Six Senses Kocatas Mansions, Istanbul

TL;DR: Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend Six Senses Kocatas. Despite some bright spots like the spa therapists and a few standout staff, the experience was riddled with operational failures, poor communication, and a deeply disappointing handling of issues. This was a two-star stay at best—and sadly, might be my last at any Six Senses property. Before we get into it, here are the staff memberswho deserve praise - Bahar, Berivan, and Wayan at the spa—truly top tier. - Dogan at Chef Erdal—warm, friendly, and attentive. - Ozgurluk, the doorman—consistently helpful and polite. Ok, so here's the actual review. We stayed at Six Senses Kocatas Mansions for 3 nights, and while I really wanted to love it, the stay was marred by a series of issues that made it one of our most frustrating luxury hotel experiences in recent memory. Here’s a breakdown: 1. The Yacht Incident We had reserved a private yacht cruise well in advance—even before arriving in Istanbul. On the day of the booking, we boarded the yacht and were told we’d depart shortly. Twenty minutes passed at the dock. Then another ten. We were eventually told the yacht rope was tangled and that someone would come “any minute” to fix it. After several rounds of “just ten more minutes,” we decided to cancel the experience. No apologies. No offer to reschedule. No effort to make it right. That set the tone. 2. Poor Room Operations - Dry cleaning was completely unavailable during our stay—odd for a hotel at this level. - The minibar was not fully stocked (leftover from previous guests). Thankfully, we weren’t charged. - The in-room iPad never worked. It just kept loading and was unusable. - The hairdryer handle was peeling black plastic. We had to wrap a tissue around it just to use it. - Music was played late into the night in the courtyard, and we could hear it clearly in our room. 3. Filming on the Grounds On one of the days, a TV series was being filmed at the property—specifically inside the building where our room was located. The entire area was filled with film crew, equipment, and smoke. The staff were even smoking by the entrance. We were never informed in advance. It disrupted the peace we had hoped for. 4. Breakfast Confusion (and the Most Frustrating Part) We booked a Breakfast Included rate. Yet out of 3 mornings, we were told twice that our rate did not include breakfast. Here’s what happened: Because we checked in late (past midnight), we were told at the front desk that they’d only charge us for 2 nights instead of 3. Fair enough—we even agreed to pay for breakfast on one of the days. But when we checked out? We were charged for all three nights—and breakfast still wasn’t included for two of them. When we questioned this, the answer was: “It’s because of the system.” No apology. No attempt to resolve the miscommunication. Just robotic responses. At that point, we honestly didn’t have the energy to keep arguing. We just knew we wouldn’t be returning to a Six Senses again. 5. Spa: Excellent Therapists, Poor Environment I will say this—the spa therapists were incredible. Bahar and Berivan gave the best hammam treatments we’ve ever had. Wayan from Bali gave an incredible massage. That said, the spa experience itself was let down by poor operations: Staff repeatedly left the women’s changing room door open—even while we were inside. On one rainy day, we had to take a car to the spa. The driver blasted loud dance music. The seatbelt didn’t work. It was anything but relaxing after a treatment. 6. Attempt to Resolve Before Checkout Before we left, we wrote a detailed email to two managers. We were invited to a meeting with them, and were genuinely taken aback by the tone. Rather than addressing concerns with empathy, we were told: “It’s a cultural difference.” “Your email was very long.” The issue that shocked them most? “Dry cleaning not being available.” (Which, honestly, was the least of our issues.) They offered to remove spa charges from our bill, but in the end only removed one day, despite saying they’d remove all (we had two days of spa and had already paid for one day in advance and reminded them—no adjustment was made). Final Thoughts Six Senses Kocatas simply did not deliver on the basics, much less the luxury standard it claims. Operational mishaps are one thing. But the way they were handled—with lack of accountability or empathy—was what sealed the disappointment. This was a two-star stay. A beautiful property, with great therapists, but poorly run and clearly lacking management leadership. After having stayed at Aman, Four Seasons, One & Only, Royal Mansour, etc., this was our first stay at a Six Senses property, and it looks like it may be the last.

Six Senses Istanbul – Pure Magic! This place was something special! The location alone is breathtaking, with views that make you want to stay forever. It was super cold when we visited, but that only made it more magical—we sat in an igloo, enjoyed organic shisha, and had some seriously delicious food. And to top it all off, it was raining, which made the whole experience even prettier. One of the most memorable spots in Istanbul for sure!

Amazing place - so elegant, luxurious and comfortable. The staff were so friendly and helpful - especially Dogan at breakfast, a true gem. He remembered all our orders and drinks from one day to the next and was so attentive and friendly. The spa was wonderful too, with an incredible view and a large, beautiful pool. The hotel is quite far from the tourist attractions but the plus point is that as a result it has spacious grounds and a relaxed vibe. We recommend the boat ride to see the main tourist area, it takes a while but you get an incredible view of the Bosphorus and city. Many thanks!

We stayed at this hotel from 22 September to 25 September 2024 (I have evidence we checked out on 25 September). It would appear the occupants of our room - room 220 - after we departed have charged all of their £875.56 worth of spa, meals and drinks to my credit card and we have been left with the bill. This is being disputed via our credit card company and following their intervention we have the name of the occupant of room 220 and their passport number - provided to our credit card company by the hotel There appears to be massive data protection issues here - how has another guest been allowed to charge their purchases to my credit card and I doubt very much I should have been given their name and passport number. These transactions were made after I had departed the hotel. Be very very vigilant when staying here. Keep all paperwork and just be on your guard and be careful to keep all receipts

Wonderful hotel Great hotel and lovely staff, the food was delicious, very comfy bed, elegant rooms, amazing spa with a superb bosphorus view, many thanks to the staff members who were doing their best to made our stay unforgettable, it was our third stay in the sixth senses kocatas and looking to come back as soon as possible.