Pera Palace Hotel

Built in 1892 at the terminus of the legendary Orient Express, the Pera Palace is a historic monument and the most famous hotel in Istanbul – this is where everyone from Alfred Hitchcock to the Kennedys bedded down in the golden age of travel.  

A four-year, $23 million restoration has added mod cons including a spa and indoor pool, while maintaining many of the original Neoclassical French-Oriental furnishings – look out for the original lift and dazzling Murano chandeliers. Spies, intrigue, heads of state – this museum hotel oozes 120 years of history.  

The upper west-facing rooms have balconies with spectacular views over the Golden Horn – room 411 is where Agatha Christie wrote Murder on the Orient Express.

Cocktails on the terrace as the sun sets behind the Golden Horn are a real treat; and there’s a superb buffet breakfast served in the Agatha restaurant, with its polished checkerboard flooring and black-and-white photography.  

Don’t miss afternoon tea (3pm-6pm) in the atmospheric Kubbeli Salon, with divine French pastries served to the tinkling of a Schiedmayer grand piano.