Finest Lodges

Description & Location

The Sumahan is a rare Bosphorus-front property that has remained in the hands of the original family. Turkish-American owner-architects Nedret and Mark Butler have transformed an unlikely family heirloom – a derelict late Ottoman alcohol factory, into special retreat for visitors to the modern city. 

It was built in the mid-nineteenth century to produce “suma” the unadulterated spirit used to make raki, the Ottomans’ favourite tipple. Where today a motorised launch ferries hotel guests to and from downtown, barges laden with figs would arrive to keep the stills of the Sumahan busy.

Status in Istanbul has long been determined not by the horsepower of your car but the magnificence of your living room view. Every bedroom in the hotel offers an ever-changing seascape of fisherman and ferryboats and ships gliding through the night. It’s a view of myth and of history. Odysseus, Jason and his Argonauts all passed in front of the Sumahan as did Soviet submarines.

Highlights

The Hotel:

• Situated directly at the sea
• magnificent views of Istanbul and the Bosphorus
• 19th century ottoman building combined with a modern interior design
• a place of myth and history
• family-owned
• Traditional hamam
• 2 restaurants
• Scheduled complementary launch transfer across the Bosphorus
• Library
• guide booking or tour organization on request

The Rooms:

• all individually designed featuring a view of the Bosphorus
• twin level suites with their own Bosphorus-side garden
• modern furnishing
• Master bathroom, some with small hamam, all featuring traditional colognes and toiletries

Location and Travel

Sumahan sits on the very edge of the Bosphorus Straits which separate Europe from Asia and link the cold waters of the Black Sea to the warm waters of the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean beyond. It is located just outside Çengelköy, a part of the city that still preserves its air of an authentic Bosphorus neighorhood. It is a village of wooden houses, fish restaurants and seaside promenades.

The Sumahan has swift connections to both Bosphorus bridges and the business districts on either side of the water. Count on a good half hour for the early morning journey to the airport. Guests are invited to use the hotel's all weather launch which can take them (in under 15 minutes) to and from Kabatas, a transport hub on the European side that is a convenient jump for sightseeing, an evening out, or a business appointment. There is also a scheduled ferry service from Çengelköy. The morning ferry ride to the historic peninsula is itself one of Istanbul's great attractions.

The Sumahan

Kuleli Cd 51

34684 Istanbul

Sumahan Hotel

The Sumahan is a rare Bosphorus-front property that has remained in the hands of the original family. Turkish-American owner-architects Nedret and Mark Butler have transformed an unlikely family heirloom......