A'jia Hotel

STANDING PROUD ON THE ASIAN SHORES of the Bosphorus, boutique hotel A’Jia is a sleek and stylish Ottoman mansion with minimalist interiors and stunning views across the water.

Blissfully remote from Istanbul’s famous hustle-bustle, A’Jia commands fabulous waterfront views in a secluded spot on the city’s edge. Behind its vintage Ottoman facade, complete with classic columns, new-age interiors are cool, crisp and utterly contemporary.

Elegant and exclusive, this former pasha’s mansion has clean-cut lines and ceiling-high windows that make the most of the dazzling views. Smooth ivory walls contrast with polished wood floors, scarlet rugs, crisp cotton bedlinen and huge white-on-white bathrooms. Sculptural vases of tall lillies set off the vast lobby, with its tub chairs and gleaming marble floor.

Palatial Pasha

Most rooms have wonderful views. Glamorous suites range from the sprawling Pasha suite, where you can fling open the double doors to a huge terrace above the Bosphorus. We loved the three mezzanine suites, with their upstairs sleeping gallery and freestanding bath perfect for indulgent soaks beside the bed.

Spacious bathrooms at A’Jia – some with baths, others with showers and some with both – gleam in tile and marble. All are generously stocked with Molton Brown toiletries.

If the sun’s shining, you can’t beat breakfast, lunch or dinner on A’Jia’s fabulous waterside terrace, with its views aross the glittering Bosphorus. It’s the perfect place to kick back with a bottle of wine and watch an array of fishing boats, ferries and cruise liners making their way towards the Black Sea.

A’Jia makes a stylish Istanbul sanctuary for those keen for a different take on a city known for its crowds and irrepressible energy. Here, you’ll find lush gardens, parks for picnicking and waterside mansions. You’ll need to allow the best part of an hour to get into Sultanahmet – the hub of the city – though it’s a pleasure hopping aboard A’Jia’s free speedboat to cross the Boshorus strait. Do make time for a candlelit dinner à deux on the terrace beside the water on your return – magic.

© Room for Romance