Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Ten Budget Hotels in Rome below 100 Euros per night

Both business and leisure travelers are looking for more ways to save their money on upcoming travel to Rome and one of the best way to do that is to stay in a budget hotel in Rome to cut cost on expensive hotel room prices. As a budget conscious traveler blog, we are happy to released a list of 10 Rome budget hotels with below EUR 100 per night room rates. These Rome budget hotels have also collected the best customer reviews and many are located near the city center and/or within walking proximity to metro stations and with their affordable room rates are a boon to both business and leisure travelers.

Although Rome hotels are known to be expensive, travelers can take relief that there are still cheap hotels to be found in Rome.

Hotel De Monti

2-star Hotel De Monti in Rome City Centre is near shopping or the night-life. Set in Latium Wine Region, the hotel provides clean rooms, great location and gourment breakfast for prices starting from 84 Euros per night.

Aurelia Vatican Apartments

Aurelia Vatican Apartments is in Latium Wine Region and 20-minute walk from Valle Aurelia Metro Station. It offers modern and large apartments equipped with a refrigerator, cable / satellite channels and tea and coffee making facilities. Room prices in Aurelia Vatican Apartments starts from 79 Euros per night.

QuodLibet

2 Star QuodLibet in Prati Rome is one of the best budget hotels in Rome with clean room, perfect location and very friendly staff running the premises. Room prices in QuodLibet starts from 99 Euros per night.

At Your Place

2 Star At Your Place in Borgo is in Rome City Centre, a short walk from Castel Sant’Angelo and Via della Conciliazione. Its great location, tasty food and clean rooms make it shine among budget hotels in Rome centre. This bed and breakfast is near many bars, nightclubs and fashionable restaurants.  Room prices in At Your Place starts from 70 Euros per night.

Aldebaran Bed & Breakfast

Located near the Porta Maggiore and only metres from various restaurants, bars and shops, The Aldebaran Bed & Breakfast has a gourmet breakfast, which is served on request every morning. Room prices in Aldebaran Bed & Breakfast starts from 70 Euros per night.

Zero6 Guest House Rome

3-star The Zero6 Guest House Rome is in Rome City Center (Prati) near Vatican City and the Ottaviano metro station. Very clean rooms, spacey and comfortable bathroom and a nice little breakfast. Room prices in Zero6 Guest House Rome starts from 80 Euros per night.

Rome Trevi Fountain
Rome Trevi Fountain
Maria Rosa Guesthouse Rome

Well-known for its food with lots of places to eat close by, the Maria Rosa Guesthouse Rome is in Rome City Centre. The location of the guest house means guests can easily access multiple tourist attractions on foot. The guest house is within a 20-minute walk of the Piazza Venezia, the Capitoline Hill and Campo de’ Fiori, and within a 10-minute drive you can find Roman Forum. Room prices start from 76 Euros per night.

Capricci Romani B&B

Located in Rome City Centre, the Capricci Romani B&B is close to Via della Conciliazione and Castel Sant’Angelo. This B&B offers cosy and comfortable rooms and an airport shuttle service. Room prices in Capricci Romani B&B starts from 60 Euros per night.

Papa Vista Relais Hotel Rome

Situated under a 10-minute walk from Ottaviano – San Pietro – Musei Vaticani Metro Station and Cipro Metro Station, the Papa Vista Relais Hotel Rome offers guests an ideal base when in Rome. Ok, this is not a below 100 Euros hotel but it is almost there. The room prices in Papa Vista Relais Hotel Rome starts from 108 Euros per night.

Hotel Villa Duse

4-star Hotel Villa Duse in Parioli is in a lovely quiet location,comfortable rooms close to local ammeties. Although it is off the center, public transportation to the Rome center is nearby. The room prices in Hotel Villa Duse starts from 108 Euros per night.

For a complete list of Rome hotels you can check Rome Hotels pages. For hotels in Rome City Center, visit Rome City Center Hotels page. For a short guide to district of Rome to stay in, check our where to stay in Rome post.

