Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul

While walking through the hotel garden—where many guests were present—I was singled out by a staff member (Serhat) and asked whether I was a hotel guest. Others nearby were not questioned. As an Asian woman, this selective approach felt discriminatory and deeply uncomfortable, particularly in a luxury hospitality setting where guests should feel equally welcomed and respected. I hope management takes this seriously and ensures that Asian guests are never singled out or treated differently in the future. I was extremely disappointed by the hotel manager who came to me doing so-called explanation and he pointed at the photo wall and told me that cameras are not allowed, claiming this is to prevent guests from photographing politicians or public figures. There is no signage or written policy anywhere in the hotel stating that cameras are prohibited. I was not photographing anyone — simply walking through a public area — yet I was singled out and restricted. Using the “protection of elites” as a justification while limiting ordinary guests’ basic freedoms reflects an uncomfortable sense of class discrimination. Even if such a policy exists, it should be clearly communicated and applied equally, not enforced arbitrarily. For an international five-star hotel, this lack of transparency and respect is unacceptable. Kempinski should do better.

We stayed at Ciragan Palace during the winter season, and it was without question one of the best hotel experiences I have ever had (having visited many five-star properties across Europe). It is clear that Ciragan Palace Kempinski sets an exceptionally high standard. Every member of the staff was professional, attentive, and genuinely polite. The rooms were immaculate and beautifully appointed, and the service was consistently world-class. Our romantic dinner at the Tuğra Restaurant was an unforgettable experience in its own right. Thank you to the entire Ciragan Palace team for making our stay so memorable. //Billy

We stayed here for 4 nights over Christmas and could not have been happier with our choice. Even though you will need to taxi or ferry into the old town to see the famous sights we didn’t feel this was a hindrance as returning to our oasis away from the noise was bliss. Our room had a large balcony facing the Bosphorus (room 352) and was a sumptuous space with sitting area, mini bar with complimentary drinks, Nespresso machine and a large bathroom and seperate hallway/dressing room. The bed was so comfy and having a coffee in the morning with that view was great. Everyday there was another sweet treat when we returned in the afternoons. The buffet breakfast was expansive and all the staff so welcoming and friendly it just here but throughout the hotel. The sauna and steam room were a nice space to relax late afternoon before venturing back out to dinner. I would definitely recommend this hotel if you want to be taken care of and enjoy beautiful spaces.

The Ciragan Palace Kempinski was a stunningly beautiful hotel located on the Bosporus away from the very busy historical area. Highly recommend to stay in rooms with the Bosphorus view. The breakfast buffet was enormous with several rooms full of choices. We dined at their award winning Tugra restaurant. Service was impeccable and one of our favorite meals. The Ruya restaurant was also exceptional. My sea bass with a pistachio crust was memorable. Our rooms were well appointed and we appreciated the baklava each day. Housekeeping refreshed our rooms several times a day.

Review for Ciragan Kempinski August 18-21 Coming back to Ciragan Palace Kempinski in Istanbul for a week and a half was a special treat. It really feels like home away from home — though my real home is not as luxurious. So, what I mean is that this hotel is super comfortable and doesn’t give you the cold hotel vibe, but rather the warm feeling of being welcome and cared for. We stayed at the Palace section, which is certainly more personalized by the super amazing butler team: Mr Necmeddin and his colleagues: Erhan, Turgut, Goksel, Ayhan, and Garen. They are there for the select guests of this section at all hours and will do anything big or small to make our stay more comfortable and enjoyable. A note about the Palace section: It’s super elegant, part of the original Ottoman Palace with fancy staircases and corridors with beautiful paintings, etc. etc. So It’s not like home—at least not for plain folks like us who aren’t royalty haha. Anyway, back to the details of our stay: in the palace there are complimentary Turkish foods and drinks in the room. But when we arrived we were hungry so Necmeddin and Goksel arranged a lunch for us from room service. They got us everything we needed from tobacco to pipe cleaners to mouthwash… You name it, they were on it. The heart and soul of Ciragan Palace Kempinski is definitely the Concierge team that arranged everything for our short stay to make sure it was as fulfilling as possible. Thank you to Barris, Ugur, Onder, Emre, Zeki, and Sinan. They arranged spa treatments (thanks to Deniz at the Spa who is always welcoming and professional!!!), hair cut, visits to tourist attractions like Aya Sofia, Istanbul historical Museum, Topkapi Palace, and other places. And they made reservations for us in the best Istanbul restaurants, with connections to secure us great tables. That includes the superb hotel restaurants: Bellini (Italian) and Tugra (Turkish). I should mention Naci at Bellini (and at Tugra, can’t remember…) who is always so welcoming and makes sure the staff takes great care of us. Apart from those two “fancy” hotel restaurants, we also immensely enjoyed the fabulous breakfasts overlooking the Bosporus river! And we partook avidly of the food and beverages at the pool. Thanks, as always, to Mr Ayhan, who manages all food and beverages at the hotel, for making everything run smoothly in that all-important department! The staff, both at breakfast and at the pool, are so friendly and attentive—and its clear because Mr Ayhan guides them. I now regret not getting the names of every staff member who served us, but they were ALL great! The pool attendants, restaurant waiters, housekeeping staff (who always came quickly to clean our room as often as we needed)—we are grateful to all of them for their super gracious and friendly service. There are too many wonderful experiences we had in Istanbul to list all of them here—but it’s important to emphasize that our base at the Ciragan Palace Istanbul Kempinski hotel made our stay in this lovely city not only comfortable but also luxurious.