Istanbul’s historic Maçka Palas – built in 1922 by the Italian architect Guilio Mongeri and one of the finest buildings in the city – has now become home to Park Hyatt Istanbul-Maçka Palas, following the opening of the hotel on 7th November 2008. Mongeri, who was from Milan, was inspired by the elegant Palazzos in his creation of Maçka Palas, which is located in the fashionable NiÅantaÅı residential and shopping district.
The hotel combines the traditional architecture of an Art Deco building with innovative interior design, the work of Randy Gerner of Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel in New York City. Gerner’s design intent was to mesh together the rich history of Art Deco buildings and the city with state-of-the-art amenities. Historic Turkish patterns and icons are represented in contemporary scale and composition, while fine architectural details have been painstakingly restored, complementing contemporary finishes and lighting. Classic walnut in varying finishes and anodised bronze runs throughout the hotel.
The newly opened Park Hyatt Istanbul-Maçka Palas does, of course, have all the facilities and features (plus more) that are synonymous with the Park Hyatt brand – though where Park Hyatt hotels are typically small and distinguished properties designed to meet the needs of discerning individual travellers, the grander Park Hyatt Istanbul-Maçka Palas represents a further step in Hyatt’s development in Europe.
Andrea Wren is a freelance journalist and owner of Wren Elite Travel.
