Latest Review Set : Vault Karakoy Istanbul

PHOTO: View from The Penthouse at Vault Karakoy in Istanbul, Turkey courtesy of Vault Karakoy

Shortly, I will be en route to my first trip to Istanbul and am very much enthused at the opportunity to explore this historic city. The iconic visual of Haga Sophia is an absolute must for anyone who has ever once glimpsed the skyline of Istanbul in a photo, while the Blue Mosque, and of course the gorgeous Bosphorous River, have their own allure.

I am thankful to my hosts Turkish Airlines, as well as the Vault Karakoy and the Four Seasons Bosphorous, for their hospitality during this visit.

PHOTO: A room at the Vault Karakoy courtesy of Vault Karakoy

Since this is my first visit, I have been scouring available clips and happened upon this great article about the Karakoy neighborhood in Istanbul by my friends over at The Wall Street Journal: http://www.wsj.com/articles/karakoy-istanbuls-hippest-hood-1425595607.

Of particular note in the WSJ article is this gorgeous Small Luxury Hotels of the World member Vault Karakoy. Formerly a bank -- hence the moniker "Vault" -- this hotel was restored by the Agha Khan award-winning Turkish architect Han Tümertekin, while the luxurious modern interiors were designed by Sinan Kafadar who was inspired by its imposing bank vaults. You can also read this great more in-depth piece by The New York Times on just the Vault Karakoy: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/10/travel/hotel-review-vault-karakoy-in-istanbul.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share.

Be sure to tune into the blog later in July for a full review!