Fodor's Expert Review Sofa Hotel Istanbul, Autograph Collection

Editor's Note: This location is no longer in operation.

Design is the emphasis here, with large rooms that have attractive contemporary textiles and furniture in neutral tones, including an eponymous trademark sofa. Pieces by contemporary Turkish artists are displayed in public areas and in a dedicated gallery space/event facility across from the reception, while the underground level has a small but attractive spa and wellness center, complete with a plunge pool and hammam. There's a (pricey) rooftop restaurant and bar, and Istanbul's best shopping and other cosmopolitan attractions of Nişantaşı are just steps away. Rooms categories vary greatly; "tranquility" rooms, which face an interior atrium, are the quietest but don't receive much natural light, and rooms ending in 07 have only an artificial window.