The Grand Hyatt Istanbul is both an affordable and centrally-located hotel in the heart of Istanbul.
Grand Hyatt Istanbul Review
I spent my first night in Istanbul at the Grand Hyatt, located in the Taksim Square area. At $130/night it also was a great deal considering all the benefits I received as a World of Hyatt Globalist member.
I was not upgraded to a suite this time, but my room, 822, was spacious enough and the bed quite comfortable. I was able to sleep well and managed to avoid jet lag on this trip.
A big jet-lag fighter for me is a strenuous workout followed by a round in the sauna and steam room. I started my morning there and it made the rest of the day quite productive.
I did not use the pool (outdoors only).
The breakfast buffet in “34” Restaurant is quite expansive and includes a huge salad bar, Turkish and Western dishes, a juice bar, and full bakery. Eggs made-to-order are offered and the coffee is acceptable (Turkish coffee is probably a better choice than the espresso-based drinks).
As a Globalist, I also had access to the Grand Club, where evening hors d’oeuvres and cocktails were served each night from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm (I arrived after 8:00 pm so I missed that). Coffee and tea (plus light snacks) are available daily from 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
Overall, this was another nice stay and I would not hesitate to return.
My original review, from November 9, 2019, is below.
I’ve stayed at the other Hyatt properties in Istanbul, so I decided to try out the Grand Hyatt during my last visit. It proved to be a great two-night stay.
Istanbul is one of my favorite cities in the world and over the years I have stayed at a trio of great Hyatt hotels in the city, including:
Thus, it was an easy choice to try the Grand Hyatt for this visit. The room rate was about $120/night plus tax, which I thought was reasonable for a midweek rate.
I arrived about 6:00PM from an airport bus, which dropped me off near Taksim Square just a couple blocks away. Istanbul’s new airport is much further from the city than Ataturk International and does not yet have a metro, but the bus service was surprisingly efficient and quite productive with wi-fi onboard.
Security is tight at the hotel, with former side entrances sealed off. It took a bit longer than anticipated to enter the hotel since I had to go all the way around to the front. There, my bags were screened and I had to pass through a metal detector before entering the lobby.
The agent who checked me in promptly recognized my Globalist status then informed that I had been upgraded to a suite on the club floor. I was invited to use a special elevator next to the concierge desk to enter that wing of the hotel.
Grand Hyatt Istanbul Suite
My room, 849, was at the very end of a long and winding hall. As I opened the door, I walked down a small L-shaped hallway that opened in the living room and dining room area of the suite. On one side of the hallway was the guest restroom and on the other side a closet.
The bedroom included a king-size bed, a couch, and a mini-bar cabinet with the TV on top.
Another closet and a large bathroom with tub, shower, and water closet.
I appreciated the Nespresso coffee machine at my desk, where I spent the bulk of my time while in the room.
Grand Hyatt Istanbul Grand Club
With the Grand Club down the hall, I made use of it…often. Coffee? Check. Water? Check. Afternoon cakes and tea? Check. Breakfast spread in the morning and appetizers in the evening? Yep, that too.
The staff was great in the lounge (proactive in offering you drinks or helping you carry your plate to the table) and the evening spread quite nice for appetizers. I enjoyed crudités, delicious yogurt soup, pita and hummus, dolma, and some nice Turkish sweets. But my favorite treat was white chocolate-covered strawberries.
Grand Hyatt Istanbul Pool
The outdoor pool is a perfect place to soak in the afternoon sun…though it is getting cold in Istanbul The weather, however, was quite pleasant during my October visit and many were out sunning themselves.
Grand Hyatt Istanbul Fitness + Spa
Inside the Gaia Spa & Fitness Centre, the 24/7 gym offered late-model equipment and was empty when I used it.
The spa includes a full Turkish bath (not pictured) as well as a gender-segregated wellness area with sauna and steam room.
Grand Hyatt Istanbul Dining
34, the hotel’s main restaurant, offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Although I ate my evening meals offsite, I had breakfast one morning here. The spread was truly extensive. Rather than list everything, check out the picture below. In short, if you want, they had it.
But if you want a nice esspresso-based beverage, forget it. The machines don’t’ make great coffee. After quickly realizing this, I moved to Turkish Coffee.
The Library Bar serves as the main bar for the hotel, though the Mezzanine Lounge & Bar also offers drinks and coffee. It’s also a nice common area of the hotel.
In the pool area, Gazebo offers cocktails, pizza, Turkish pides, and other light food.
Grand Hyatt Istanbul Location
I found the location of this hotel to be ideal. I did a lot of walking during my two days in the city and thought the location was perfect, especially considering the ease of airport transport I mentioned above.
CONCLUSION
I appreciated the great staff, comfortable room, and nice amenities at this hotel. Then again, I did at the other three Hyatt properties in the city as well. I think I’ll try thee Nish Palas, part off the Unbound Collection and the last Hyatt property in the hotel I have to review. Or perhaps I will go back to the Park Hyatt next time because there are steam rooms in select guest rooms, but I enjoyed my stay here and recommend this property highly. Note that it is often the cheapest Hyatt in Istanbul as well.
So if you had to rank the hotels you’ve stayed at in Istanbul, who would they compare to each other?
Thanks for the report I’ll be staying there in the future.
What Bus company did you use and what was the cost go Taksim?
There was only one company I saw and it was only 18 TYL. I’ll do a separate post on it.
Separate post coming, but that’s a difficult question because each hotel does something well. For example, Park Hyatt has the best room, Hyatt Regency the best service, Hyatt Centric the best wellness area. And Grand Hyatt has the best location. Overall, I think I’d pick the Park, but really loved all of them and especially the Regency (but that is an airport hotel, essentially).
Great review, thanks for posting 🙂
Wife & I will make it to Istanbul someday…
Great Review. How expensive is the breakfast if you don’t have status?
About $24.
I’ve had the same room before, a couple of times. I really like this hotel: it’s not the most ‘hip’ property in town but it does strike a very good balance of quality, location and price. I’m glad the bus is still convenient from the new airport: it’s far and away the best option for transferring.
Love Istanbul, my favorité city. I’m flying out of the new Istanbul aerport in December. Do you know if there is an aerport hotel on site and somewhere to leave luggage?
There is a transit hotel plus a facility to store your luggage. Enjoy your trip!
Cash prices have gone up notably. I have a points reservation there in September and seeing the great cash prices you listed for both visits I rechecked in case I’d missed out. It turns out that for my dates the member rate is 237 Euros a night. Props to you on getting great cash prices both times.
This hotel is definitely worth €237. At least it certainly is with Globalist benefits.
I’ve been booked at 12K points a night which is a better value to me than 237 Euros plus taxes. I’m a little torn on whether I should use a Globalist upgrade if you have any thoughts.
I got a large suite on NYE without using a suite upgrade. I think they like Globalists here, but there’s obviously no guarantee.
I rang in 2023 here. A great property. I still laugh about all the cats at the outdoor tables lapping up discarded cappuccinos from guests that didn’t finish them.
Love Istanbul, Park Hyatt is wonderful, BUT Breakfast sucks. even the Hotel will tell you it is not the Best of Hyatt.
Not sure when your visit was but there is a metro from the airport. Note though it does not run all night and bc of this I had to take the bus from taskim early in the AM which was inexpensive and actually very nice.