The Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul

I stayed one night as a Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite member on a STARS rate, and unfortunately the experience fell well short of what a Ritz-Carlton should be. While the rooms have been partially renovated, the work feels half-done, the bathrooms remain old and dated, with mould, which is not what you expect at this price point or brand. The property overall feels tired rather than the luxury standard the name implies. The Bosphorus views and the Club Lounge access the team arranged were the genuine positives. On arrival, there was a long wait for luggage assistance, my room wasn't ready until after 4pm, and I wasn't told about my elite benefits or rate inclusions at check-in. The biggest issue was the $100 property credit. I asked, in writing through the hotel's own chat, where I could use it and was directed to specific venues. I used one and spent below the credit value. At check-out, I was charged extra for an exclusion (tobacco) that was never disclosed, not in the chat, not when I ordered, and not in writing. When I raised it, the duty manager insisted his team always informs guests and never makes mistakes, effectively telling me I was mistaken, and this played out as an argument in the lobby, which was humiliating. For a Ritz-Carlton, the service recovery was the most disappointing part. A charge that arose from the hotel's own failure to disclose information should have been reversed without debate. Instead, a loyal guest raising a fair concern was treated as the problem. Between the dated, poorly maintained bathrooms and the way the billing issue was handled, I left feeling the stay was a write-off. Check your credit inclusions in writing before spending, and manage your expectations on the condition of the rooms.

Room was on a high floor but had no sound proofing so was very loud. Room smelled like sewage. I was told there was a kid’s club but there is no one working there and no kids activities. Room service food is terrible and extremely overpriced. My daughter got sick from the room service order and was up all night. Not a 5 star experience!! One of the worst hotels we have stayed in. We previously stayed at The Park Hyatt and had an amazing experience with customer service, food, and cleanliness of hotel and rooms.

This is a nice hotel but not generally up to what I expect from a Ritz Carlton. As we were Club level guests, we were supposed to be greeted by a club ambassador and have a dedicated check in. This did not occur and we just checked in at the regular desk. The rooms are very nice and are clean. The bathroom was spacious. However, there is no door on the shower which results in the bathroom floor being flooded after every shower no matter how careful we were. We ended up using a lot of towels to soak up the water. We had turndown service so having enough towels was never an issue. Housekeeping did a very good job. The fitness center was nice and had convenient hours (24 hour access). The pool was nice and we enjoyed the Roof. The staff at the Roof were very accommodating and friendly. The hotel did a nice job of recognizing my Bonvoy status and left a nice amenity and note in our room. They also provided wine, fruit, a cake, balloons and nice notes as we were celebrating our anniversary. We were very appreciative. We had Club Floor access. The Club was nice. It was completely self-serve, including the bar. They provided a shaker so you could make cocktails with the available ingredients that were put out on the bar each day. There were several red and white wine options along with a sparkling option. The buffet was adequate but there was only one main entrée available during lunch and dinner so if that didn’t work for you, there were no other options other than the appetizers that were out. The photo on the website of the Club lounge shows many more choices than we were offered. The afternoon snacks were sorely lacking. There were only a few dry snacks and Turkish delight. There was no formal tea offering with small sandwiches or cakes or cookies. This was very different from the opulent displays we experienced in the Club lounge at other Ritz properties. The staff were happy to get you whatever you wanted if you asked but they were not proactive and did not get to know the guests. For example, at breakfast, you had to get your coffee on your own from a machine. The concierge that was present for our first 2 days was great but after that, the others working tried to be helpful but did not have the expertise of the previous person. There was no dress code (at least that was enforced) in the club, which was nice as we could go anytime regardless of our attire. Throughout the hotel, it wasn’t always easy to find a staff member that could speak English which sometimes make it difficult to navigate the hotel. Those that did speak English did a good job. We loved the location of the hotel. We were a short 10 minute walk down the hill (although a fairly steep uphill walk on the way back) to the tram which took us where we wanted to go such as the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, the Old City and the Grand Bazaar. It was inexpensive, very convenient, easy to navigate and avoided the traffic issues. You could also do a short walk up the hill from the hotel to Taksim Square where there is a hop on hop off bus stop and also some walking tours leave from this area If you walk, there is really no way to avoid the various hills and cobblestone walkways in some areas so comfortable shoes are important.

Beautiful location with comfortable rooms, exceptional service, and outstanding cleanliness. The atmosphere was relaxing, and the amenities were excellent. Overall, it was a wonderful stay and definitely great value for money. Highly recommended!

Everything about the stay was completely quality from the moment we arrived to the moment we checked out, we felt entirely cared for. The staff at the front desk went above and beyond to help me locate a lost and very expensive piece of jewelry. There are many places in the world where that expensive watch would have been missing forever, but not at the Ritz in Istanbul. I’m taking the time to write this review because not only was everything about the day exquisite, but I am so impressed by the attentiveness, efficiency, honesty and integrity of the staff. Absolutely amazing stay, PS room service does not disappoint! :)