Istanbul’s Four Seasons gets prestigious awards

ISTANBUL

Jean-Paul Kyrillos, Felix Murillo, Leonardo Baiocchi and Nancy Novogrod show off their awards. (from left to right). Company photo

Travel + Leisure magazine has named the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus the number one large city hotel in Europe, and the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet the number one small city hotel in Europe in its annual “World’s Best Awards.”

The Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus was also 24th on the list of “Top 100 Hotels Overall” in Travel + Leisure’s prestigious 2012 World’s Best Awards readers’ poll.

As a newcomer to the list, the hotel is noted as a “T+L find” entry. The hotel, which is located on the shores of the Bosphorus Strait, was also named number two in Europe and number three in the Top 10 Cities category, and was noted as a “Hall of Fame” entry.

The Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet, which won the magazine’s award for “best small city hotel in Europe,” is set in the heart of that neighborhood, less than a minute’s walk from the histroic sites of the Hagia Sophia church, the Hippodrome, the Blue Mosque, and Topkapı Palace. The hotel has appeared on the list of best hotels for many years and was voted number three in the same category in 2008.

“We’re honored that the readers of Travel + Leisure have recognized us as number one among the large and small city hotels in Europe,” said Leonardo Baiocchi, general manager of the Four Seasons Hotel Bosphorus, and Félix Murillo, general manager of the Four Seasons Hotel Sultanahmet. “We thrive on creating memorable experiences for our guests, and our passionate teams will continue to make this happen in this magical city, offering a complete experience with two unique Four Seasons hotels.”

The results of the 17th annual Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards survey reveal readers’ favorite hotels, cities, islands, cruise lines, airlines, car-rental agencies, spas, safari outfitters and tour operators.