Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Turkey / Istanbul / The Marmara Taksim
The Marmara Taksim
Istanbul, Turkey · The Marmara · Accessible Luxury
The south side of Taksim Square used to hold the Istanbul Club, an Ottoman Bank branch, and the Ankara Market. In 1976 those were gone, and Fatin Uran's Intercontinental stood in their place, a two-storey podium with a tower rising to about 83 metres. The hotel later traded as the Etap Marmara. Kiska bought it in 1984 and reopened it in 1990 as The Marmara.
- 388 rooms
- Opened 1976
- Neighborhood: Taksim
- Architect: Fatin Uran
- Interiors: Wilson Associates
About The Marmara Taksim
- Abdurrahman Hancı and Yüksel Karapınar designed the original interiors and ran competitions so Turkish ceramics, stained glass, and reliefs would be built into the hotel. About 480 artists entered.
- Wilson Associates renovated the house between 2011 and 2016, taking the palette from Ottoman kaftans: red, blue, and green, with stone and wood.
- It was the first hotel in Turkey whose whole building was electrically grounded, down through the five basement floors.
History
İstanbul Turizm ve Otelcilik Şirketi commissioned the tower. Work began in the early 1970s. Fatin Uran designed it, finishing the job after Rüknettin Güney, who had started with him, died. The hotel opened in 1976 as the Istanbul Intercontinental, on ground that had held the Istanbul Club, the Ottoman Bank's Taksim branch, and the Ankara Market.
For a few years it was the Etap Marmara. Kiska bought it in 1984 and reopened it in 1990 as The Marmara. The name on the door now is The Marmara Taksim. There are 388 rooms. Five of the floors are underground, and the tower rises to about 83 metres.
Abdurrahman Hancı and Yüksel Karapınar did the original interiors and opened competitions so Turkish artists' ceramics, stained glass, and reliefs would be part of the building. Wilson Associates renovated the hotel between 2011 and 2016, drawing the colors from Ottoman kaftans. It was the first hotel in Turkey whose whole structure was electrically grounded.
The setting
The tower stands on the south edge of Taksim Square, on Tak-ı Zafer Caddesi in Beyoğlu. Gezi Park and İstiklal Caddesi are at the door. From the roof the square, the Golden Horn, and the Bosphorus all show up in one turn of the head. The Marmara's second house, on Meşrutiyet Caddesi, is a walk down through Beyoğlu.
Restaurants and bars
- The Marmara Taksim Lobby Restaurant — Restaurant
Open The Marmara Taksim in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
More The Marmara hotels
- The Marmara Bodrum - Adult Only — Bodrum, Turkey · Accessible Luxury
- The Marmara Pera — Istanbul, Turkey · Near Luxury
- The Marmara Park Avenue — New York City, United States · Near Luxury
More hotels in Istanbul
- 10 Karakoy Istanbul — Independent · Accessible Luxury
- Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus — Conrad · Accessible Luxury
- CVK Park Bosphorus Hotel Istanbul — CVK · Accessible Luxury
- Delano Istanbul — Delano · Accessible Luxury
- Fairmont Quasar Istanbul — Fairmont · Accessible Luxury
- Gleam Collection Hotel — Independent · Accessible Luxury
The Marmara in The Maison: the brand's idea, history and every house on the atlas.