Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul

Overall, our stay at Shangri-La (21–25 May 2026) was mixed. The hotel itself is beautiful, visually impressive, and certainly delivers a luxury atmosphere. However, the biggest issue throughout our stay was the language barrier with staff, which repeatedly impacted the experience. At almost every interaction, I felt I had to explain myself multiple times to ensure I was understood. Even the reception team, who appeared to have the strongest English, sometimes struggled with requests. The most disappointing issue involved the tea lounge near reception. We asked whether the desserts and cakes displayed were complimentary and were told they were. We later realised there had likely been a misunderstanding. Over two days we took only two slices of cake, yet at checkout we discovered we had been charged for two full afternoon tea experiences, costing around 7,000 Lira. More frustratingly, at no point did any staff member advise us we were incurring these charges. We also experienced service issues elsewhere. Room service took over 30 minutes to bring tea bags and communication was difficult. At Ist Too restaurant, lunch service was very slow, with food arriving before drinks and staff needing reminders. I fully understand that English may not be every employee’s first language and I do not expect perfection. However, at a hotel of Shangri-La’s standard, stronger communication and more consistent service should be expected, especially when misunderstandings can lead to unexpected charges. The hotel itself is stunning, but repeated communication problems and service inconsistencies unfortunately made what should have been a relaxing luxury experience feel more frustrating than seamless.

Perfect location, beautiful property, could not be cleaner. Every staff member went out of their way to assist. Coskun at the front desk was a pleasure to deal with.

So if this was a solid experience, why I gave 4 out of 5 points ? Simply Shangri-La chain is one of my favorite hotels and I personally experienced slightly higher level of being pampered in other Shangri-La hotels beyond Turkey. Apart from this, nothing to complain. One of strongest assets of this hotel are its employees. All of them are super friendly, professional and trying to help you in any subject you report. From a lady with a beautiful smile who opens and entry doors, to front office manager, from waiter at The Terrace restaurant to bartender at Le Bar. I have to mentioned exceptional breakfast buffet !

My husband and I really enjoyed our 5-night stay at Shangrila hotel. It’s situated in a quiet location right on the bosphorous. The room and bathroom are spacious and the beds very comfortable. The service is top notch from front desk to housekeeping. The best service however is from the chief concierge, Ercan Soner Genc, who shows us how to navigate the public transportation and assists us with booking incredible restaurants (Murver and Karakoy Gulluoglu) as well as boat cruises. Our stay wouldn’t be so enjoyable without his assistance and recommendation

This hotel is for me the best in Istanbul, location wise and service wise. Also has a fantastic Chinese restaurant.