One of Istanbul’s latest hotel openings comes from Turkish luxury fashion and design megabrand Vakko, and is the group’s first foray into hospitality. Rebecca Ann Hughes checks in for TTG Luxury.
Vakko Hotel & Residences, which opened this March, shows off the brand’s impeccable cosmopolitan style, imbued into everything from the furnishings to the turndown chocolates.
Located in the hip Nisantasi district, surrounded by designer shops and chic cafes, guests can expect to be greeted by doorpeople in smart tails and hats, ushering them down a mirrored, marbled entrance hall to the front desk.
The softly-lit lifts and dark corridors are reminiscent of an exclusive club and the hotel has 31 suites, all of which provide self catering facilities – the smallest rooms measure 95m2 while the two Studio Residences are 120m2 and come with a terrace.
The rooms continue Vakko’s signature sleek, sharp interior design, with black marble lending a quiet elegance to the kitchen area while the living spaces have 1950s inspired seating and statement sculptures, while the cream-toned bedroom features an under-lit bed and walk-in wardrobe.
The bathrooms steal the show, however, with ridged black walls, monochrome photos of 1960s and 1970s fashion icons, soft mauve lamps and white veined marble basins.
Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner are available in the light-filled restaurant. One wall of glass opens up entirely onto a wall of green foliage matching the olive upholstery. From the ceiling panelled with glass hang designer lights featuring illuminated orbs inside gold shells.
The menu has the feel of a Parisian bistro. The highlights are the cakes and pastries (also available to buy in the Vakko L’Atelier on street level) like mango eclairs and citron tarts and their handmade chocolates (which also appear on pillows before bed).
The hotel provides a complimentary butler service that includes packing and unpacking suitcases, a Vakkorama gym, mini Technogym kits with mats and weights in each room, a spa with a selection of 98 different massages, in-room personal shopping and made to measure tailoring services.
The hotel can organise excellent guided tours of the main sights like Hagia Sofia and the mesmerising underground Basilica Cistern as well as bohemian neighbourhoods of antique shops and street markets.
Rates in a Premiere Suite start from €750.