Hotel Marmara - A Central 5 Star Hotel with views to die for - Anton D'abo. Date of travel: Sep 2007
I'd never been to Turkey before. I've heard mixed reviews but I was really impressed with the Architecture, cuisine and contrast. There's lot to see and do. I would say dress down when going through the older parts of town. Where the Marmara Istanbul Hotel is located at Taksim square it's very central and close to the main metro line in the town. There's a tourist bus from the airport. If ever you get lost, look up. You can see the hotel from most parts of town, so it is easy to find which is great especially if you can't speak the local lingo. Why I'm raving bout the hotel is coz it's got a full panoramic window with views from Asia past the Princess' Tower plus islands across to old Istanbul. The Architecture is really amazing. When the sun was going down I was picture snapping like crazy. With a good camera and a decent zoom you can get photos fit for what my girlfriend and I called Turkish Delight! There's a great restaurant but I was only there for a few days to sample local food on the street. I heard the Pope ate there, so I guess it's very good. However I went into the restaurant to take some photos and the staff were exceptionally helpful and allowed me to do it when food was not being served.