The Adahan DeCamondo Pera is the perfect combination of historic charm and modern comforts – great location, stunning roof terrace and delicious breakfast included! Pro tip: Not for late risers, Istanbul’s nightlife pulsates right on the doorstep – a truly elegant stay amidst the hustle and bustle of this mega-metropolis.
Review #35.
Table of contents
Location
The beautiful small boutique hotel Adahan DeCamondo Pera is located in the heart of Istanbul, close to the famous Galata Tower and the main shopping street Istiklal Caddesi with its charming tram. Adahan DeCamonodo Pera is in the heart of Beyoglu, the city’s trendy old quarter. During the day, it’s a fantastic place to stroll and get lost. By night, it is a nightlife district with an endless number of bars literally right by your doorstep.
Getting there
The vast majority of travellers arrive by air. The Turkish metropolis can be reached by direct flights from all European and most major international cities. Like many cities of its size and geographical location, Istanbul has two airports. Istanbul International (IST) and Sabiha Gökcen (SAW) located on the Asian side of the city. Both are about 40 kilometres from the city centre. IST is a brand new airport with excellent connections, while SAW requires you to cross the Bosphorus and the notoriously congested bridges. From both airports you can also take the Havaist buses into the city.
We flew in with Lufthansa directly coming from Frankfurt in A321 business class. If you are interested in this flight we invite you to also see our review of this flight.
Getting to the hotel
We spent our first two nights in the city at the Grand Hyatt Istanbul and made the short journey by taxi to the Adahan DeCamondo Pera. The transfer was fairly quick, but the narrow streets of Beyoglu are usually quite busy. Parking in front of the hotel is virtually impossible, so the taxi simply left us on the side of the road a little further down.
The entrance to the hotel is not easy to find and is located to the right and left of the hotel in the alleyways up the hill. You can get to the hotel from either side.
We searched for a while, but once we found the entrance, we were met at the door and helped up the stairs with our suitcases.
Check-in & Welcome
The charming mini reception is located at the top of the two long staircases that lead up from either side of the hotel to the centre of the building. A stair lift is available for those with reduced mobility. There is, of course, a lift in the hotel itself.
During check-in, which was super friendly and extremely quick, we were also informed of the amenities as a Marriott Bonvoy Titatnium member. These included the following
- 1000 points per stay
- $10 food & beverage voucher per stay
As Autograph Collection hotels in Europe do not usually have a lounge, we were also able to choose between the following two options
- Daily breakfast for up to two people
- 750 points per night
As always, we opted for the 1000 points and the breakfast.
Adahan DeCamondo Pera at a glance
The former home of the Camondo family, built in 1868, was beautifully renovated and reopened in 2022 as Hotel Adahan DeCamondo Pera after a colourful history. The minimum age to stay here is 18.
Like almost all hotels in Istanbul, the hotel is built on a hillside. At street level there is a café, a shop and a restaurant. The floor above is the reception, lobby and gym. The floors above are the rooms and suites, and the top floor is the restaurant with a roof terrace.
History of the hotel
The Camondos, a Jewish family, came to Istanbul from Italy in the 19th century and made a career in banking – especially Abraham Camondo with his successful bank. Along the way, the Camondos supported artists and founded cultural institutions that enriched the Istanbul scene. Their famous Camondo House in Galata – now a hotel – is a testament to their influence. Despite discrimination, their legacy lives on today. Their foundations, art collections and buildings shape the city and are a symbol of Istanbul’s cultural diversity.
If you are interested in the history of the Camondo family, you can read more here.
Die Suite
Of course we booked the cheapest room category here at the Adahan DeCamondo Pera, as we almost always do, and thanks to our status with Marriott Bonvoy we were upgraded to a Junior King Suite.
So room 1204 it shall be!
The air conditioning is built into the windowsills in the rooms. This distributes the cool air perfectly, there are no ugly boxes on the wall and there is no draught directly into the bed, for example.
Living room
As soon as you walk through the door, you are in the separate living room. A junior suite is actually defined by the fact that there is a separate living area in the same room as the bedroom. A suite, on the other hand, also has a separate living room. So this junior suite would actually be a real suite – so we were really lucky. Even if the living area is a bit small.
There is a couch with a table and an armchair to relax on. There is also a low table to put your suitcase on. There is also a sideboard with a fridge and everything you need to make coffee or tea. The large TV is mounted on the wall above the dresser.
There is a beautiful bay window with 4 windows overlooking the side street.
Bedroom
To the left of the room door is the passage to the bedroom. Here you will find a king-size bed with a total of 4 pillows. Two larger & softer and two smaller & firmer – all of great quality. There is also a large, wonderfully soft duvet. The mattress is heavenly and very comfortable. We had a fantastic night’s sleep.
There are bedside tables on either side of the bed. On the left you’ll find the telephone and writing utensils. Unfortunately, there is no reading lamp on the bed, just a wall lamp on each side.
