Georges Hotel Galata

Georges Hotel Galata is a boutique hotel with a French touch in Istanbul's Genoese quarter. It opened in 2011 in a house built in 1882 for Doctor Avram de Castro, 50 m from Galata Tower. Its creators, Alex Varlık and Eric Kamhi, fitted it out entirely with local craftsmen and materials; the façade was restored under the guidance of the architect Han Tümertekin.

Doctor de Castro's house

In the 19th century, Serdar-ı Ekrem street was home to a wealthy Italian Jewish community: bankers, property owners, merchants and doctors of the Ottoman Empire. Doctor Avram de Castro built his house there. Head of Istanbul's first European-style asylum, he also founded La Paix, the Empire's first modern psychiatric hospital, still in operation. After the family left for Paris in the early 20th century, the house was long a crystal-chandelier workshop, until it was bought and restored in 2011. The hotel is named after a late uncle of its owners.

The hotel was named World's Best Business Hotel by Wallpaper* magazine in 2012, and appeared on Condé Nast Traveller's Hot List and Gold List in 2013 and 2015.

The rooms

The 20 rooms and suites range from 22 to 40 m². All have high ceilings, parquet floors, mahogany furniture, a black marble bathroom with handmade blue floor tiles, a rain shower and Atelier Rebul amenities. The rooms table details the main ones.

The Deluxe Double, the entry category, faces the cobbled street; for a Bosphorus view, couples should choose the Deluxe Double Sea View with Balcony. The Garden Suite has its own courtyard garden planted with lavender and jasmine, and the Panorama Bosphorus Suite, with its balcony and daybed facing the Bosphorus, is the one for a special occasion.

There are connecting rooms on every floor, and the hotel provides cots, high chairs and extra beds. Room service runs from 8 am to 11 pm local time.

Le Fumoir and the butler

On the roof, Le Fumoir serves colourful French cuisine, with views of the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn, the Princes' Islands and the Asian shore. The hotel puts the emphasis on personalised butler service and a concierge who arranges private guided tours and transfers, and offers in-room massages on request. It has no spa: its "hammam" page recommends historic hammams in the city; our Pera, Galata and Golden Horn page describes one, the Kılıç Ali Paşa hammam built by Sinan.

Location

The hotel is on Serdar-ı Ekrem street, 50 m from Galata Tower, in the Beyoğlu district. İstiklal Avenue is at the top of the hill, Karaköy and the Galata Bridge below. Istanbul Airport (IST) is about an hour's drive away without traffic.

Rates

In October 2026, for two nights from 1 to 3 June 2027, the official website offered the Deluxe Double at €464 a night for two adults, €928 for the stay, room only and non-refundable, including taxes and fees.

Sabaro's view

For whom: couples who want a small, elegant hotel in the heart of Galata, with a Bosphorus view from their balcony; honeymooners (see honeymoon).

Strengths: the balconies over the Bosphorus; the rooftop restaurant; the butler service; a Google rating of 4.5 out of 5.

Good to know: the entry-level Deluxe Double has neither balcony nor sea view, and the hotel has no spa. Google Hotels lists it as 4-star. For a hammam on site, see The Bank Hotel Istanbul in Karaköy.