Review of Tomtom Suites, by Jeroen Bergmans

Istanbul's latest boutique hotel Tom Tom Suites has the smart, contemporary interiors you would expect from any five-star these days, but this elegant property is certainly no slave to fashion.

Turkish architect Aysun Pamir took great pains to preserve the architectural heritage of this century-old former convent in the heart of Istanbul's diplomatic zone of Pera just steps from the Dutch, French, Russian and Italian consulates. Antique woods and Carrera marble bathrooms reference the building's past, but the sleek, glass and steel lobby area, eco credentials and sharp butler service were added to lure in the lucrative business of top diplomats and businessmen.

The suites

All 20 suites at the boutique hotel have high ceilings, paintings by local Turkish artists and bespoke oak cabinetry. Instead of the standard mini-bar, each room has a basket of organic City Farm snacks and a fridge with real milk for tea or coffee. Storage space is generous, Wifi is free and every guest is given a mobile phone with a local number for the duration of their stay. The Carrera marble bathrooms are furnished with under-floor heating, backlit shaving mirrors, rain showers, organic olive oil soaps and towels and linens by Titan, Turkish purveyors of luxury textiles.

A personal butler has been assigned to each of the four floors to ensure tip-top service but the boutique hotel's most exclusive room, the top-floor Executive Suite, has one of its own. It also has a generous bar, a fully-furnished kitchenette, a decadent Jacuzzi in the marble bathroom and and an expansive terrace with views over the Dutch, French, Russian and Italian consulates and the Topkapi Palace and Agya Sofia beyond..

The facilities

Beside the Executive Suite, the smart boardroom has equally dazzling vistas and makes for the perfect venue for a high-brow business pow-wow. Next door the Tom Tom rooftop wine bar dispenses rare vintages and delicious tapas until 1 a.m.

On the ground floor, the chef at the boutique hotel's Bistro restaurant serves a healthy Mediterranean menu with lots of options for vegetarians made with, locally-sourced, organic ingredients. And the adjacent library has a selection of historical and archeological tomes on the city's Ottoman and Byzantine past.