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Whether you’re looking for seaside getaways, reinvented spaces, classics reborn, urban sanctuaries, or adventure retreats, these hotels make being on the road feel like home. This is hospitality in the 21st century.

A trip to one of Europe’s most unusual celebrations helps a traveler beat the winter blues.

Free layover tours at increasingly popular Asian and Middle Eastern hubs now allow connecting passengers to explore the city beyond the airport in-between flights.

Actresses, athletes, politicians, and even members of royalty bless new ships before they set sail

Head here to disconnect with life’s stress.

How to skip the crowds and have a true Amalfi experience

Split! Eight Quirky Border Towns

Overview

Istanbul is a city where the past collides with the present. The Raffles Istanbul, connected to the high-end retail hub of the Zorlu Center, beautifully exemplifies the contrasts. To get a taste of the Ottoman empire, book a room at the Four Seasons Bosporus, set in the restored Atik Pasha Palace. Modernists should stay at the Marti Hotel, located in the heart of the city’s business district. For the cool kids, there’s the House Hotel, which oozes urban Bauhaus style. And no matter where you stay, the hotel concierges will be more than happy to direct you to the city’s biggest sites, from the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace to the Hagia Sophia.

A cosmopolitan gem nestled at the crossroads of civilizations, İstanbul invites curious travelers to unravel its secrets, from the grandeur of Topkapı Palace to the bohemian streets of Balat.

Tour the Greek Isles on Windstar’s seven-day cruise through the Aegean, which includes ancient sites, beautiful beaches, and one-of-a-kind experiences.

Walk into Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya) and look up to the heavens to see why so many conquerors and their respective religions claimed this basilica turned mosque turned museum as their own. Visitors will swoon over the Byzantine gilded mosaics, hanging chandeliers, purple marble columns, Islamic calligraphic slates, and tiled seraphim. The existing structure is an architectural wonder in itself, having stood the test of time since the 6th century.

One of Istanbul‘s oldest churches, later turned mosque, is an easy ten-minute walk from the Hippodrome and its namesake, the Hagia Sophia. Construction on the Little Hagia Sophia (or Küçük Ayasofya in Turkish) began in 527 AD and was completed in 536, predating the Hagia Sophia, which was built from 532 to 537, by just a few years. The church, dedicated to Saints Sergius and Bacchus, has often been described as a trial run for the grand building up the hill, though this perhaps overstates the case. While both buildings are believed to be by the same architects and have a similar open plan under soaring domes, there are significant differences in their structures. Regardless of debates about its architectural pedigree, the building, which was converted to a mosque at the beginning of the 16th century, provides an opportunity to admire Byzantine architecture without the crowds. Don’t miss the gorgeous marble columns on the ground floor and the second-floor gallery.

Gülhane Park, recently renovated with the zoo and other structures removed, sits on Sarayburnu peninsula at the base of Topkapı Palace of which it was formerly a part. In April, millions of tulips bloom in colorful displays to celebrate Turkey’s national flower, but all year round the promenade, green lawns, and tea gardens overlooking the Bosphorus are a great place to unwind and watch the world go by.

The sun sets over Istanbul as I am coated head to toe with aromatic clay and served fresh fruit sprinkled with pistachios under the heavenly dome of a 457 year old hamam. Tenderly, my attendant washes me before lathering my body with olive oil soap and encasing me in a plume of ticklish bubbles. Like a mother to a child, she washes me again as the call to pray of the Blue Mosque and Aya Sophia echo outside. This is ‘life’ at the Aya Sophia Hurrem Sultan Hamami. The hamam is named after the famous 16th-century Ottoman icon Hurrem, or Roxolana as she is also known. Hurrem went from slave girl to favored concubine, to legal wife of the most popular Sultan Suleiman. She gave birth to princes and princess and greatly influenced the politics of the Ottoman Empire. The hamam was built by Ottoman architect, Mimar Sinan to honor her in 1556. It is nestled between the Blue Mosque and Aya Sophia. The hamam offers 5 star packages with 5 star services that leave you completely blissed out. I had the uber-relaxing 90 minute Ab-I Hayat Package consisting of wash, body mask, scrub, bubbles and 40 minute oil massage. Whilst other hamams are cheaper, you won’t be disappointed here. Private changing rooms and massage rooms, golden bath bowls, silk and cotton towels, tasty blackberry sherbet drink—the personalized service is truly special. With the motto, “Some rituals never die” the hamam’s luxuries will leave you feeling like Sultan Hurrem herself.