Istanbul’s status as Eurasia’s capital of cool placed it above London and Barcelona as the venue of the first super-chic Edition Hotel.

At first glance, Ian Schrager does not seem like the sort of person to get into bed with a chain hotel. The hedonist creator of New York’s infamous Studio 54 and founder of London’s refined Sanderson is not a Holiday Inn type of guy. Nevertheless, he’s teamed up with global hotel brand Marriott to give his new boutique business-class concept a worldwide reach.

Signature Schrager touches are everywhere in this towering new Istanbul property. Five floors below the earth’s surface, the ESPA spa offers a serene sanctuary from the bustle at ground level. Real snow is produced in the ice room that abuts the hammam on the mixed-sex floor.

Above ground, the hotel has a Bond-villain opulence. A staircase of rosewood and silver travertine rises over the two-storey-high lobby, while the Gold Bar is backed by an aquarium wall of tropical fish.

Vast guestrooms use technology not to shock and awe, but to assist work and rest. Naturally, there’s free WiFi and B&O audiovisual equipment. But there’s also a bedside curtain console which can mood-light your mega-suite or pull back the curtains over an Istanbul skyline.

Contact