For the last stop on our trip across Asia we spent four nights at the JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus. The hotel is located inside an old soap factory on the European side of the city in the eclectic Karaköy neighborhood. It provides great views of the Bosphorus from the upper floors.
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Booking the JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus
There are a variety of different neighborhoods on both sides of the Bosphorus to explore in Istanbul but, given it was our first visit to the city and we had a 10 month old in tow, we wanted to stay close to most of the major tourist attractions.
When I booked this trip, Marriott was running a double elite night promotion so I definitely wanted to stay at a property that participated in Marriott Bonvoy this trip. I searched on Marriott.com and found a few different hotels that looked like good options before landing on the JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus.
I booked directly with the hotel via the website and ultimately paid 922.88 EUR for our four night stay in a Deluxe King Atrium View Room. I booked our initial stay months in advance but, as prices continued dropping I rebooked the trip two weeks before our arrival. Ultimately, the room cost roughly $250 per night as the Euro was in a slump when we visited.
JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus Location
As I mentioned above, the JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus is located in the Karaköy neighborhood where the Golden Horn and Bosphorus meet. The property is located one block from the water and is separated from the Bosphorus by The Peninsula Hotel and Galataport.
We arrived at the property after the worst Blacklane ride I’ve ever had and we were dropped off curbside after the trip in from Istanbul Airport, which is located roughly 25 miles to the northwest.

The property was clearly marked and we were greeted by hotel staff as soon as we pulled up to the curb.
JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus Lobby and Check-In
Before entering the lobby we first had to go through a metal detector and send all of our luggage through an X-Ray machine. Initially this was a bit alarming, especially due to the ongoing unrest during our visit, but the staff were all friendly and we walked in and out with ease for the remainder of our stay.
The best part about security was the fact that Ada, the hotel’s adopted street dog, was usually there to greet us throughout our stay.

Once we made it through security, we found ourselves in a gorgeous, but narrow, atrium. A concierge desk was set up on the righthand side.

The lobby was essentially one long hallway with rooms coming off of both sides. Most of these were associated with the various food and beverage establishments but some had seating and lounge space.



In the center of the hallway was a large piano, though it appeared to be more decorative that practical as I never saw anyone using it for the duration of our stay.

The check-in area is located off to the right after entering and is on the smaller side. A couple with way too much luggage (this is coming from a guy traveling with a 10 month old) was checking in in front of us and it took a few minutes before we were helped.

Once we made it to the front we were quickly checked in and assigned our room. While we waited, we were offered towels and a non-alcoholic welcome drink.
I knew from FlyerTalk not to expect any upgrades at this property and we were assigned exactly what we booked, a king bed, atrium view room. With check-in complete we were led up to our room by a bellman who had our luggage in tow.
JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus Guest Room
We were assigned to a room on the fifth floor that overlooked the atrium. Based on the layout of the building and the buildings on both sides of the hotel, most rooms at this property are atrium view rooms. Our room was on the far side which meant we needed to cross over using the bridge (which had floor to ceiling glass) which provided a nice view of the lobby.

Upon entering the room the bathroom was off to the right with the bedroom directly ahead. Of all of the hotels on this trip, our room here was definitely the smallest but there was still plenty of room to accommodate ATX Jr.’s crib.

The king sized bed was located on the right side and was flanked by two nightstands.

One nightstand held tissues and an alarm clock while the other had the in-room phone, notepad, and pencil. Lamps were located on both nightstands and power plugs and room controls were located on panels mounted in the wall.



Across from the bed, a large flat-screen TV is mounted on the wall above the desk. Instead of a chair, the desk had a stool so it likely wouldn’t be comfortable to work from here for long periods of time.

When we arrived, some snacks and a welcome note from the property were waiting on the desk which was a nice touch.

To the right of the TV is a chair and side table which also has a lamp above it. Windows look out into the atrium but, with other guest rooms so close, we kept these closed most of the time.


To the left of the desk was a luggage rack that was sturdy enough to hold Mrs. ATX’s giant suitcase.

