This urban oasis in the middle of Galata, the historic Genoese colony of Istanbul, has been created by an exemplary renovation project, converting a 19th-century French school to a 17-room small luxury hotel. The rooms have pretty French balconies overlooking a nice courtyard, where the hotel’s elegant Italian restaurant Il Cortile receives guests with a menu based on fresh pastas, delectable pizzas and regional Italian specialties. History aficionados will also enjoy seeing the remnants of the neighbourhood's 13th-century fortifications and the majestic silhouette of Galata Tower over the hotel courtyard.
TIME OUT TIP: While you are in the hood, see an authentic Sufi ritual in the 15th-century Galata Mevlevi House.