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Ten Budget Hotels in Paris under 100 Euros per night

Both business and leisure travelers are looking for more ways to save their money on upcoming travel to Paris and one of the best way to do that is to stay in a budget hotel in Paris to cut cost on expensive hotel room prices. As a budget conscious traveler blog, we are happy to released a list of 10 Paris budget hotels under 100 Euros per night room rates. These Paris budget hotels have also collected the best customer reviews and many are located near the city center and/or within walking proximity to metro stations and with their affordable room rates are a boon to both business and leisure travelers.

Although Paris hotels are known to be expensive, travelers can take relief that there are still cheap hotels to be found in Paris.

#1 – Pavillon Saint Louis Bastille
66 Rue De Charenton, 12. Gare de Lyon – Bercy, 75012 Paris

A few minute’s walk from Gare de Lyon, 3-Star Pavillon Saint Louis Bastille is a budget hotel in Paris in 12. Bercy – Gare de Lyon area. The hotel is quiet, clean and comfortable at a good price. Room rates in Pavillon Saint Louis Bastille starts from 89 Euros per night.

#2 - Hotel de la Porte Doree
273 Avenue Daumesnil, 12. Gare de Lyon – Bercy, 75012 Paris

Although located slightly out of central Paris, 3-Star Hotel de la Porte Doree, is right next to the metro. With clean and boutique Parisian style rooms, the hotel is very cosy and comfortable. Room rates in Hotel de la Porte Doree starts from 100 Euros per night.

#3 - Terminus Orleans
197 Boulevard Brune, 14. Montparnasse – Porte d’Orléans, 75014 Paris

With its clean and comfortable rooms, next to metro station location and helpful  staff, 2-Stars Terminus Orleans, is a very nice budget hotel in Paris with room prices starting from 99 Euros per night.

#4 - Elysees Opera Hotel
17, rue de Turin, 08. Champs-Elysees – Madeleine, 75008 Paris

3-Star Elysées Opéra Hôtel is located in 08. Champs-Elysees area close to Gare St. Lazare and Metro Stations. This is a no frills hotel that offers a clean, comfortable room at a good price. Room rates in Elysees Opera Hotel starts from 99 Euros per night.

#5 - Hotel Audran
7 Rue Audran, 18. Montmartre – Pigalle, 75018 Paris

2-Star Hotel Audran in Montmarte area is within 2 minutes walk to Abesses Metro station and from there almost all attractions are within 15 minutes – 20 minutes away. With its perfect location, 79 Euros ++ room prices and clean rooms, Hotel Audran is a nice alternative for budget conscious travelers.

Montmarte Paris
You can find most of the budget hotels in Paris in Montmarte area.
#6 - Hotel Luxelthe
13 rue Houdon, 18. Montmartre – Pigalle, 75018 Paris

1-Star Hotel Luxelthe offers a descent place to sleep in a very convenient location in Montmartre.  The metro is super close and the staff is nice in the hotel. Room prices start from 79 Euros.

#7 - Eden Hotel Montmartre
90, Rue Ordener, 18. Montmartre – Pigalle, 75018 Paris 

Another budget hotel in Montmartre, Eden Hotel Montmartre is near MRT Station, some nice restaurants catering to different budgets and overall provides a clean place to sleep (breakfast at extra cost). Room rates in Eden Hotel Montmartre starts from 75 Euros per night.

#9 - Timhotel Montmartre
11 rue Ravignan , Place Emile Goudeau, 18. Montmartre – Pigalle, 75018 Paris

Overlooking a pedesterian square in a small village like environment, Timhotel Montmartre offers small but decent rooms (most complaints about this hotel are about its very small bathroom and shower) for 77++ Euros per night.

#10 - Hotel Regyn’s Montmartre
18 Place des Abbesses, 18. Montmartre – Pigalle, 75018 Paris

2-Star Hotel Regyn’s Montmartre is another budget hotel in France with a great location near Abbesses’ Metro station. Room prices start from 84 Euros.

