. These are replenished during daily housekeeping and turndown service. The mini fridge is fully stocked with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Above it is a large high-quality smart screen TV. It comes with a good number of both local and international TV channels.
In the corner, you have the working desk. Power sockets and plugs are within reach. The cair provides decent support for short periods of work. The Wi-Fi connection in the room was decent but can get spotty at times.
They have another chair and coffee table just by the window area. This faces the amazing Bosphorus view which is the key of this room. While the concept is nice and it allows you to soak in the view. The placement of the furniture is kind of weird and gets in the way.
Shortly after checking in, the staff came over with some chocolates, fruits and water. This is accompanied by a personalised welcome note. What a lovely touch.
The view is undoubtedly the best aspect and the highlight of this room. It comes with a good view of the bridge, waters and the mountains in the background. This is a great sight in the evening too. I did wish that they did something better with the window area. With the deep ledge, it could be a sofa bay window or something. That would be perfect for reading a book, coffee or simply just taking in the view. The blinds and sheers here are manually controlled.
Coming back to the middle of the room itself. You can find the plush king-size bed, bedding and mattress are top-notch and high-quality. I am always a huge fan of Conrad’s bedding. They are super smooth. I got some harder contour pillows and slept well. Both nightstands come with power outlets and controls for the lighting. I appreciated having a Bluetooth wireless charger alarm clock on one side too. They are also very thoughtful where they have the DND and Housekeeping buttons at the side too.
There was a surprise when I came back to the room on the first night where the team left a very personalised cake in the room celebrating my 60th night of 2024! Thank you Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus!
Conclusion
This is the go-to hotel over here in Istanbul. I had a very comfortable stay here. Elite treatment is excellent here. What a place to celebrate my 60th night! I love the team for going out of the way. That is a milestone. I appreciate the security and size of this property. In Istanbul, this is crucial for me. I do hope to try the Curio one day. There are plenty of other options in the city but this is the best one for Hilton here. I am glad to try out a different room type over here. Do check out my review of the Family Suite. It does feel slightly dated and they can do with a little makeover soon. See you soon the next time I am in Istanbul.
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