Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul

Shangri-La Bosphorus stands in a building nobody would have expected to house a luxury hotel: a 1920s tobacco warehouse on the European shore of the Bosphorus, in Beşiktaş. The Michelin Guide notes that the transformation is complete: three Bohemian crystal chandeliers now light a marble-and-lacquer lobby that gives no hint of its industrial past. The hotel is the Shangri-La group's Istanbul address.

The rooms

The hotel has 186 rooms and suites, inspired both by the group's Asian roots and by the Bosphorus: cool tones, plush fabrics and marble bathrooms with heated floors. Rooms measure 42 to 60 m², the large suites 85 to 110 m². Depending on the category, they look out over the city, the inner atrium or the Bosphorus. The rooms table lists the main ones. The Bosphorus is partly in view from the Deluxe Bosphorus Room and from the private terrace of the Terrace Bosphorus Room. For a couple, our pick is the Premier Bosphorus Room, which faces it through large picture windows; the Terrace Junior Suite gives an open view of it from its terrace.

The largest suites have up to three balconies, with 180-degree views of the Bosphorus, Dolmabahçe Palace and the old city. Connecting rooms suit families.

CHI, The Spa and the workshops

The hotel spa, CHI, The Spa, has a hammam decorated with İznik tiles; the Michelin Guide ranks it among the finest in the city. The waterfront terrace faces the Bosphorus.

The hotel also offers guests craft and cooking workshops: baklava, Turkish coffee, lamian noodles and ebru marbling, the Turkish art of painting on water. See also our spa and wellness page.

Location

The hotel stands on Hayrettin İskelesi Sokak in Beşiktaş, on the European shore of the Bosphorus, near Beşiktaş pier and Dolmabahçe Palace. Galata and the old city are a few kilometres away. 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 cheapest room was offered at €543 a night for two adults, €1,086 for the stay, room only and non-refundable, including taxes and fees. With breakfast, Booking.com showed €548 a night.

Sabaro's view

For whom: couples and families who want the Bosphorus at a gentler price than the neighbouring palace hotels; lovers of converted industrial buildings.

Strengths: the building; rooms of at least 42 m²; the İznik-tiled hammam; the workshops; a Google rating of 4.6 out of 5; the lowest rates in our Bosphorus selection.

Good to know: several room categories have only a partial Bosphorus view. For a 19th-century palace, see Four Seasons Bosphorus; for a large spa with pool, Mandarin Oriental Bosphorus.