#10+1 - My Hotel In France Montmartre

My Hotel In France Montmartre  is located near abesses metro station (3 minutes by foot) with a nice breakfast and friendly and helpful staff. Room prices start from 61 Euros per night.

For more information about locations to stay in Paris and familiarize yourself with the districts in the city,  you can check our where to stay in Paris post.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Swissotel Resort Bodrum Beach

With its 5 kilometers of sandy beaches, waterfront restaurants and bars, Turgutreis town is a very popular holiday destination just 20 kilometers away from Bodrum. Named after Ottoman Admiral Turgut Reis who was born here in 1485 is also quite near to Greek islands of Kos and Kalimnos and is one of the important seaside resorts on Turquoise Coast of Turkey.

Turgutreis has some nice hotels especially on the waterfront. Swissotel Resort Bodrum Beach is one of the best hotels in the town. The 2-storey hotel with 66 rooms and suites offers spacious rooms. There are large villas and duplex terraces in front which house 60 serviced apartments that are 120-240 m2 in size. The bars and restaurants are created as places of entertainment where the ambiance is formal or casual and dishes are prepared with the finest local produce. With indoor & outdoor pools and Purovel Spa & Sport facilities, Swissotel Resort Bodrum Beach provides you with a wide variety of sport and leisure opportunities.

The hotel features 66 guest rooms, as well as 72 residences. At each Swissôtel, a wide selection of cleverly conceived accommodation choices are offered – the common denominator is that each bedroom provides all the services and conveniences needed for travellers to make business away from home a seamless experience. From the Swiss Advantage rooms to the luxurious suites and apartments, Swissotel  can provide the appropriate accommodation for all guests. Swissôtel properties have an imaginative modern design, state of-the-art technology, exclusive amenities and timeless elegance.

Swissotel Resort Bodrum Beach Turgutreis
Swissotel Resort Bodrum Beach
A variety of restaurants and bars make sure that business travellers and leisure guests enjoy their time at Swissôtel Resort, Bodrum Beach. Dining at award-winning Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts exceeds your expectations time and time again. The bars, restaurants and meeting spaces are created to be places of entertainment, where the ambience is formal or casual and dishes are prepared with the finest local produce, served to perfection every day. Whichever special occasion you may be celebrating, we will ensure that every detail is attended to.

Ultra-modern meeting and conference space provide the flexibility to accommodate delegates and different sized events. When it comes to your conference, experienced organizers and state-of-the-art technical facilities help make every day run smoothly.

Pürovel is a distinctive group of deluxe spa and fitness facilities located within Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts worldwide. Catering for both the discerning business traveller and local clients, Pürovel provides the Alpine-inspired solution to healthy living within a stylish and contemporary environment.

Lake Abant Natural Park

One of the best getaway destination from Istanbul for a short break is Lake Abant Nature Park.  The lake and densly forested surroundings offer great natural beauty and is easy accessed by car.

Abant has two major hotels right next to the lake: Buyuk Abant and Taksim International Abant Palace. Buyuk Abant Hotel offers fantastic lake view from its rooms facing the lake and is especially a great place to stay when the lake is frozen and it is snowing. 45 of its 197 rooms offer lake view and they are quite in demand and more expensive than forest viewing rooms. Both Buyuk Abant Hotel and Taksim International Abant Palace offer indoor swimming pool which is a great place to swim in hot water while enjoying the snowy lake view.

If you plan to stay in Buyuk Abant Hotel try to book delux or lake view rooms on or above 3rd floor to get a clear view of the lake (lower level rooms have trees between lake view and them). This hotel is also very famous with its restaurant.

The room prices in these two Abant hotels are quite dependent on the season and the days of the weeks you are staying. Expect to pay double the weekday price during weekends. And book online where you usually find better prices than directly booking with the hotel. You can check the room prices in these hotels here: Buyuk abant Hotel and Abant Palace.

