BEHIND THE SCENES – Grand Hyatt Istanbul

BUSINESS LUXURY IN THE CENTRE OF ISTANBUL

Built in 1993 the hotel is literally a hop from the city’s iconic Taksim Square. Part of Istanbul’s “Congress Valley” and home to the Istanbul Congress Centre and the Istanbul International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Taksim Square is one of the best locations for congress guests, as well as a great starting point for city explorations.

Grand Hyatt Istanbul is a reflection of the multicultural spirit of the city, a place where you are surrounded by oriental details and Western European hotel standards. I first stayed at the hotel in 1998 and the mighty and dominant building left a huge impression on me. After almost 20 years it still impresses me with its tidiness and the Hyatt’s typical high-level hotel service.

The modern structure fulfils the strictest of international hotel standards and it attracted quite a lot of positive feedback from locals and foreign guests shortly after its opening. The last thorough renovation took place in 2003 and the offer is constantly being updated.

The hotel is among the biggest in the city, offering 360 hotel rooms and 7 fully furnished luxury apartments with views of the outdoor hotel pool or the Bosphorus. The lighting gives it a special character and creates a very welcoming and intimate atmosphere. All of this together with a wide range of other services and facilities provide it with the Grand Hyatt status found at the very top of the Hyatt group’s offer.

Luxury materials and fabrics, soothing pastel colours and myriad small details are the key elements of an interior design that blends the classic with the modern. The designers have taken great care of every detail of the interior as well exterior areas of the hotel, and have definitely created one of the advantages it brings to the table. A minimalistic exterior and seemingly simple lines throughout the hotel give guests a sense of homeliness and exclusivity.

In 2012, the award winning architecture firm Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel, Architects, DPC thoroughly renovated the hotel restaurant and created an amazing space with 5 show kitchen stations – the cold mezze kitchen, the pasta kitchen, the bakery, the wood fire kitchen and the pastry kitchen. Breakfast at Grand Hyatt isn’t just breakfast; it’s an experience where you explore different parts of the Mediterranean at each of the stations. Well placed historical elements such as the massive marble counters or the glass cabinet filled with exquisite local cheese round off the excellent culinary offer. Visiting the restaurant is something I highly recommend, as it really combines old traditions with and a modern approach to service.

At the disposal of congress guests are 13 renovated congress halls organised in “living room” style and with 5-star comfort and equipment. Together with their catering service combining local and modern trends Grand Hyatt’s congress offer is seriously hard to beat. The heart of the offer is the Grand Ballroom, which can accommodate up to 320 guests and is connected to the hotel by a spacious foyer suitable for exhibitions or coffee breaks. The sumptuous garden is especially popular with wedding planners and the Gazebo Poolside Bar is known for hosting the best pool parties in town.

Everything in the spa revolves around the Hammam, the traditional Turkish steam room, which goes way beyond merely relaxation. It is a ritual where you cleanse your body of toxins until your skin starts glowing. Since Roman times bathhouses were about more than just cleaning your skin; they were ‘an occasion’, and the hotel definitely follows that spirit. Tastefully furnished treatment rooms and a Fitness centre on the other side of the spa for the more active guests complete the experience. Every single detail is meticulous, so the spacious spa definitely won’t leave you unsatisfied. Put simply, Grand Hyatt has created an excellent combination of classical elegance and luxurious oriental bliss.

Reserved for the Hyatt Diamond Club members is the Club Floor, an option I recommend you avail of, as you are granted more comfort and a more opulent breakfast, with special praise reserved for the extremely kind and helpful Club staff. They will meet your most extreme demands or different tastes. The Club is also suitable for carrying out smaller business meetings.

Over the years, Grand Hyatt has retained its patina and stayed true to its essence of a high quality hotel service. It aims to replicate the warmth of home through its design, which is also why it has become a popular choice in Istanbul. On top of that the “bang for your buck” ratio is very good and you certainly get your money’s worth. Quality service, spaciousness and excellent cuisine are the selling points, but the hotel will definitely benefit from some cosmetic touches in terms of more attractive looks and comfort. The hotel grows on you, so when it’s time to leave you feel very sorry that it has ended so soon…