PlanetEye

Istanbul will be scoring a W May 6--not for a win, but for the inauguration of a sWanky hotel right on the European heights of the Bosphorus.

Neo-zen design and a slate of lip-smacking colors will woo upmarket guests looking for lodgings out of the box. Calming chocolate hues with a splash of cherry red, with gilt to top it all off, the rooms' design palette calms the spirit as it stimulates the senses.

Serenity rules supreme on the upper floors, while grooviness governs the groundfloor. Banking on its brand of streamlined ammenities like W's Living Room--a round-the-clock beehive of action suffused in cool tunes and offering yummy libation and internationally-inspired  noshes, is perhaps best of all. The same sumptuous satay served as a snack in LA is available in Istanbul. Other replicated services include the hugely successful SWEAT® fitness centers and WHATEVER/WHENEVER® concierge services. Those to call for that late night belly dancer. 

But if that's not enough to impress, prepare to leap off the culinary map into Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Spice Market restaurant. The  menu.... oh, so delightful...highlights a vinegar-infused pork vindaloo, a dish that's sure to be a hit with expats--the sale of this white meat is taboo and hard to find in this Muslim nation.

And the Austin, Texas-based hospitality giant Starwood Hotels & Resorts sure hope that all will fall for it hook, line and sinker. Choosing to launch their innovative hospitality idea in Istanbul prior to pitching it throughout the old continent, passing on Paris and lopping London off the list. Could this--and the long-awaited opening of the Four Seasons on the Bosphorus--be a sign that the city once known as Constantinople is European tourism's new darling? Guess what? It already is.  

ADDRESS: Suleyman Seba Cad No: 22; Akaretler, Besiktas; Istanbul 34357 · Turkey  PHONE: +90.212.381-2121