Istanbul Four Seasons Double Your Pleasure!

Istanbul is alive again with American Tourists and many new hotels are plotted on the banks of the Bosporus.

Four Seasons Hotel Bosporus

An impromptu invitation propelled me back to Istanbul in June, the city still dazzles.  Istanbul is one of the most ancient cities in the world and the only city on the globe to be situated on two continents, straddling the Bosporus Strait in northwestern Turkey between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. A magical destination, Istanbul has a wealth of attractions from architecture, shopping, and delicious healthy dining. An ancient city with an unparalleled cultural heritage, truly a timeless charm. Since my last visit, many new five-star hotels have opened in Istanbul. Six Senses is plopped on the upper Bosporus, Raffles and the Fairmont have planted roots and The Mandarin has established a water side location.

The most dramatic arrival to the Four Seasons Hotel Bosporus is by yacht!! There are two Four Seasons Hotels in Istanbul, and the smaller property has just been refurbished. Two completely different properties in style and location. Four Seasons Hotel Sultanahmet, is a smaller property, but equally stunning.

Four Seasons Hotel Bosporus Pool on the edge of the Strait

Once a 19th Century Ottoman Palace, the Four Seasons on the Bosporus is a beautiful hotel with 141 rooms and 25 suites. Rooms are elegant and have been caringly preserved, leisure facilities are very luxurious, and the fantastic terrace at the front of the hotel is on the water’s edge with a docking berth. Relax here during the day and return to Aqua Terrace for cocktails and dinner. Watch the boats ply down the strait from the riverside infinity pool which is heated year around.

Only 20 mins from the center of the town, if you want to escape the city frenzy, this property is for you. The hotel is located just a few waterfronts up from the famous Dolmabahçe Palace, home of the last Ottoman sultans. It’s ideally situated for exploring both the opulent palace and other nearby sites, which include the superb Naval Museum, National Palaces, and the Painting Museum.

Staff are as attentive and efficient as you’d expect from a Four Seasons. The 24-hour concierge service is very convenient too. The indoor pool is delightful; its inventive geometric mosaic design and subtle lighting make for an atmospheric swim. There’s a large fitness complex complete with all the latest machines, and a restful wellness center with massage rooms, a beautiful Turkish bath and a sauna.

In the day, all our clients stayed in the elegant bedrooms. If you want authentic Ottoman style we will reserve a room in the Palace building – those looking onto the Bosporus have large, keyhole shaped floor-to-ceiling windows, high ceilings, soaking tubs in the luminous marble bathrooms. About a third of the hotel’s rooms have drop dead Bosporus views.

Four Seasons Hotel Sultanahmet

Four Seasons Hotel Sultanahmet is also a client favorite. Traditionally, our clients would arrive stay at the Four Seasons Bosporus, depart for a yacht Journey, and return to stay a few more days for last minute site seeing and check into the FS Sultanahmet in the heart of the old city. This luxurious hotel is created from a late-Ottoman era prison once used to incarcerate writers, artists, and other dissidents, though it has been so dazzlingly transformed you’d never guess.

Istanbul

Tucked into the maze of Istanbul’s old town, this petite jewel has only 64 rooms. The historic architecture fashions a variety of unique rooms nestled around a beautifully landscaped courtyard. The roof terrace offers sublime 360-degree panorama north and east over the Bosporus Strait to the hills of Asia, and south across the Sea of Marmara to the lovely Princes’ Islands. Despite its central location, to all the key sites, it is a wonderful place to unwind. Built in Turkish Neoclassical style in 1919, the hotel is all pointed arched windows, heavily overhanging eaves, and decorative tile panels. The focal point of the hotel is very much the courtyard, once the exercise yard for inmates, today a beautifully landscaped garden area centered on a polygonal pavilion that functions as the hotel’s breakfast room cum main restaurant. The gardens are heavy with the scent of jasmine, bougainvillea add a splash of vibrant color, and an herb garden provides fresh ingredients for the restaurant and delightful fragrances for guests. A tranquil sanctuary mere steps from the historic old city.

