Even those who never leave the premises of the new Peninsula Istanbul hotel will still have an intimate experience with Turkey’s largest city, an ancient metropolis of nearly 16 million that straddles the Bosphorus.
Under different circumstances, it takes decades to create a truly great urban hotel, such as the Ritz in Paris, Claridge’s in London, or the Carlyle in New York. Acquiring some patina is part of it, but the best big-city hotels are also local favorites, which is what gives them their style and energy.
