Europe’s best hotel isn’t found in London or Paris, Rome or Zurich. According to travel professionals, that title belongs to the Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul in Turkey, a property that was formerly an Imperial Ottoman palace.
At the World Travel Awards in Athens, Greece -- the event that bills itself as the Oscars of the travel industry -- the luxury hotel took the title of Europe’s leading hotel for the second year in a row over the weekend.
A former Imperial Ottoman palace, the property sits along the Bosphorus coast and harkens the grandeur of the era with ornate Arabic and Middle Eastern decor, columns, arches and lush tropical palm trees.
Rich dark wood-paneled suites come with writing desks, a ‘pillow menu’ and balconies in every room.
Venetian property the Belmond Hotel Cipriani in Italy took the title of leading luxury hotel in Europe for offering fairy tale views of the lagoon or garden and rooms decorated in old-world, Venetian opulence.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a European vacation idea that bypasses the usual suspects like London, Paris and Rome, consider Yorkshire, England, which was named the leading destination in Europe for the second year in a row.
When the region captured the title last year, it was the first time in 17 years that a county rather than a city was given the award.
While it’s been forever immortalized in English literature as a tertiary character in Emily Bronte’s 19th-century classic “Wuthering Heights,” today the region has carved out a reputation as being a gastronomic destination with six Michelin-starred restaurants in the county, more than any other region outside London.
The county has also received a major tourism boost thanks to the period drama series "Downton Abbey."
Here are a few other big winners in hotel and destination categories for Europe:
Leading all-inclusive resort: Pestana Porto Santo Beach Resort & Spa, Portugal
Leading beach destination: Corfu, Greece
Leading boutique hotel: Vila Joya, Portugal
Leading island destination: Madeira islands
Leading luxury resort: Conrad Algarve, Portugal
Leading tourist attraction: Acropolis, Athens, Greece
Most romantic resort: Vila Vita Parc, Portugal
Leading city break destination: Geneva, Switzerland
Leading city break hotel: Hotel Fouquet’s Barriere, Paris
Leading design hotel: The Vine Hotel, Portugal
Leading all-inclusive resort: The Pestana Porto Santo All-Inclusive & Spa Beach Resort
Source: Relaxnews