Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet is a posh escape. But before it was converted to a hotel in 1996, it was a less luxurious experience.Formerly a prison, the neoclassical building once housed oppositional political figures and dissident writers, including famed Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet. Today, it is hard to imagine the woebegone days of the beautifully renovated century-old structure. Its unusually large arched windows, warm yellow-ochre plastered façade, tile decorations and finely furnished interior glamorously adorned with glitzy Murano chandeliers, hand-woven Turkish carpets and shiny marble inlay floors provide a departure from its original purpose. At the heart of the historical quarter, just a few steps from major monuments, Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet is a captivating historical gem.