HotelChatter

First Impresssions
What's most remarkable about the 134-room W Istanbul is that somehow it manages to really take the edge off things and be something of an oasis away from the frenetic Istanbul. (Population is a whopping 20 million.) It's undeniably uber W with the deep purple velvets, plush patterned furniture and shabby chic mirrors glittering and littering the place.

But there are also plenty of Turkish touches and Ottoman accents. Past the front doors, guests enter through billowing satin curtains and are met with some interesting interpretive Ottoman accoutrement. There are a bunch of oversized Turkish fezzes that look like they could be used for seating, and the handful of silver minarets sans domes stand like proudly like inserted giant decorative thingies they are.

Room Reaction
Rooms are given the standard W category names of Wonderful, Spectacular and Fabulous. But unlike some Ws at home, these rooms are actually deserving of those names. The Wonderful is the standard room and has a private garden and deck area. Spectacular has a plunge tub in the bedroom for whatever Sultanic activities guests are into. The deep marble washbins in all rooms are designed similarly to those found in a hammam (Turkish bathhouse). And of course there are ottomans aplenty throughout the hotel. (Are we the last to realize that the ottoman footstool hails from the Ottoman Empire?)

We were also fortunate to tour the hotel's Extreme Wow Suite which is essentially the Presidential Suite. Check out the video below. It's definitely got a Wow factor!

Amenity Madness (and Sadness)
On the downside, the hotel doesn't seem to have fully nailed making the rooms totally functional along with gadget savvy cool. Rooms do have WiFi, iPod docking stations, and sexy lighting that includes five settings to set a variety of moods, but there aren't enough places to hang things! The bathrooms have a shortage of hooks for necessities like towels, robes and whatever else guests don't want to toss on the floor.

At first glance it looks like the rooms are without TVs, but the black glass panel typically located over a desk in the Wonderful rooms and appearing as a dark wall in the living rooms of the Spectacular and Fabulous rooms comes to life with a few clicks of the remote. Voila! It's your TV! (Those scoring the wonderfully/spectacularly/fabulously sunny rooms will also battle a major glare on the TV.)

Our last complaint, bottled water is not free. Annoying when tap water is not recommended for drinking in Istanbul. It's not nice to put a water bottle in the bathroom and then charge guests for it. (We can accept being charged for the one by the bed.)

Drinking and Dining
In our quest to find an unused adjective, we will just say that it is really, really great that Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market restaurant is one of the two restaurants in the hotel. The other one is the Living Room and there is a bar called Sip -- all full of quirky chic Germans, Dutch, Swiss, Brits, and lowkey Americans.

Location, Location, Location
W Istanbul is located on an attractive but weird corner where there is a complicated traffic pattern. For those taking cabs and who don't like feeling ripped off with a tour of the same five streets for the first leg of every fare, walk down the block. The porter will most likely suggest this and direct you anyway. There's a tram stop and the ferry are all within walking distance. Plus, those too posh to walk, should stay at the Four Seasons or The Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul.

Bottom Line
Wonderful rooms start at around $420 a night and don't include breakfast. That darn water will cost you differently depending on what room it is imbibed in. Bottled water in the bedroom clocks in at $7 and bottled water in the bathroom is a bargain at $5.78.