10 Karaköy Hotel

For many, many years the Morgans hotel group was perfectly content to own a significant cross-section of the New York, London, Miami and Los Angeles boutique-hotel trade. In 2014, however, their ambitions took on a rather more global character, and the first step into uncharted territory was taken by 10 Karaköy — a hotel that’s at the same time recognizably a member of the Morgans family and possessed of a contemporary Turkish character all its own. Of course, “contemporary Turkish” includes a pronounced classical tendency. The neighborhood of Karaköy may be where it’s at, but it’s also one of the city’s most ancient quarters, and the hotel makes its home in a building which, at the age of 140, is a comparatively recent arrival. Needless to say, the design, by the Turkish architect Sinan Kafadar, accommodates historical elements with ease, and is a far cry from the provocative and postmodern Starck or Wanders designs for which Morgans is otherwise famous.The interiors mix period architecture, Ottoman-influenced contemporary design, and modern furniture, much of it designed by the architect himself. And while the in-room look might be visually sparse, the experience isn’t bare-bones — all the necessities are accounted for, from wi-fi to down duvets and HD televisions, and at the top of the scale, in the suites and the penthouse, the accommodations verge on the truly high-end.As is typical of the Morgans group, there’s more going on in 10 Karaköy than what you see in the rooms. The restaurant, Brasserie Ten, serves international plates in a sensual, subtly lit ambience, while Kupaj Lounge is a typically vibrant nightspot. As, of course, is ON10, which sets its stylish crowd against the backdrop of a wraparound view of the Bosphorus and the city skyline — another instant classic from a group with plenty of previous experience.