As my boyfriend Sam happens to have a birthday every year, it was time again to have small trip as his birthday present. Being the cold month of February I first looked into travelling to a slightly warmer and sunnier destination like Morocco, but the only interesting flights being either on Ryanair or Transavia and way too expensive for what they were or a long layover on TAP in Lisbon. In the end I stumbled upon a good hotel price-quality with the Fairmont Quasar in Istanbul and fair flight prices and timings on Turkish Airlines to Istanbul.
For Istanbul I was comparing the Fairmont and Sofitel, both offering rooms with lounge access (which is a preference for Sam).
The Sofitel was much more centrally located near Taksim, but required an extra change on the metro to and from the airport. The Fairmont is located towards the edge of the city, but had a non-stop ride to and from the airport on the metro and a direct connection on another metro to the city centre. Combining that with the fabulous experience I had at the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac in Quebec I elected the Fairmont in Istanbul, hoping to get a similar experience.
While the hotel didn’t send us a mail in advance to discuss welcome arrangements, we did get a Whatsapp message when at the airport to ask us what time we would arrive so they could be ready for us, which made us feel welcome.
Finding the entrance of the hotel when walking from the metro from the airport wasn’t quite straightforward. The hotel is located in one of the high-rises built on the site of the former Quasar Liquor factory. The old building is preserved and is now a museum.
While this would provide an excellent and impressive entrance for the hotel, it being a museum meant that the hotel entrance was at the back side in a small street. While it was clearly indicated and accessible by car, the way there by foot was less intuitive and felt like entering through the servants’ quarters. I assume that a hotel of the standing of Fairmont indeed sees most people arriving by car thus there is less need for pedestrian access, but this still could be improved.
Upon entry into the hotel there was a security check with an X-ray for bags and a metal detector for people. After that we turned left towards the check-in desks. As there was no one waiting in front of us, we were assisted immediately.
As the clerks English wasn’t the best we struggled a bit with a language barrier upon check-in, which made Sam feel like the man was being really rude while he actually was very friendly but just not sure how to express it in the right way in English. He explained all of the things of the hotel and then accompanied us to the room.
We had booked a Gold Room, and we received a Gold Room on the 16th floor, no upgrade this time (which would have been to a suite, but the hotels aren’t obliged to do that). The room was spacious and nicely decorated. There was a comfy king size bed, with powerplugs and usb plugs at both sides. The light controls where with some sort of smart, touch sensitive panels. I would have preferred proper switches as these panels wheren’t always the most ergonomic and responsive.
Near the window was a big couch and desk/table. The minibar was tucked away in what looked like an old-style trunk near the window. The minibar was well stocked and the pricelist could be read by scanning a QR code.
There was a complimentary water bottle which could be refilled in the refill point in the hallway and of course a nespresso coffee machine and a water kettle tucked away in a box. For the tea they also had a proper teapot, a first in a hotel for me. As a welcome gift we had received a bowl of fruit.
The bathroom could be closed off using a sliding door. The wet cell had a glass, but not see-through wall in between it and the bedroom, of which Sam questions the use of. The bath was of a nice, half floating design. It located next to the shower meant it could overflow and the overflow drained using the shower drain. The shower itself had a handheld head as well as a big rainforest shower head.
There where spacious his and her sinks, while the toilet with bidet function was located behind a tinted glass dividing door.
The products used where of the lovely Fairmont specific Le Labo Rose 31. As is usual these days they were provided in multiple use pump bottles. Sam discovered upon taking a bath the first night that the soap was ’empty’, after a quick call downstairs to reception a new bottle of soap and shampoo where delivered. Later we found out that the bottles weren’t empty but that the pump was defective and didn’t pump anymore, maybe housekeeping should check that too. Another thing they should consider is bolting a second set in the shower, as now the set is bolted on the wall next to the bath, it is not very user friendly if you want to use them in the shower as you can’t move them.
There was also plenty of soft towels, bathrobes and slippers provided.
As we booked a Gold room, the highlight was access to the Gold Lounge on the 15th floor where we could get snacks and soft drinks all day long from 7h to 22h and alcohol and tapas during happy hour from 17h to 20h.
The lounge was nicely designed with several smaller sections divided using bookracks. There was a mix of different types of seats, but we almost always ended up in the same section as that was most comfortable for us.
The lounge had a small but nice outside terrace, which could be lovely when the weather outside is warm and sunny but during our cold and snowy visit we didn’t really make use of it.
All day long there where snacks like croissants and pastries (probably left over from breakfast, but a smart way to avoid throwing them away) there were also some sandwiches and delicious desserts.
During happy hour you had a full selection of hard liquors and a nice selection of salads and proper warm dishes. The lounge food allowed you to make a full meal out of it. Every day there was a different offer.
In the morning they didn’t serve breakfast in the lounge but instead invited gold guests to come to the buffet breakfast In the restaurant downstairs. Upon seating they immediately asked us what drinks we wanted and what type of egg dish.
Our tea, coffee and fruit juice where swiftly served and as the waiter heard me talking to Sam about getting some water to drink he immediately came around with a glass of water.
We had ordered some eggs Benedict, but they were made using turkey instead of ham (obvious as Turkey is a muslim country). When Sam didn’t eat his Turkey as he didn’t like the taste of it and missed his proper bacon, the servers pulled out all stocks to get an alternative that tasted like bacon (as they obviously didn’t have pork products in the hotel).
The buffet was also extensive, with lots of local Turkish delicacies alongside more international options. Too much to choose from.
Upon finishing our breakfast the first morning they wouldn’t let us go before tasting one of their delicious crepes, filled with nuttella and strawberries and topped with pistachio, brought to us by the head chef himself. They also gave Sam a coffee to go when leaving the restaurant on both days.
Another peculiarity of the hotel was that they had an indoor smoking area, with terrace heaters (as it in the summer it could be opened op) to warm you. This was actually quite a cosy spot to relax and made smokers feel less punished.
The beautiful outdoor pool on the 5th floor was of course closed due to the snow and cold weather but looked like a very enjoyable space to swim around during warm and sunny weather.
Luckily the spa in the basement offered a nice indoor pool, with some nice loungers alongside it.
In the male and female changing rooms where the separated saunas, Turkish steam bath and experience showers for each. The entire spa complex was very nice and designed in a oriental design.
All in all we had a very nice experience at the Fairmont Quasar Istanbul. I was very happy they lived up to the standards I expected after staying at the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac in Quebec and makes me want to stay at more Fairmont properties in the future (when the budget allows for it).
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