Next to the luggage rack was a cabinet which held the coffeemaker, mini-bar, and refrigerator. The coffeemaker was from Nespresso and made the smaller, espresso style, pods. Two bottles of water, mugs, a kettle, and an ide bucket were all kept here and replenished throughout our trip. Coffee, tea, cream, and sugar were in a drawer underneath.


The mini-bar didn’t have a massive selection and with plenty of shops and markets located around the hotel, we never took anything from it.


A large selection of glassware was also available for guests and we used the wine glasses during our visit.

Finally, back by the front door, was the in-room closet. It held an iron, ironing board, bathrobe, extra linens, and a variety of hangars.

The bathroom was located to the right as you entered the guest room. It had a single vanity and a walk in shower which was a bit of a disappointment with ATX Jr.


Toiletries were Aromatherapy Associates branded and came in refillable bottles next to the sink and in the shower.


The toilet was located in a separate room inside of the bathroom which is always a nice touch. To this day, I still don’t understand why hotels install phones in the bathroom next to the toilet.

The room was a nice space and fit our needs perfectly. We spent most of our time out exploring the city so the size wasn’t an issue. The only thing I didn’t like was the desk setup but, we were on vacation so I wasn’t working much.
JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus Food and Beverage
There are a whopping eight food and beverage outlets on property, seven of which were open during our visit. Sky Karaköy is the property’s rooftop deck and is only open during the summer months. Unfortunately it hadn’t opened for the season when we visited so I didn’t get a chance to check it out. The photos look amazing though.

Of the seven open food and beverage establishments, we visited six of them and ate/drank at three. The only one we didn’t experience is İOKİ Nau Karaköy which serves Far Eastern food, specifically Nikkei cuisine.
Along with İOKİ Nau Karaköy, four other outlets are located on the ground floor. The Tea Lounge and Wine Cellar are both located on the ground floor. Tea Lounge is essentially part of the lobby and has a variety of seating options. Wine Cellar is available to host private dinners at the property.


At the rear of the property, along the back street, you’ll find Skull & Bones, the hotel’s cocktail bar, as well as Istanbul Baking Company which serves coffee and pastries all day. After ATX Jr. went to bed, I worked from one of the two depending on the time of day. The bar is open between 3:00p-1:00a and the coffee shop is open between 8:00a-10:00p.


The final two food and beverage outlets are located on the 9th floor at opposite ends of the building. Galata Lounge is where breakfast is served each morning. Unfortunately I dropped from Platinum to Gold just before our visit so we chose to eat breakfast out each day. However, I did drop by one evening to grab some photos.


Octo is located at the opposite end of the property from the Galata Lounge and has stunning views of the Golden Horn and Bosphorus. We had cocktails up here multiple nights during our visit while taking in the view.




JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus Spa and Fitness Center
On the second floor of the property is the fitness center and spa. The fitness center is located at the rear of the building and, while it had a good variety of equipment, they tried to cram too much into the space which made it feel cramped. If the gym was full you’d be stepping over people mid-workout to get to certain machines.



Finally, the spa was located towards the front of the building on the 2nd floor and was easy to spot as you stepped off of the elevator. We didn’t get any treatments done but from the little I saw the space is nice.

My Thoughts
While I typically don’t do this section on reviews as you’ve just finished reading an entire post containing my thoughts, I wanted to make an exception to call out the staff at the property. There wasn’t any major grand gesture but rather the little things they did throughout our stay that really stood out.
I was reading a book during the trip and, since I didn’t have a bookmark, I was using some currency I had laying around. One day while our room was being cleaned, a housekeeper stuck a bookmark in place of the money (leaving the money as well) which I thought was a cool touch.

They also left a small gift in the room for ATX Jr. Not knowing if it was a boy or a girl, the staff left a bear keychain and some hair clips which was nice.

Finally, we had an insanely early wake-up call in order to get to the airport for our flight home. When we checked out and were waiting on our car, they gave us a to-go bag filled with breakfast to eat on our ride.

Summary
Overall, we had a fantastic stay at the JW Marriott Istanbul Bosphorus. While the room was on the small side the location of the property was fantastic and we were walking distance from most of the major attractions.
Additionally, the staff were fantastic and went out of their way to make sure that we had a good experience. While I always enjoy visiting new properties, I would absolutely stay at this hotel on a future visit to Istanbul.