To enjoy Lake Abant, you do not need to stay right next to the lake. The 21 km road going to the lake from main Istanbul-Ankara motorway has many hotels and motels catering to all budgets. Actually, you can even go to Abant without staying there. There are many daily Abant tours from Istanbul.

If you have visited Abant before in winter/summer, try to visit it in summer/winter because it is quite a different experience in all four seasons. It is best to visit Abant during winter and it is probably one of the most romantic places in Turkey to visit.

Lake Abant Natural Park in winter
Lake Abant Natural Park in winter. Every season offers different and fantastic natural beauty but it is still best to visit Abant in winter.
How to get to Lake Abant?

If you have your own transportation you can easyly access Lake Abant by car through a 21 km road leaving from the İstanbul-Ankara motorway O-4 E80 or the highway D.100 at the level of Mount Bolu. Lake Abant is three hours’ drive from Istanbul and Ankara.

Akbil or newly Istanbulkart - A phenomenon of Istanbul

Istanbul is a huge city and it is quite expensive to go everywhere by taxi. Using buses and rail systems like Istanbul Metro is a cheaper and sometimes the most convenient way to go around in Istanbul given the heavy traffic of the rush hours.

Istanbul Municipality has devised a common payment system for all kinds of transportation, including sea buses, ferries, trams, metro, metro bus, public buses and even nostalgic trams in Istiklal Street of Taksim. This key-size button, named Akbil, can be bought and reused by loading credit inside. Now it is not possible to buy a ticket inside a public bus as you could do in many tourist cities in Europe.

AKBIL is now phased out into a proximity card Istanbulkart, which is being used for many years in Istanbul, and that’s the cheapest way to use all kinds of public transportation. Istanbulkart does not only have a regular price, but also you’ll have the opportunity to have a reduced price on transfers in 2 hours starting from your first trip. Akbil, even it’s still valid, now not sold anymore (but if you have one, you can still load it) and turned into a recent technology, a credit-card like RFID proximity card, Istanbulkart.

You can buy Istanbulkart for 6 Turkish Liras from large stations and airports and load credit on it. The card itself is non-refundable but if you have some credits inside and you want that money back, you can withdraw it from large stations as well.

Istanbulkart
Istanbulkart
You can reload your card by using automatic vending machines all around Istanbul, ticket offices and kiosks with the sign “Akbil Dolum” or “Istanbulkart Dolum”. It’s better to reload before you have inadequate credit, since it’s not possible to load inside the public buses so you would have to get off the bus to load it.

It’s possible to use an anonymous card for multiple people. That saves money for having the card, but you’ll miss the opportunity to have the reduced price on transfers, which is not little: The first usage in many lines is 1,95 TL at the date of this article, and the first transfer in 2 hours is 1,25, the second one is 1,00, the third one and so on is 0,75 TL. Suppose that you’ll use transfers for a few time you’ll stay longer than a few days, it should be considered to buy a card for everyone.

f you bought one already, you can keep it for long time, 2 years without loading any credit. So, you should better keep your card for your next trip to Istanbul.

Interesting facts about Turkey

Here are some interesting facts about Turkey, the country:

  • Why Turkey (country) is called Turkey (bird)? Actually, opposite is true. The bird Turkey takes its name from the country named Turkey. Turkey (bird) is native to Americas and when Europeans first encountered them, they incorrectly identified these birds as a type of guineafowl (Numididae). At that time guineafowl were also known as turkey fowl (or turkey hen and turkey cock) because they were imported to Central Europe through Turkey. The name turkey fowl, shortened to just the name of the country, stuck as the name of the North American bird.
  • The largest and best-preserved Neolithic site found to date is in Turkey. The place is named Çatalhöyük and is in southern Anatolia. The settlement existed from approximately 7500 BCE to 5700 BCE! 9,000 years ago, at a time when most of the world’s population were wandering hunter-gatherers, Catalhoyuk was one of the world’s largest settlements with a population of 10,000. The settlement is composed of domestic buildings an was home to 10,000 people at some time before being abandoned before Bronze age. Many in Turkey think this place is the oldest settlement ever found but this record probably goes to Jericho (Israel) where earliest settlements goes to 11,000 years back!
  • Troy, the legendary city best known for being the setting of the Trojan War described in the Greek Epic Cycle and especially in the Iliad, is in Turkey. It is located in located in northwest Anatolia, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida. So basically, the famous Trojan Wars took place in Western Turkey. There is an urban legends circulated in Turkey which hints Turks relate themselves to the people of Troy: According to the Turkish writer Sabahattin Eyüboglu’s book “Mavi ve Kara” (Blue and Black), Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, told an officer besides him “We’ve got revenge of Troy at Dumlupinar”. Dumlupinar was a war between Turkish army and Greek army which was invading Anatolia after WWI.
  • Santa Claus was born in the town of Patara on the South West coast of Turkey between the years of 260 and 280AD. Technically, the republic of Turkey was not formed until 1923 so if you want to split hairs, Patara at that time was under Lycian rule. 2 – The true name of Santa Claus was Nicholas and in adult life, he became the bishop of Myra which was a town further up the coast from Patara. It is now called Demre.
  • Another interesting thing is that, the trojan horse built for the famous 2004 movie Troy is currently in Canakkale city in western Turkey near Ancient Troy.
  • Istanbul, the largest and the most famous city in Turkey, is the only city in the world built on two continents. The city lies both on Europe and Asia and two sides are connected by 2 large bridges (and a 3rd one is under construction).

  • No, Istanbul is not the capital of Turkey. Istanbul was the capital of the Ottoman Empire and still the cultural, economical and social capital of Turkey but it lost its title as political capital to Ankara when Turkey was founded.

  • According to IMF, Turkey has the 18th largest economy in the world in terms of nominal GDP.

Top 10 not-to-do in Istanbul

You will see a lot of "things to do in Istanbul" or "top 10 things to do in Istanbul" kind of lists everywhere. Here we are giving a counter list. It is easier to write a to-do list for Istanbul for travelers, but every city has its own culture and rhythm that some disappointments may happen while visiting the city. As a resident of Istanbul, it is my duty to warn people in advance, before they come to avoid do these things which anyone can easily do..

1) Do not take Metrobus at rush hour
Metropolitan Istanbul is a huge area and millions of people travel inside the city each morning and leave it in the evening to arrive their work or home. Tens of thousands take the metro-bus, a speed bus service which has it’s own lane on the motorway. It is a great option to pass through Bosphorus and commute from Asian side to European side or opposite, since it can effectively bypass the heavy bridge traffic. It’s way too far being kind at rush hour since you just leave yourself into the human stream and find yourself inside the bus. It’s mostly difficult, sometimes impossible to get off the bus when you get to your station.

Believe me, it is not a nice and comfortable experience. Just look at the photo below, you will see why.

Metro-bus and the rush hour crowd. Source - Istanbullies
2) Don’t expect drivers to stop for pedestrians
Istanbul is suprisingly safe for its size and chaos but the most dangerous aspect of it is still there to watch out : the traffic. Drivers in Istanbul, like the others in Turkey, would not stop because you’re about to cross the road. Stripes are useless, drivers are unfortunately ignorant about this. I hope this will change in near future (cross your fingers!). Even if it is green for you, check twice if there is a car still coming.

Are you thinking to use a bike in Istanbul? Just another not-to-do in Istanbul! (I do it regularly but if you don’t have time to get used to, just don’t do it)

3) Don’t buy souvenirs without bargain
What you've heard is true, Turkish people are so friendly and most of the time, they offer everything they have; except professional relations. I mean, if you’re in a shop, the owner will probably overcharge you because you’re a tourist. The same person, with the same reason, will help you to the end if you need help on the street. (Well, like you do in your hometown, be aware of forgery and bad behavior!)

