Sumahan on the water

Sumahan on the water

At the edge of the Bosphorus in Çengelköy, a converted 1820s Ottoman factory that once produced suma, the raw spirit behind Turkish rakı, now holds rooms named for waterside neighborhoods rather than numbers, and guests can arrive by sea taxi across the strait, the same route barges once used to keep the old stills running. The hotel is a family affair: architects Nedret and Mark Butler have run Sumahan on the Water since 2005, and the result shows in details that outlast trends, a wood fireplace lit on request from November to March, a private Turkish hamam in some suites, and Bosphorus views from every room. Waterfront Restaurant sits on a garden terrace by the water, serving Turkish and Mediterranean food across breakfast, lunch and dinner, while a library, a gym, a massage room and a concierge round out the stay. What separates it from Istanbul's other water-view hotels is that sea crossing itself, a ritual that makes arrival part of the trip instead of a formality before it. Free parking and airport transfer are available, staff speak English and Turkish, and pets are not permitted. This suits travelers who want Istanbul at a remove, a quiet garden and water instead of a hotel entrance on a tourist strip. It does not suit anyone travelling with children under twelve, who aren't accepted as guests, or anyone who wants to walk to the major sights, since this sits nine kilometres out and reaches them by boat, car or transfer rather than on foot. Come for the water lapping at the garden and the old distillery's bones, not for proximity to anything you could reach on foot. A converted 1820s Ottoman distillery on the Bosphorus, reached by its own sea taxi crossing, run by the same family since 2005 with private hamams and Bosphorus views in every room. It suits travelers who want quiet water over walking distance to the sights, not families with children under twelve.