Istanbul has long been popular as a tourist destination, but thanks to significant infrastructure investment and its geographical position on the cusp of Europe and Asia, this ancient metropolis has also emerged as a leading destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE).
In May 2012, the International Congress and Convention Association ranked Turkey’s largest city the most popular in the world for meetings of 500 delegates upwards. Tolga Tuyluoglu, director of the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office, says: “Istanbul’s success as a MICE destination is thanks to its purpose-built infrastructure, varied incentives and great flight connections.”
Istanbul is certainly well set-up for large-scale events – it has seven purpose-built convention centres and three exhibition centres, all large enough to accommodate the biggest of international gatherings. But it also has an excellent range of hotel facilities for more modestly sized meetings, options for which continue to grow.
Five-star properties to have opened last year include the 259-room Le Méridien Istanbul Etiler, which has three ballrooms (the largest holding 600 for a banquet), and the 210-room Wyndham Istanbul Kalamis Marina hotel, which has a 410-capacity ballroom.
Set to open next month, meanwhile, is the 186-room Shangri-La Bosphorus, which will have two ballrooms with capacities of 200 and 1,000. And at the end of this year, a 180-room Raffles hotel will open in the mixed-use Zorlu Centre. Here is our pick of venues and incentives in the city.
Pera Palace Hotel Jumeirah
A landmark hotel for the city, this five-star property originally opened in 1895 – Jumeirah began managing it last year. As well as boasting a lengthy list of famous guests – including Ernest Hemingway, Agatha Christie and Greta Garbo, all of whom have suites dedicated to them – it’s a place of many firsts. The hotel hosted the city’s inaugural fashion show in 1926, and is the home of the first-ever electric lift in Turkey – a stunning mahogany structure with intricate cast iron fresco doors. The sense of history and understated luxury of the 115-room property make it the perfect venue for memorable events with a touch of old-fashioned glamour.
Murano glass chandeliers hang from the ceiling of the Grand Pera ballroom, which offers magnificent views of the Golden Horn at sunset and can seat 120 guests for a banquet. The Pasa and Aynali rooms can each hold 45 people for dinner. The newest space, the Galata room, is 215 sqm, and divides into three. Situated in the Pera district, the hotel is 5km from the old city and a short walk from Istiklal Street, the city’s main shopping promenade.
- 52 Mesrutiyet Caddesi; jumeirah.com
Marmara Esma Sultan Palace
Located on the shores of the Bosphorus in the Ortakoy district, this beautiful glass and iron structure is housed behind the crumbling façade and ruins of a historic palace. Once home to Esma Sultan, daughter of Sultan Abdulaziz, the 32nd Ottoman ruler, it has been used variously as a Greek school, a storage depot and tobacco warehouse. It reopened in 2001 as a cutting-edge, wifi-equipped meeting space over two floors.
The ground level can seat 250 people theatre-style, while the upper floor hosts 400. Five-star catering and accommodation can be provided by the nearby 376-room Marmara Taksim hotel, which has its own impressive meeting facilities – some 20 rooms holding between 40 and 500 theatre-style in each.
- Marmara Esma Sultan, Muallim Naci Cad; esmasultan.themarmarahotels.com; Marmara Taksim, Taksim Square; taksim.themarmarahotels.com
Ciragan Palace Kempinski
Located on the banks of the Bosphorus with stunning views of the river, this 313-room hotel, housed in a palace dating back to 1863, is arguably one of the finest among the city’s many five-star deluxe properties. It boasts a heated river-facing infinity pool, a Sanitas spa with a hammam bath, and four decadent restaurants. There are 16 meeting spaces – the smallest holds 16 boardroom-style, the largest 1,100 theatre-style. Traditional Turkish cooking and pottery classes can be arranged, as can transfers by limousine, boat or helicopter.
- Ciragan Caddesi 32; kempinski.com/istanbul
Sumahan
This boutique hotel opened in 2005 and is geared to holding intimate high-level meetings. Housed in a former 19th-century Ottoman distillery, it is situated right on the waterfront on the upper reaches of the Bosphorus, close to Cengelkoy on the Asian side of Istanbul. Each of its 24 rooms and suites has contemporary design, ever-changing river views and wifi. The property has only one dedicated meeting room for up to 30 delegates, but corporate clients frequently book the whole hotel for receptions and board meetings. Larger parties can make use of the 250-capacity outdoor terrace, which overlooks the river, during summer.