First advice: Don’t buy souvenirs from the main tourist areas! But if you have to, do bargain! I’ll write another entry about how to bargain with Turkish people, but for a brief explanation, I can surely say that the price of many things is twice of the real price.

4) Don’t wear one layer clothe on season change periods
Weather of Istanbul is super unpredictable. This is especially true in spring and autumn, it can change from 10 degrees to 28 degrees during the day, it may rain, shine after and then a wind storm may begin. Worse, it may snow in Sultanahmed while it is quite shiny and warm in the Northern parts of Bosphorus (at the same time!)

It’s best to wear a t-shirt, then a sweatshirt, then a thin jacket and if you’re going to stay out at late night, it’s better to have a coat with you. Of course you can check weather forecast but you’ll thank me after you experience a day out in April.

5) Do not wear the colors of big football clubs
Istanbul is home to the biggest football clubs in Turkey and a minority but significant number of their supporters are hooligans and can be dangerous for people dressing the colors of other clubs. Since it is common for a hooligan mind to attack first and judge later, they may just attack you because of the colors you wear look like rival club's colors, long before realizing that you are just a tourist.

6) Do not fall into tourist scams.
When it comes to tourist scams, Istanbul can easily play to top 10 in the world. Some common scams are Blue Mosque scam "guides", taxi scams, overpricing, bar/club scams, accounts of bar/club scams, Lira/Euro scams and shoe brush scams. Here in Wikitravel Istanbul Travel Guide page, you can find an updated list of these scams as well as some establishments to stay away.

7) Don’t think that Istanbul is just Sultanahmet and Taksim
Even though old town of Istanbul is amazingly beautiful and Taksim area is full of fun, there are many districts of the city which has lots of attractions to see. Never skip Asian side, which has a more authentic lifestyle and a cool youth. Uskudar will offer you a historical atmosphere with a nice Bosphorus coast. If you want to experience a boat trip and a nature walk, don’t miss out Prince Islands.

8) Disrespect to Turkish Flag
Well, you probably know that disrespecting a countries flag in that country is quite a stupid idea, but in Turkey some "normal" behaviour for you can still be considered as disrespect such as wearing a flag as a part of your clothing.

9) Do not bother with Taxis
You will ofcourse need taxis a few times but try to minimize this. Other than overcharging problem and various scams, with the heavy traffic in Istanbul, this is a slow way of transportation. If you plan your commutes outside rush hour and use rail system (which now even connects Asia and European side) as well as buses and boats, you will probably go around faster.

10) Don't pay everything with 50 TL
Many Turkish shop owners and taxi drivers will love to keep extra change as "tip", if you pay them 50 TL for something worth 10 TL or a little more. Keep 10 TL, 5 TL and 20 TL notes in your pocket and pay with them, whenever possible (especially in the taxis).

Shopping in Istanbul: Istanbul's Shopping Mall Belt

Many tourists think and directed to Istanbul’s old city (Sultanahmet) and its historic bazaars like Grand Bazaar for shopping in Istanbul. These places are great (mostly in price sometimes in quality) to buy some classic souvenirs to bring from Turkey but Istanbul offers much more to international visitors in terms of modern shopping experience. If you are looking for branded international and Turkish products and air conditioned shopping malls, you need to head to what we can call Istanbul shopping center belt, a chain of modern shopping malls located on the Istanbul Metro Line from Taksim to ITU Ayazaga.

City’s Nisantasi, Istanbul
Nisantasi, Turkey’s most expensive shopping street in terms of lease prices, itself can be thought as a large open air shopping mall with the stores of world famous brands, popular cafés, pubs, restaurants and night clubs. Walking distance away from Osmanbey Station of Istanbul Metro, City’s Nisantasi offers brands like Versace Jeans, Jean’s Paul Gauitier, Class Roberto Cavalli, Trussardi, Baldinini, Cerutti, Pal Zileri, Pura Lopez, Point Zero and Cache Cache.

