Moevenpick Hotel Istanbul - Istanbul, Turkey 

This Hotel is located in the financial district which is 20 minutes by metro to Taksim, the main shopping and sightseeing area. This area is currently being developed, hence there is a lot of building work locally. There is one good shopping mall, Kanyon Mall 10 minute walk away which contains several shops and restaurants. We found nothing else in the area for tourists. Hotel is situated on a very busy main road and prices in the bar were extortionate. Staff were helpful and friendly.

This hotel is fantastic. From the welcoming staff in immaculate uniforms, to the valet parking service, to the smart and clean rooms, to the key operated lift - everything was as you would expect from a 5* swiss chain. We were disappointed, though, to find that not everything was perfect. On our second day, the mini-bar was not refilled, and it took 2 requests to housekeeping before we were brought the wrong items: and a further 20 minutes to get the correct items. There is a pillow menu in the room, but having a different pillow delivered also took 2 requests and 24 hours wait. The restaurant food is superb, outstanding and reasonably priced. The service staff tend to be a little over-powering in their desire to please, but I'm not sure that's really a complaint! However, the weekend is quiet in the hotel, and with an empty restaurant the quality of service drops dramatically. It took 2.5 hours for a 2 course meal - which is stretching one's patience a little! Having said that, when we mentioned our concerns at check out, we were dealt with quickly and efficiently. We were invited to a conference with the duty manager, chef and F&B manager who listened with genuine concern. They were apologetic, friendly and seemed keen to know how they could improve. Unlike some hotels, I really felt that they would actually take notice. I didn't feel as if I was being 'fobbed off'! They also didn't offer discount on the bill which is so often the easy option in hotels of less quality. Overall, I'd recommend it. The location is great, and whilst it is expensive, it's worth the money. It's not perfect - but it's trying very hard to be.