Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul

The palace was built between 1863 and 1867, when the Ottoman sultans had the habit of building their own palaces instead of using the previous generation's palaces. Ciragan Palace is the last attempt of this tradition. The palace was destroyed by a large fire in 1901, leaving only the outer walls. In 1989, it was purchased and renovated by a Japanese company, and a modern hotel building was newly built in the garden, managed by Kempinski. In 2023, the hotel just completed the renovation of all public areas and rooms in the new building, and the decoration is brand new. During the trip planning, I was always torn between the Four Seasons on the Strait and Kempinski. Later, considering that Kempinski has the membership treatment of GHA, and I really want to experience the renovated rooms, I chose Ciragan Palace. In the end, I found it was a choice I didn't regret at all. As soon as I entered the room, the sense of luxury came to my face. The color scheme is the dark red exclusively used by the Ottoman royal family, which is the same model in the new Dolmabahce Palace. All furniture should be specially customized, the octagonal wooden side table with the characteristic Ottoman pattern seems to really take you back to the aristocratic era 200 years ago. The luxurious bed with a canopy faces the open Bosphorus Strait, and it is a different kind of enjoyment to lie on the bed and watch the cruise ships come and go in the strait. In general, this time in Ciragan Palace is a pretty perfect experience, and I should choose here again next time I come to Istanbul. The previously old rooms dragged down this hotel with a deep historical background, but with the standard of renovation, it truly deserves to be in the first echelon in the city.