Good news for fans of the Raffles brand of understated
luxury and premium service: Raffles Hotels & Resorts has announced the opening
of a new hotel in Istanbul in 2012.
The hotel will be the key feature of the Zorlu
Center, one of the largest
developments the Turkish city has seen in many years.  

Slated to open in the fourth quarter of 2012 under the name
of Raffles Istanbul Zorlu Center,
the Zorlu Center is Turkey’s first integrated project, housing a performing
arts centre, offices, residential property, retail and the hotel – all with a
panoramic view of the Bosphorus Strait.

Commenting on the opening, Raffles Hotels & Resorts
President John Johnston said: “The Zorlu
Center and Raffles is an exciting
combination of different but complementary elements. The Zorlu
Center will be iconic, both in
function and design – like Raffles’ hotels. It will be a new district for the
city of Istanbul – and a
destination for people from around the world.  And being part of a
development where the arts are a key element reaffirms our own commitment to
arts, culture and sense of place.”

Developed by Zorlu Property with an investment of over 175
million dollars, the architecture and interior design of the Raffles
Istanbul Zorlu Center
design will reflect the cultural and characteristic features of Istanbul,
with 130 generously sized guestrooms and 50 suites. The hotel will hold a
ballroom with a 1,200 person capacity, two fine restaurants and bars, indoor
and outdoor swimming pools and a heliport.  It will also be home to the signature
Raffles Spa, set to be one of the largest spas in Istanbul at approximately
3,000 sq m. Hotel guests will also enjoy direct access to the Performance Arts
Centre, which will offer world-class dramas and musicals direct London and
Broadway.

Ahmet Nazif Zorlu, the Chairman of the Management Board of
Zorlu Holding, said his company was pleased to enter into this partnership with
Raffles Hotels & Resorts: “Zorlu Center
is a first for Turkey.
We are delighted and proud that Raffles has picked Zorlu
Center, as I know it chooses the
countries it invests in with extreme care. Raffles has all of the values we
were looking for, in its management and its service philosophy. I am sure the
arrival of Raffles Istanbul
Zorlu Center
will be a major contribution to our city growing as a capital of global
tourism.”

Raffles