Louis Appartements Galata

These days it goes by Karaköy, but in a city so steeped in history, you’ll be forgiven for using the neighborhood’s medieval name, Galata. Louis Luxury Suite Appartements keeps that spirit alive, just a few hundred feet from Galata’s chief landmark, the Galata Tower. Your accommodations are anything but medieval, thankfully, as sure a sign as any that Istanbul’s centuries-old cultural tapestry is still being woven.

The public spaces are a mix of old and new: vaulted bricks overhead and elaborately decorative tiles underneath give way to mid-century furnishings and inset lighting. The 12 rooms are lit by day via floor-to-ceiling windows, by night via chandelier. Flatscreens share the wall with framed artwork and oversize headboards. Nespresso machines, Blu-Ray players, docking stations, and complimentary wi-fi signify a 21st-century approach to amenities, and “kitchenette” isn’t a euphemism here: enjoy your well-equipped, ingeniously condensed full kitchen.

There’s an on-site café for breakfast and the occasional meal, but don’t deprive yourself of the city’s justly renowned riverside café culture. Besides, getting around in Karaköy isn’t the competitive sport that it is in Sultanahmet. That said, the reception here is an incredible resource; heed their advice and you’ll be roaming with the best of them. And when you return, you’ll be grateful to know that Louis succeeds in spades at the timeless hoteliers’ virtue: with just two rooms per floor, true privacy wins the day.