- Kuleli Caddesi 51, Cengelkoy; sumahan.com
Grand Cevahir Hotel and Convention Centre
Only 15 minutes’ drive from Ataturk airport and ten minutes from the Old City, the Grand Cevahir has 323 rooms and 22 meeting spaces – the largest boardroom is for 60 delegates, the smallest for 12 – and all are wifi equipped. The Cevahir auditorium holds 1,013 people and allows simultaneous translation of up to eight languages, while the pillar-free Cevahir Ballroom holds 1,700 guests for a banquet. There are two restaurants serving Mediterranean and international cuisine, as well as an extensive spa, a fitness centre, indoor and outdoor pools, Turkish bath, sauna and steam room.
- Darulaceze Caddesi 9, Sisli; gch.co.tr
Hilton Istanbul
Turkey’s first five-star hotel opened back in 1955, yet it is still one of the most popular options for conventions in the country. Situated in more than six hectares of gardens, it has 499 rooms with private balconies, many overlooking the Bosphorus. There are 27 meeting rooms and a ballroom with a capacity of 200 banquet-style. Other facilities include a fine-dining Lebanese restaurant, gym, spa, indoor and outdoor pools, steam rooms and Turkish bath. It is 45 minutes from Ataturk airport and a five-minute drive to the business and entertainment districts.
- Cumhuriyet Caddesi, Harbiye; istanbul.hilton.com
Halic Congress Centre
The Golden Horn’s historic district is home to the Halic Congress Centre, which opened in 2009. With its eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary architecture – think multiple minarets, elegant domes and majestic arches – it has arguably the finest design of the city’s convention centres. It spreads out over 102,000 sqm and offers five auditoria (the largest with a capacity of 3,008 delegates) and meeting rooms housed in four buildings linked by large halls and foyers.
The Halic section holds 10,000 banquet-style, while a 1,000-capacity ballroom offers views over the Bosphorus. Two recently built tunnels connect the centre to downtown in seven minutes.
- Sutluce Mah. Eski Karaagac Caddesi; haliccc.com
Istanbul Congress Centre (ICC)
The Istanbul Congress Centre is the largest facility in the centre of the city and opened its doors to great aplomb in 2009, when it hosted 15,000 delegates at the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
The impressive facilities, with plenty of glass and natural light, are designed for large-scale international conventions, product launches, meetings and exhibitions. There are 22 flexible spaces accommodating up to 3,705 delegates in the largest, as well as three huge auditoria. All are equipped with state-of-the-art technology. The two-storey Rumeli building can be hired on its own or in conjunction with the main venue opposite and has a rooftop terrace offering city views.
- Taskiskla Caddesi, Harbiye; iccistanbul.com
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Incentive options
Activities can be booked through local destination management companies such as CNIDUS (cnidus.com), Dekon Group (dekongroup.com.tr), EA Organisation (eaorganizasyon.com.tr), Scala Mice (scalamice.com) and Plaza Incentive and Congress Worldwide (plazatur.com).
- Hammam Indulgence Melt away tension at one of the city’s Turkish hammams (such as the Cagaloglu baths, Yerebatan Caddesi 34). Soak, steam, soap and be massaged using traditional methods. In Ottoman times the hammam also served as a place of entertainment, and belly dancing demos and classes can be arranged.
- Bosphorus Cruise No trip to Istanbul is complete without a Bosphorus cruise by day or at sunset. Dine mezze-style while gazing at iconic buildings such as the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, magnificent Topkapi Palace and Dolmabahce Palace.
- Ottoman cookery lesson Find out how traditional fare such as firin kofte (baked meat balls) is created, and learn how to put together ingredients and make dishes combining Asian, Persian, Anatolian and Aegean culinary techniques.
- Treasure hunt A great way to take in sites such as the Grand Bazaar and Sultanahmet Square. For added authenticity, add a rally where participants travel around the city in traditional dolmus taxis – vintage Fords, Plymouths and Chevrolets dating from the 1950s and 1960s. The finale can be staged in the narrow, winding streets of the Cukurcuma district, a good spot to bag an antique bargain.
- Craft Shopping Tour Take a guided trip and learn how traditional ceramics and jewellery are made. Try your hand at glassblowing and watch carpet weavers at work – learn how to distinguish the age and origin of kilims (hand-woven rugs). End with a mesmeric whirling dervish performance – these take place at the Galata Mevlevi House and Grand Bazaar, and can be booked through Les Arts Turcs (lesartsturcs.com) or Rumim Evlevi (rumimevlevi.com).
Additional reporting by Rose Dykins