So hard to choose, why not stay in both! Highly Recommend!

Why Stay? Sexy, Tribal, Do Dress for Dinner! Fairmont Taghazout Bay

Chilly fall days and I’m pining for more Beach Therapy in Morocco, near the small area of Agadir. The fabulous Fairmont Taghazout Bay is plopped right on the ocean cliff, providing miles of beach walking, a surfer’s paradise, and divine dining. What’s not to love?

Sunset every night from my Suite Balcony

The Fairmont is a unique resort overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, where memories are created. A luxury five-star wellness resort nestled on the cliff above the Atlantic, Agadir is often overshadowed by Morocco’s Imperial cities; I would love to return for a few days at this beautiful resort.

The warm climate tempered by the ocean makes Taghazout Bay the idyllic spot to unwind and enjoy exquisite relaxing days. The resort offers 146 rooms, suites and villas all overlooking the ocean. A large selection of Deluxe and Fairmont Gold rooms and Suites in addition to four signature villas of two, three, four and five bedrooms are available for guests. Also noted on the Condé Nast Hot List 2022, the bright and breezy property is an absolute delight.

Forty-five sun baked beach acres to explore, miles of sandy beach to stroll at dawn and again at sunset. The low-rise buildings on the cliff are constructed of local stone and wood which blends flawlessly with the desert-like atmosphere, perched on one of Morocco’s most pristine coastlines. Long treasured by the yoga and surfer set, it is the place to stay along the coast. Rumors of a new Royal Mansour property financed by the Royal family denotes Dirhams are moving to the beach!

Gleaming floor-to-ceiling windows bring the intensely blue sunshine into rooms and public spaces highlighting contemporary Moroccan handcrafts and furniture. All doors seem to open onto comfortable, shaded terraces, or sunken gardens, scented by the herbs and flowers that eventually make their way into your cocktail. Wake and fall asleep to the soothing sound and scent of the sea. Royal Moroccan Blue is a dominant theme in the locally sourced glassware, metal work and fabric. I loved the serene colors of my spacious suite, an important design maxim: don’t compete with nature, the Fairmont sits amid one of the most beautiful beaches on the coast.

Subtle Sexy Night Lighting

This is not Marrakech; the style reflects the cultural tribal style of the Agadir region. The designers were inspired by the dwellings of the semi-nomadic Imazighe people – known as the Berbers – rather than the riad style of architecture in the bustling city markets. A strong sense of place exudes from suites, villas and public spaces.

A beach walk will yield ponies, surfers and spirited football matches by locals, some playing barefoot! Don’t be surprised if you see a sauntering camel on the beach or a pack of pups on a day long beach outing, chasing birds at the edge of the rolling surf.

Two granite-lined pools – one for families, the other adults-only complete with swim-up bar and four-poster day beds discreetly veiled by purple-tinged elephant grass and fragrant lavender. Gnarled Olive trees line the paths, at night, the lights are magical, subtle garden lighting for romance and star gazing.

A spa spread over two levels offers traditional Moroccan beauty rituals, several massage rooms, a yoga studio, hammam and salt-water pools. Don’t ever say no to a Moroccan hammam, I am addicted to the soothing scrubs!

A boardwalk runs from an iconic surf break at Devils Point along the length of the beach, and a carefully curated program of locally immersive activities ranges from surf and yoga workshops to visits to Argan oil co-operatives, hiking in the Anti-Atlas’ hidden valleys and sunset fishing trips.

Dress for Dinner at Morimoto, his first Africa outpost, another reason to escape to the Fairmont! Morimoto is a Japanese restaurant designed in a stylish upbeat space offering world class international experiences with immersive dining and fresh ingredients in a dramatic sophisticated setting. Outside dining with music and sexy lighting with views over the garden, so yummy, I dined twice!

Highly Recommend a few days at this exquisite environment if you are roaming on a Camel Caravan through Morocco!