Istanbul Cevahir Shopping Mall

Completed in 2005, Istanbul Cevahir Shopping Center is the largest shopping mall in Europe and the 6th largest shopping mall in the world. Highly famous among Middle Eastern tourists (the shopping mall is quite heavily marketed there and it has already built a strong word of mouth reputation), it offers many attractions and shopping opportunities to all international tourists. The mall has its own Tax Free Services where you can claim your VAT refund immediately after shopping.

You can reach Cevahir Shopping Mall very easily from the Şişli Station of the Istanbul Metro (there is a direct link from the station to the mall) and find many brands like Adidas, Bata, Benetton, BSB, Converse, Debenhams, Divarese, Dockers, Dorothy Perkins, Esprit, Evans, Fornarina, Gloria Jean’s, Guess World, Jack&Jones, Kappa, La Senza, Levi’s, Lotto, Massimo Dutti, Miss Selfridge, Mothercare, Nine West, Peacocks, Reebok, River Island, Topshop, Top Man, Vero Moda, and Zara. Other than food outlets like Burger King, Mc Donalds, KFC, Pizza Hut and many local chains, the mall has a large stage for shows and other events, 12 cinemas, a private theatre, a cinema for children, a bowling hall; a small roller coaster; and a small amusement park with several other entertainment facilities.

Istanbul Cevahir Shopping Mall
Istanbul Cevahir Shopping Mall
Kanyon Shopping Mall
Kanyon (meaning canyon in Turkish) is a unique multi-purpose complex in Istanbul’s upscale neighborhood and business district Levent which is constructed as a dramatic architectural “canyon”. In summer, the shopping mall is open air and you can find many shops offering

Kanyon Shopping Mall is more upscale compared to more famous Cevahir Shopping Mall and can easily be reached from Levent Station of the Istanbul Metro (there is a direct link from the station to the mall). Mothercare, Natalys, TeknoSa, Sony, Apple, Mandarina Duck, Accesorize, Paşabahçe, Harvey Nichols, Vakko, Bally, Network, Tiffany&Co, Georg Jensen, Machka, Max Mara are some of the 160 stores you can find in this shopping mall. There is also a cinema and several dining options popular with both locals and foreigners. The mall is infact a multi-purpose complex and has a 30-floor office tower and a 22-floor residential block with 179 residential apartments.

Since the location is perfect to access metro and two of Istanbul’s most upscale shopping malls, you may want to stay here. There is a luxury hotel right on the other side of the road, The Edition Istanbul.

Metrocity Shopping Mall
Opened in 2003, MetroCity in 1.Levent is another upscale shopping mall in an upscale neighbourhood of Levent. The mall has direct underground connection from Levent Metro Station and other than shopping mall section, the compound has 27 floor office building and two 31 storey residence buildings.

Metrocity Shopping Mall has 140 international and Turkish brands, a very large restaurant and cafe level and an MMM Migros supermarket.

Istinye Park
The northern-most of the shopping malls of the Istanbul’s shopping belt is another upscale shopping center (more upscale than Kanyon) called Istinye Park. This Istanbul shopping mall is unique with its enclosed and open air sections where the open air section offers street side shopping. The park offers a cinema with IMAX 3D screen, Hillside Sports and Leisure Club and Funtime, the kids’ entertainment center is around 1,500 sqm as well as many famous international and Turkish brands like Armani, Benetton, Beymen, Boyner, Calvin Klein, DKNY, Dolce & Gabbana, Enzo Angiolini, Ermenegildo Zegna, GAP, Louis Vuitton, Levi’s, Lee Cooper, LC Waikiki, Marks & Spencer, Nike, Pierre Cardin and Ralph Lauren.

Istanbul Istinye Park Shopping Mall
Istanbul Istinye Park Shopping Mall