Pera Palace Hotel

Pera Palace Hotel is a five-star historic hotel at Mesrutiyet Caddesi No. 52 in Tepebasi, Beyoglu, Istanbul, built in 1892 and opened in 1895, to designs by architect Alexander Vallaury, for passengers arriving on the Orient Express. Its period rooms, named suites and central location suit travellers interested in the city's history, couples and anyone who wants to walk to Istiklal Avenue.

Walking to Istiklal Avenue and Galata Tower

Istiklal Avenue is 200 m from the entrance and Sishane metro station 400 m, about five minutes on foot. Galata Tower is 600 m away, and the hotel looks across the Golden Horn. Istanbul Airport (IST) is about 42 km by road and Sabiha Gokcen (SAW) 60.7 km. Transfers cost about EUR 140 per vehicle one way for up to four passengers; send your arrival details in advance. Valet parking costs about EUR 10 to 11 a day.

Rooms and named suites

The 115 rooms are spread over six floors and furnished in period style. Deluxe rooms face either the Pera side or the Golden Horn. Named rooms and suites recall past guests, among them Agatha Christie, Ernest Hemingway, Greta Garbo, Mata Hari, Alfred Hitchcock and Pierre Loti. The Presidential Suite spans the fourth and fifth floors and covers 115 sqm. Extra beds cost EUR 60 a night, and cribs can be requested.

Afternoon tea and dining

The high-ceilinged Kubbeli Lounge serves afternoon tea with live piano music daily from 15:00 to 18:00. Agatha Restaurant, the Orient Bar, the open-air Orient Terrace and Patisserie de Pera cover the rest of the day, with cooking that draws on French, Italian and Turkish traditions. Breakfast is a buffet.

Spa and pool

Pera Palace Spa offers hammam rituals, massages and combined packages. The indoor jet-stream pool is open all year, alongside a sauna, steam bath, jacuzzi and gym.

Firsts, Atatürk and room 411

When it opened, Pera Palace was the first building in the Ottoman Empire outside the royal palaces to run on electricity, and it had hot running water and Istanbul's first electric lift. The city's first art exhibition and its first New Year's Eve ball, in 1925, were held here. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk stayed many times from 1917, and in 1981, for the centenary of his birth, Room 101 became a museum room painted in his favourite dawn pink and filled with his belongings. Agatha Christie stayed often between 1926 and 1932, and her usual room, 411, is now a bookable guest room. Other past guests include Edward VIII, the Shah of Iran and Jacqueline Kennedy.

Sources: Pera Palace Hotel. Facts checked November 2026.