There is a small sofa at the foot of the bed. In the right corner of the room is a fully equipped small desk with a fold-out TV above it. To the left in the corner is a wardrobe with a luggage rack next to it.
The wardrobe contains an iron and ironing board, a safe, slippers, bathrobes and everything you need for cleaning.
Bathroom
The bathroom is just off the bedroom. There is a vanity unit with washbasin, toilet and walk-in rain shower. There are toiletries on the sink including soaps and body lotion. The vanity unit is completely empty. There are towels in the open area of the vanity unit. The shower is beautifully positioned in front of the window and is therefore wonderfully light. SASE GRUP shampoo, conditioner and body wash are provided.
View
We found the view from the bay window in the living room very special. It’s not really a nice view in the classic sense, but it’s definitely charming, as it looks out into the side street next to the hotel. From here you can see the hustle and bustle of the street and the cafés.
Hotel activities
Fitness Center
Located on the lobby level on the 1st floor, the gym is a relatively small space, but is appropriate for the size of the hotel. It has everything you need for a quick workout. You’ll find some cardio equipment, a multi-functional tower and a free weight area. Towels and water are also provided. There are toilets next to the gym, but you can only shower in your room.
Touren
Adahan DeCamondo Pera is an ideal base for exploring the city. You can reach the Galata Tower and the famous Istiklal Caddesi in no time.
Restaurants
Restaurant
Béatrice is the all-day dining restaurant at Adahan DeCamondo Pera. All meals of the day are served here. It also doubles as the hotel’s bar. Interestingly, the restaurant is independent and the bills cannot be charged to the rooms. We had an afternoon of room service, which had to be paid directly, as did all the other bills incurred here.
The interior is beautifully open plan with a variety of seating options. The roof is partly glass, which makes the room very bright and friendly. The windows can be shaded, however, so it doesn’t get too hot. There is a large, elegant bar at the back.
But the true highlight is the terrace, which wraps around three sides. Shaded for the most part, it also has a modern, elegant design and offers fantastic views of the Golden Horn, Galata Tower and much of the city. You can look around for hours without getting bored. I, for one, could hardly get enough of the view.
We took the opportunity to have dinner here in the evening. The choice was great, the food very tasty and the service extremely friendly and fast. Highly recommended!
Breakfast
At the Adahan DeCamondo Pera, breakfast is served in the Béatrice restaurant. Here you can enjoy a fantastic view of the city from the top floor.
It is served à la carte only – you can choose to have just the Turkish breakfast, or alternatively or additionally choose from the small menu. Hot drinks and juices are also served on the premises.
Fabi ordered a delicious French toast and I stuck with the Turkish breakfast. The choice was really huge and the quantity was almost unmanageable. Everything was really delicious and the service was again very fast and extremely friendly.
Check-out
When we checked out at the small reception desk, we had a chat with the friendly staff. Everything was well prepared and straightforward. As throughout our stay, the service was very friendly and courteous.
Costs
We paid 6,872 Turkish liras for our one night stay at the Adahan DeCamondo Pera in May 2024. That was about 185 euros at the exchange rate at the time.
Departure and onward journey
We travelled from Adahan DeCamondo Pera to the airport in a taxi booked through uber. We thought the price of 900 Turkish liras (about 24 euros) was quite reasonable. We left the hotel at around 2pm and it took us a very short 30 minutes to get to the airport on Saturday.
Have a look at our review of the return flight on this blog. Among other things, we tested the huge Turkish Airlines lounge for you in great detail.
Conclusion
The Adahan DeCamondo Pera is a truly beautiful hotel. Everything was just right here – with one caveat. There is a lot going on in the neighbourhood at the weekends and late at night it is quite noisy outside the hotel. Similar to LUME Frankfurt (review available in german only, though), you either have to sleep very soundly or party along with the crowd outside.
Other than that, the hotel is really great. Very cordial, polite and extremely nice staff. Apart from the receptionists, most of them don’t speak very good English, but they more than make up for it with their charm and wonderful smiles!
Recommendation
We would put Adahan DeCamondo Pera in the lifestyle category. It’s definitely worth a visit – singles and couples are well catered for, as are business travellers. For families, we would recommend another hotel, such as the Grand Hyatt Istanbul. There are simply more opportunities for the little ones to let off steam.
Hotel Homepage
If you want to you can book Adahan DeCamondo Pera directly through this link.*
Rating
We award the Adahan DeCamondo Pera a very good 9 out of 10 possible points.
Basically, the hotel is very nice and the service is great. The location is ideal for excursions, but unfortunately we have to deduct one point for the noisy surroundings at night. We were both pretty tired and slept well, but you shouldn’t sleep lightly here.
Go there?
Yes! Absolutely. The Adahan DeCamondo Pera is a great hotel that we are very happy to recommend!
YouTube Review
*By booking through this link you will not incur any additional costs, but we will receive a small commission, which gives us the financial means to test even more great hotels for you 😉
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