Splendid Palace Hotel

On Büyükada, as well as the other Princes’ Islands, horse-drawn carriages and bicycles are still the only means of public transportation. Splendid Palace Hotel was inaugurated in 1908. Though inspired to some extent by “Art Nouveau”, the hotel clearly displays an east /west synthesis in architectural design with its bright inner courtyard encircled with rooms, and the pillars on floors around the courtyard. Splendid Palace has been operated by the founding family since the beginning according to the heritage of the 6th generation family members. İt is the only hotel in Turkey of its kind. It is recognized as a Class 1 national monument by the Ministry of Culture. There are 60 rooms and 9 suites to accommodate 130 guests. The swimming pool in a verdant surrounding of trees is the outcome of a building design in harmony with nature. Splendid Palace Hotel is one of Turkey’s handful of hotels that have been assigned special status by the Tourism Ministry, due to its unforgettable historical and cultural heritage. The New York Times describes the Splendid Palace as "an Art Nouveau-flavoured wedding cake of a hotel, located only two blocks from the clock tower. Built in 1908, the hotel is double-domed, white as icing, and grandly down-at-heel, with four tiers of balconied rooms and crimson shutters. In 2015, Splendid Palace became the home of the fantastic “O Sentimental Machine” installation by William Kentridge at the 14th Istanbul Biennial, SALTWATER.