Review of Sofa Hotel & Residences, by Jeroen Bergmans

Sleek, sophisticated and renowned for its excellent service, the Sofa Hotel in trendy Nisantasi district has been the best Istanbul boutique hotel for fashionistas, discerning businessmen and big hitters in the art world since it opened in 2006.

In fact, the Sofa Hotel signalled a change in fortunes for the Turkish capital. The city has always been known for the Ottoman and Byzantine splendours of the Agya Sofia, the Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace. But since the recent opening of the Istanbul Modern museum and an explosion of trendy restaurants and bars, Istanbul has been hailed one of the hippest cities on the planet. Creative entrepreneur Ali Gureli anticipated this cultural renaissance and launched Contemporary Istanbul, the most cutting-edge art show in the country. He also opened the Sofa Hotel to accommodate all the international hipsters who are now flocking to Istanbul.

The facilties

The Sofa Hotel showcases some of the best contemporary art in Turkey in its public spaces. Even the lift has a glass window looking onto a kinetic art piece that flickers wildly as you ascend to reception. A new rooftop gallery with spectacular 360-degree views of Nisantasi opened in spring 2008. Exhibitions and parties in this exclusive space will ensure that the Sofa Hotel remains a cutting-edge creative hub in Istanbul.

Next to the reception desk, Patika bookstore is stacked with rare, historical books on Istanbul. Café Sofa caters to casual dining, and Supermarket by Longtable is a fine-dining affair with a vibrant, avant-garde atmosphere.

The Sofa Hotel's spa, Taylife Detox and Wellness Centre, is the biggest in the city centre. It spans 800 sqm of slate-clad rooms dedicated to indulgence and is something of a legend in Istanbul. Locals flock here for thalassotherapy, balneotherapy, body scrubs, wraps and facials. Guests get a 10% discount on treatments and can use the hammam, fitness machines, sauna and pool for free.

The rooms

All 82 rooms at the Sofa Hotel are large, even by luxury hotel standards. Amenities are also very indulgent. The l'Occitane toiletries in the spacious bathrooms are full-sized, as are the bottles in the full-size bar. Beside the weekly copy of Sofa Selections, the hotel's take on the best events in town, you will find branded notepads. Unlike the headed paper in most luxury hotels the world over, these are personalized with your name below the hotel's logo.

Rooms tend to have views of a central, Zen Japanese courtyard or of the city skyline. Rooms ending in 2,7 or 10 have both. The Terrace Suites have kitchenettes and separate dressing rooms. But for the ultimate Sofa Hotel experience you should check into Umer's Suite. Named after a famous journalist from Istanbul, it spans 160m2, has its own hamam, terrace and two Jacuzzis (one indoor and one outdoor).