Hotels in Turkey

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

This modern waterfront hotel and adjoining former sultan's palace have Ottoman-style rooms with private balconies. At Tugra, dine on chicken breast stuffed with pistachios and rice and served on a bed of spinach to the strains of live classical fasil music. Terra-cotta floor tiles, handmade rugs, and oak paneling grace the Gazebo Lounge, which combines tea with Bosphorus views. "I've referred several friends to this hotel, and they've come back thanking me."

304 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

The century-old former prison near the Blue Mosque retains its late Ottoman exterior. Perfect-scoring rooms wrapped around a central courtyard are "anything but cell-like," with high ceilings, local handicrafts, and arched windows overlooking central Istanbul, creating "a wonderful sense of place." Perfect-scoring service shines: "Every single person without exception addressed me by name." In a landscaped garden, Seasons restaurant serves Mediterranean dishes.

65 rooms