Veronica Kohlbecker

Review of The Grand Tarabya

This review is based on very high expectations bei...

This review is based on very high expectations being a Leading hotels of the world property.

Rooms and suites
The rooms are beautiful, very clean and on a very high standard.

The suites have a large bath and shower, separate toilet. The twin/ double rooms / standard are beautiful and spacious.

Minus was switching on the bath and yellow water started coming out as it was clearly not used in a while or checked.

The Bosphorous view is worth the price over the marina view (which is a little more lovely as the bosphorous view is very calm). The garden view is a very small garden and not as bright.

The restaurant
The breakfast is great with a large buffet and a terrace with marina view. They are happy to try to accommodation special dietary requirement. The managers were always around double checking and overseeing and making sure guests were happy.

Apart from I would question some cleanliness, when asked to clean baby bottles. They came back stinking.

There were very few ENGLISH speaking staff or any other language speakers in the restaurant to make any complicated orders but if you managed with some google suggestions usually they did accommodate. Just required a little patience.

They were excellent with kids meals and making the children happy. So a Bonus there!

The bar
The bar is a very simple hotel bar nothing glamorous, casual, but the waiters know how to make a good cocktail. The decor is a little old fashioned and cheap for such a high hotel standard.

The spa / gym/ pool
The spa is very big, treatment rooms are beautiful. The relaxation room is bare, cold and looks onto the kids swimming pool. The treatments and therapists are very good.

Outdoor and indoor pool is clean and spacious.

However the pool service is beyond terrible, seems like one person works and a lot of other people stand around waiting not to do anything. 2 days at the pool took 45 mins at a time to bring a drink, everyone ordered 2/3 drinks in advance in anticipation of the terrible service. Pool staff didn t even notice people standing around sharing sunloungers, which you have to ask for they are not put out for guests unless requested. Nor are towels. It s a shame as the pool design is beautiful and the menu is full. The food at the pool is average.

The coffee shop
Deserves 5 stars, staff are very attentive, food is excellent with a large selection. Highly recommend getting takeaway from here instead of room service. Lunch and dinner options are great and it was always full, with a nice view.

Room service
Is a questionable, food is average . We were attending a wedding and staying on one floor so most people had room service at one point or another. One room both got very serious food poisoning, my sons meals never arrived with the correct ingredients.

Tours / Activities
The hotel is close to shopping malls and a few top level restaurants.

Taking a public boat or private boat down the Bosphorous is the most incredible experience, the concierge organised it very professionally with discounts and made sure we were taken very good care of. Concierge staff are really top level and know their jobs very well.

Airport
Very convenient to fly into Istanbul s main airport as the airport is 35-45 minutes away.

Downsides
- Internet is extremely slow even at low occupancy.
- Only the managers, reception and concierge speak good english so hard to make any difficult requests.
- there is a big difference in service from the managers or the lower tier staff.
- the spa only uses Thalgo products so if you have allergies orvpregnant and not able to use algae products then you are limited.
- We had a special event rate which only took 2 months to chase down the sales manager with emails and calls and the groom called to chase him. We were booking several rooms for us a suite, nanny and family members. All rooms were quoted different prices and told that unless we pay more we can t be on the same floor because the garden rooms didn t exist on our floor. Which it did when we arrived.