Hilton Hotel Istanbul

I liked this hotel but to be quite honest, I will not stay here my next time through Istanbul. Most of the historic sights are across the Bosphorus within walking distance of other hotels. The location of this Hilton is fine is you are more of a nightlife seeker than a sightseer. There were 3 restaurants in the hotel - one of which was a casual cafe style place on the ground floor and one was a not-so-convenient Chinese place which was quite the walk from the main hotel although the food was pretty decent. The signature restaurant was called The Roof on, you guessed it - the top floor. The food was awesome and it was literally right next to the executive lounge, which was nice. Speaking of the Exec Lounge, this was one of the better ones I have seen. Food selection was good, was available at all times of the day and the view of the Bosphorus would probably rival any else in the city. Plus, as I was fond of the Efes Pils beer, plenty was to be had. For those of you that place a lot of stock in the hotel gym, this one ranked about a 6 out of 10 at best. Equipment was scarce although what they had was new. There was a nice indoor pool for lap swimmers, and the outdoor pool looked awesome although it was not open yet. The spa does have a Turkish bath, which I don't understand (looked like a room full of sinks to me, perhaps someone can educate me!!) but the locker-room had a very nice steam bath, cold plunge and sauna. Overall, the gym was in the far corner of the property, which required 2 elevator rides, and about 250 meters of hallways to get to.