When Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus opened in 1992, it added a one-of-a-kind, S-shaped design to the European side of the city skyline. The magnificent hilltop setting is adjacent to a park in the vibrant Besiktas neighborhood, known as much for its football team, club and stadium as its thriving business and shopping streets and iconic destinations, including the luxe waterside Dolmabahce Palace and new Ataturk Cultural Center.

Amazing views from the hotel’s upper levels — The Summit Bar and Terrace on the14^th floor and event spaces on the 15^th floor — include these enriching venues and the Bosphorus Strait. Guests see the striking new bridge (it connects the Asian side of the city) and the waterway around the Old City peninsula with its noteworthy mosques, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar and newly restored Basilica Cistern.

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A hotel renovation in 2016 updated the Conrad’s circular lobby, dominated by a curved staircase leading up to Manzara Restaurant on the mezzanine level, designed to take advantage of the picturesque Bosphorus view. Along with Mediterranean fare, this all-day restaurant serves authentic traditional or contemporary Ottoman cuisine, a cooking style reflecting Türkiye’s Roman, Greek and Ottoman cultures, influenced by Sephardic Jewish and Armenian populations. A generous Ottoman-style breakfast buffet features extravagant buffet stations laden with cured meats, smoked fish, fresh cheese, fruits galore, sweet butter, fresh preserves and honey. Other classic components included dried apricots, dates and figs, and a selection of nuts. The abundance of Meze appetizers features small plate starters including hummus; eggplant salad; minty yogurt; cucumbers and tomatoes; and muhammara, a spicy, garlicky, red pepper/tomato/walnut pesto.

Among the pastries, Turkish börek — a flaky, layered like lasagna pastry with savory fillings such as spinach and cheese or minced beef — vied with the traditional baklava, a rich, sticky pastry made of layers of filo separated with melted butter, filled with chopped nuts and topped with honey or sugar syrup. Chefs make eggs to order and provide a variety of specialties. (When our server noted I wasn’t feeling up to par, she brought me a pot of hot water done Turkish style with lemon, mint and sliced ginger. She also sent a second pot to my room.)

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During the renovation, Conrad’s 553 accommodations (including 76 suites, one measuring nearly 10,000 square feet) were also updated. They showcase contemporary design, with expansive windows and some balcony terraces overlooking the Bosphorus Strait. The latest technology features an iHome music system, 40-inch satellite HDTV, complimentary WiFi and bathrooms with rain showers.

Executive rooms include access to the Executive Lounge and complimentary breakfast and refreshments. Guests occupying suites enjoy in-room check-in; a V.I.P. amenity with fresh flowers; complimentary ironing service for three pieces of clothing; and, when available, two hours of complimentary meeting room time for up to five people.

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The Health Club provides a fitness center equipped by Technogym; a multipurpose studio; and a spa, which features services in single and couple treatment rooms, sauna, and steam rooms, including a modern, marble Turkish Hammam and Charme D’Orient products.

There are outdoor and indoor swimming pools, including a children’s pool, and two clay tennis courts. In addition to the executive lounge, there’s a business center and almost 40,000 square feet of meeting and event space in 34 meeting rooms. The gardens on the 15^th-floor panoramic terrace accommodate up to 1,100 guests for meetings and events.

The Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus

Cihannüma, Saray Cd

No:5, 34353 Beşiktaş

İstanbul, Türkiye

tel 90 212 310 25 25