Levni Hotel & Spa

The Levni is a stylish hotel with an international clientele who are touring the city or visiting for business. The hotel's pale gray masonry facade has a stone courtyard at the entrance and beautiful plantings on its grounds. Once inside, guests step into a lobby with marble walls and floors, an open staircase, and contemporary, red leather chairs and a sofa where they can enjoy a free welcome beverage. The Levni's restaurant has a smart, contemporary look with beige upholstered chairs and glass partitions sporting a design of budding branches. Banks of windows let in ample sunlight. Breakfast is served either under a glass atrium or on the open terrace with its sweeping views. A business center is available as well as a space for meetings that includes a barrel vaulted ceiling festooned with small white lights. The spa is quite lavish as well, with wood and marble floors, plush gray chairs, and chic hanging lamps in the waiting area. But perhaps the most coveted spot at the Levni is the indoor pool; surrounded by marble columns and a few white loungers, it's a welcome respite from bustling Istanbul.

The Levni Hotel is in Sirkeci, a nine-minute walk from the Basilica Cistern, an ancient water-storage site in Istanbul's Old City. From the hotel, it's a nine-minute walk to the Hagia Sofia, a gorgeous mosque turned museum. The Topkapi Palace, a lavish campus of buildings, envisioned by the Ottoman sultans, is a 12-minute walk. The dizzying maze of commerce that is the Grand Bazaar is a 14-minute walk. The Blue Mosque, with its magical, soaring interior, is a 14-minute walk. (Visitors to any consecrated mosque must remove their shoes and if female, cover their heads and bare shoulders.) The Istanbul Modern Museum in the city's gentrifying Beyoglu neighborhood, is a 13-minute drive; drinks on its outdoor terrace overlooking the Bosphorus, are highly recommended. The Sirkeci tram is a five-minute walk from the hotel. Attaturk International Airport is a 30-minute drive if there's no traffic.

The less expensive Standard Rooms at the Levni are on the small side, not surprising in Istanbul's Old City. The decor across all categories is modern but can feature some dark palettes, with armchairs or sofas in fabrics like purple crushed-velvet. Accent walls are covered with contemporary patterns in beige or slate gray, often matching the curtains, which have sheers. And the headboards are upholstered in plush fabric. Higher-floor rooms have city or rooftop views. Some of the more expensive rooms have adjoining spaces, plus jetted tubs and balconies. All rooms have air-conditioning, minibars, coffee/tea facilities, safes, and flat-screen TVs. The bathrooms, in pale beige or gray marble, have either stall showers or shower/tub combos with tile walls and glass partitions, as well as sleek, contemporary sinks. All of the bathrooms are outfitted with hairdryers, magnifying mirrors, and toiletries. Bathrobes and slippers are included adding an extra level of coziness. 

In a city known for smaller, quirkier lodgings, the Levni Hotel & Spa is a rarity, offering a range of features. The hotel offers free breakfast, Wi-Fi, and parking. It has a bar with Turkish wines, and a restaurant serving Ottoman and Western cuisine. Coffee and tea are served for free in the lobby, and arriving guests are given a free beverage. Room service is 24 hours. The property has an attractive indoor pool, surrounded by marble walls and pillars. The full-service spa, with three rooms, one exclusively for couples, offers services that include facials, massages, and body wraps and scrubs. There's also a sauna. The fitness center is modestly sized with exercise machines on glossy wood floors and a mirrored wall. There are a 24-hour business center and stylish spaces for meetings. Childcare and airport transfers can be arranged for a fee. A concierge is available, laundry is done for a fee, and there's a rental car desk on-site.