destination reports: turkey: Where to stay: Turkey
Where to stay: Turkey
Turkey offers a host of hospitality options from modern international five-star hotels to historic boutique properties filled with character and charm. Planners can accommodate their groups in restored Ottoman palaces or sleek skyscrapers, and everything in between.
Istanbul offers nearly 120 four- and five-star hotels offering almost 25,000 guestrooms, and a total of 55,000 guestrooms in all categories. New hotel brands continue to descend upon Turkey as the country’s tourism offering becomes truly world class.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts opened its W Istanbul in 2008. W Istanbul serves as the centerpiece of the Ottoman Row Houses, one of the most significant renovation projects ever completed and opened for public use in Turkey. The hotel offers 134 guest rooms, including 26 suites.
Another renovation project, Maçka Palas, became the home of the new Park Hyatt Istanbul in 2008. The 90-room hotel offers all the latest amenities for business travellers, from ergonomic in-room work areas, to i-pod docking stations and LCD TVs.
The hotel also has two boardrooms featuring a remote control smart board with built-in dataports for computers and a plasma TV.
he five-star Holiday Inn Istanbul Airport North Hotel also opened in 2008. The new-build property features 330 bedrooms, with 22 suites and 50 executive rooms. Mid-tier product, the 262-room Courtyard by Marriott Istanbul International Airport is also now open for business. The hotel is located five kilometres from Istanbul Ataturk International Airport and just 25 minutes’ drive from Istanbul’s city centre and old city.
For conferences and social events, the hotel has a 300-square-metre ballroom and seven smaller meeting rooms with daylight and soundproof windows. Turkish hotel developer Rixos Hotels has also announced expansion into Istanbul. Rixos Residences Bomonty will open in December 2011.
Based in Sisli’s Bomonti District, the 42-storey lifestyle development will consist of six penthouses and 308 serviced suites.
Away from Istanbul, Antalya also offers a wide selection of hotels – in total 50 four- and five-star hotels with meeting facilities. These range from city hotels to resort properties and even golf hotels. Other destinations such as Marmara, Bodrum and Igdir also offer good hotel options.
Offering world-class hotels, a wide range of international meeting facilities and unique venues, and some inspiring incentive options, Turkey should be on the list for all meeting and event planners searching for a destination offering something for everyone.
