The Vibe: Intimate.

The Area: Hip Cihangir. Head up the steep, narrow streets from the hotel and within minutes you’ll find yourself on Beyoğlu’s heaving Istiklal Caddesi, the heart of Istanbul’s vibrant entertainment scene. Even closer by is the Bosphorus waterfront, graced by Istanbul’s leading arts centre, Istanbul Modern.

The DNA: Witt Hotels Istanbul Suites is an initimate boutique hotel set in a former apartment building. The totally uninspiring exterior hides one of Istanbul’s most stylish hotel interiors. Guests can enjoy a home-cooked breakfast made with local and organic ingredients, including traditional Turkish breakfast favourites such as marinated olives and white cheeses. There is a cosy lobby bar, where guests can pick out a book or DVD, or use the Apple iMac to check their emails and surf the web. In the early evening head up to the elegant roof-terrace and settle yourself down with a cocktail or beer and watch the sun go down over the domes and minaret-etched skyline of the old city, and the lights twinkling across the strait in Asia.

Suite-Me-Up: Spacious, luxurious rooms offer either stunning views of Istanbul’s Old City or the Bosphorus and Golden Horn. The open-plan rooms and suites feature a retro-modern interior by leading Turkish designers Autoban and come with parquet floors and organic freestanding wooden furniture. Facilities include a flat-screen TV, a DVD player, and a kitchenette with a Nespresso machine. The bathrooms exude luxury with Ross Lovegrove fixtures, and shapely Corian sinks. Room service is available 24/7.

✅ free Wi-Fi • size matters: 18 rooms & suites (45-100m2) (484-1,076 sq ft) • hotel opened: 2008 • architecture & Interior Design: Autoban • bathroom amenities: Molton Brown ✅ free on-site parking • no pets allowed • 24-hour front desk