A Brand-New Era in the Footsteps of the Past

With its unique location on the Bosphorus, magnificent architecture, rich history and unmatched beauty, Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul — one of the city’s most important landmarks — has stepped into a brand-new era, marked by the union of its historic fabric with modern elegance, following the comprehensive renovation project carried out in the hotel section.

With its magnificent nobility and unique location, Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul — an indispensable address for discerning travellers from all over the world — invites its guests on an exciting journey between past and future following the renovation works in the hotel building. The hotel entrance, lobby, rooms, suites and two new restaurants, every detail redesigned with inspiration from the history and period architecture of Çırağan Palace, all but defy time with their admirable styles.

Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul shines anew and takes on a timeless identity with the original interpretation of Toner Architecture and Ottoman Art expert Serdar Gülgün.

Under the management of Kempinski, Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group, Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul takes on an even more impressive appearance with a poetic transformation carried out throughout the hotel building. With the renewed hotel entrance, lobby, rooms, suites and two new restaurants, the most elegant and magnificent details of Ottoman art emphasise a flawless togetherness of the historic fabric with a contemporary perspective. Classic design elements dominated by an innovative style immortalise original slices of the past, recalling a different story in every corner from the moment you step into the hotel. The elegantly designed entrance of the renewed hotel section carries traces of the Palace gardens. Latticework columns, a domed ceiling, bespoke chandeliers, a floor laid with podima pebbles inspired by the garden of Topkapı Palace, and a marble ornamental pool create a unique whole. Meeting the splendour of burgundy tones, the magnificent lobby brings together İznik ceramics inspired by 16th- and 17th-century İznik tiles, showy chandeliers inspired by Murano glass, an octagonal seating group — often seen at the centre of very large palace halls — bearing tortoise figures that refer to the history of Çırağan Palace and also represent wisdom and longevity, and many more magnificent pieces.

The traditional splendour of the Ottomans stands out in the renewed hotel rooms and suites

In the rooms and suites that reflect a modernised version of Ottoman heritage with the creative and aesthetic touches of Ottoman Art expert Serdar Gülgün, rare decorative objects stand out with elegant splendour and original refinement. Striped corridors designed with inspiration from showy Ottoman tents, special headboards adorned with çintemani, tulip and patterned fabrics used in Ottoman art, mother-of-pearl-inlaid furniture, armchairs inspired by the art of marbling, marble bathrooms referencing the deep-rooted Turkish bath tradition, and many other design details containing layered stories perfectly complete the unique nobility of Çırağan Palace in the renewed rooms and suites. The top-level suite in the hotel building also offers a unique stay experience with its distinctive fabrics, unique furniture and accessories, a bathroom with a hammam inside, a dining area brought to life by a bespoke wallpaper made from an old Bosphorus engraving, and spacious balconies overlooking the Bosphorus.

Two brand-new restaurants invite guests to a unique gastronomy experience

The two new restaurants located in the hotel building win acclaim for their menus and service styles as well as their designs.

Serving as the hotel’s signature restaurant, “Akdeniz” welcomes flavour enthusiasts at Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul with its original theme of Mediterranean cuisine. In the restaurant — which has a large seating area laid out in a modular system that conveys the feeling of passing from one space to another — exquisite wood-fired dishes prepared for sharing are accompanied by a unique Mediterranean-themed décor, the lush green gardens of Çırağan Palace and the enchanting view of the Bosphorus. At the entrance of the restaurant, a library and waiting area dominated by green tones welcomes guests with a warm, comfortable setting. In the area just behind, screens covered with bespoke wallpapers depicting many Mediterranean trees evoke a lively Mediterranean garden. The blue-, white- and red-dominated upholstery and details in the seating area, together with giant urns and elegant vases referencing Ottoman tiles, fully reflect the vitality of the Mediterranean.

With its showy ambience, service style and menu, Gazebo — one of the city’s most popular flavour stops — adapts Ottoman garden art to the present day in its new design. Opening onto a wonderful garden overlooking the Bosphorus, the interior also holds natural beauties and takes on a superb palace-garden concept, in keeping with the landscape plan formed by dividing Ottoman gardens into four symmetrical parts. Four separate square seating groups fill the four corners of Gazebo, whose historic fabric is reinforced by a central ornamental pool and a giant cage stylised with inspiration from Ottoman arches hanging above it. In its elegant, airy, high-ceilinged atmosphere offering delicious sandwiches, à la carte breakfast service, salads, light snacks, exquisite afternoon tea flavours, a variety of special drinks and much more, Gazebo continues to bring guests the finest version of the luxury–flavour–elegance triangle in its brand-new ambience.

Ralph Radtke: “We have stepped into a brand-new era in which we have blended a sophisticated style into a unique harmony, inspired by the history of Çırağan Palace.”

Ralph Radtke, General Manager of Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul and Regional Director of Kempinski Residences Türkiye, says: “At Çırağan Palace Kempinski, home to a unique luxury experience, we will give our guests the feeling of spending time in a true palace with our renewed hotel rooms, suites, lobby, hotel entrance and restaurants. At Çırağan Palace Kempinski, where we bring together the most sophisticated form of Turkish hospitality with a unique luxury inspired by the history of Çırağan Palace, we will be pleased to welcome our discerning guests from all over the world,” and adds: “Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul is an award-winning hotel known worldwide, which has always kept destination promotion among its priorities and has best represented Turkish hospitality and Istanbul. History was written here. In the new era, we too carry the traces of the past into tomorrow and offer a service beyond conventional luxury.”