2020 started in the best way possible for me, as only 3 days after NYE I traveled to Istanbul with my blogger bestie Cynthia. Our trip to Istanbul occurred very suddenly, after discussing about the fact that it is located so close to Athens but we had never visited it 😛 . And of course after having seen a lot of photos by other bloggers on Instagram from its spectacular places! So we decided to book our tickets so as to start the year with travel, and so we did! You can find the top Instagrammable spots we visited here. For our accommodation we chose The Westist Hotel & Spa, a super new and modern boutique hotel, only open since 2018. We were impressed by the modern design which is taken out of Pinterest! In this article I will describe our experience from checking at Westist Hotel & Spa.
Location
The hotel is located in the heart of the city, very centrally in the historic Beyoğlu district. It is really close to major attractions, as for example it takes less than 10 minutes to reach Galata Tower on foot, or 15 minutes to Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque by (really cheap!) taxi. The great location enabled us to see so many of the sites we had planned, even we had limited time in Istanbul. Also, the hotel is located literally two steps away from İstiklal Avenue, one of the most famous avenues in Istanbul full of restaurants, shops and supermarkets, so you can find anything you might need and plenty of choices for places to eat 😉
The modern interior design
The interior design of Westist Hotel & Spa could have easily jumped out of Pinterest. The lobby area was so cute and modern decorated! It was full of green, yellow, black and white colors which made a great contrast, as well as of pretty lamps on the ceiling. Best part? There was also a modern-style wooden swing with comfy cushions! Of course I couldn’t get out of it during our whole stay 🤣
The accommodation in the Smart Room
For our stay we were given a Smart Room and we immediately fell in love with it. It was so cosy and cute! The bed was huge and comfy and the matress was as soft as necessary, which made our sleep much relaxing. The bathroom was totally Pinterest goals, as the design was totally modern here again! The shower area was spacious and super clean, and also there were enough toiletries as well as bathrobes for 2 people. In the room there was also a table with fruit, tea and coffee, a small couch and plenty of space for our luggage. Of course a hair dryer, air-condition and strong WiFi were provided. You can book your own room here.
The Spa & Hamam
On the lowest floor of the hotel, there was a wellness center consisting of massage, sauna and hamam rooms. It was a true paradise! There even was a waiting room to relax before you get into your session. You can book your hamam session in advance in order to make sure there will be space for you. We totally recommend the experience!
The breakfast in Pera Antakya Restaurant
What do you expect to have for breakfast during your stay in Istanbul? Turkish breakfast of course! This was the breakfast we had in Westist and it was so delicious! It consisted of plenty of small plates with bread and pita, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, butter, cheeses, omelette, ham, some Nutella, fresh orange juice and of course Turkish tea! We couldn’t have asked for more to start our day full of energy! 😉 The Antakya restaurant where the breakfast was served was more than spacious, with many tables and staff constantly walking around to make sure you have everything you need!
Checking at Westist Hotel & Spa was an amazing experience! Thank you so much for our wonderful stay and your hospitality! We can’t wait to return to Istanbul and stay with you again!
As always, all opinions are my own and are based on my personal experiences.
