The Peninsula Istanbul Presents Its Acclaimed Creative Collaborators

In anticipation of its opening on 14 February 2023, The Peninsula Istanbul revealed the innovative, mainly Turkish creators whose craftsmanship have helped to shape the stunning new property. These creative partners, including celebrated interior designer Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu, art consultant Çağla Saraç landscape architect Enzo Enea, fashion designer Arzu Kaprol, and two-Michelin-starred chef Fatih Tutak, were announced at a press briefing on 17 January 2023. The event was held in the soaring-ceilinged former 20th-century ferry terminal that has been transformed into the hotel’s grand waterfront Lobby.

The gathering included a signature Peninsula Afternoon Tea service, an iconic offering at Peninsula properties around the world, and introduced the creative partners, whose work exemplifies the ingenuity and artistic traditions for which Türkiye is legendary. The event was hosted by principals of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Ltd., parent company of The Peninsula – including Clement Kwok, Managing Director and CEO; Peter Borer, Chief Operating Officer, and Mark Kobayashi, Senior VP of Sales & Marketing. Also present was Jonathan H. Crook, The Peninsula Istanbul’s Managing Director.

“This is an important milestone for our group. Istanbul is one of the world’s most dynamic cities and truly embodies East meets West. It offers such an incredible blend of ancient and modern,” says Clement Kwok, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Ltd., The Peninsula’s parent company. “As a company with an exceptional heritage which also looks firmly to the future, we are looking forward to welcoming local guests and international visitors to experience The Peninsula’s world-renowned luxury hospitality and service.”
 
“It is a great pleasure to have partnered with some of Türkiye’s most preeminent creative minds to craft our hotel’s distinctive aesthetic,” Mr. Crook said at the event. “As well as providing an authentic and beautiful environment for guests, these artists are also carrying on the cultural legacies of their home country.”

A Cast of Creative Luminaries

The collaborative efforts of The Peninsula Istanbul’s artisan partners have allowed every aspect of the new hotel – its gardens, its cuisine, its exclusive fragrance, the interior appointments of all public spaces and guest accommodations – to be impeccably curated. The results embody both distinctively Turkish style and the classic elegance characteristic of The Peninsula.  

The Peninsula Istanbul’s creative partners include the following:

• Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu, an architectural and interior designer, has created inimitable public and private spaces throughout the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the US – including, most famously, Istanbul’s own Şakirin Mosque.  Her signature style integrates modern design elements with regional craftsmanship details, meticulously transforming them into forms of striking beauty, as seen in the elegant interiors of The Peninsula Istanbul.

• Award-winning international landscape architect Enzo Enea, specialized in creating outdoor spaces and gardens in all climate zones worldwide (including private designs for royals and celebrities and the world’s unique Enea tree museum which blends old trees rescued from felling with contemporary sculpture) brought his expert eye and knowledge of native flora to The Peninsula Istanbul’s sweeping, iconic property fronting the Bosporus. The exceptional location was subject to thorough research: collecting information on shadow cast, rainfall, wind, and light conditions by season informed the design and layout of the landscape. Of the project, Mr. Enea said, “When I first visited the site, I immediately felt its singular genius loci (the spirit of the place) connected to the historical quarter of Karaköy.  We wanted to integrate the Peninsula Hotel in its surroundings and articulate the landscape as unifying element around the four buildings.”

• Çağla Saraç, the Academic & Art Advisor at Dogus Group, one of Türkiye’s largest business conglomerates, has worked extensively with the country’s Ministry of Culture to protect and promote her home country’s artistic treasures. She applied her deep expertise in modern and classical Turkish art to select the diverse collection of original artworks displayed throughout the communal spaces and guest lodgings at The Peninsula Istanbul. 
  
  
• The collections of Turkish-born fashion designer Arzu Kaprol have regularly appeared at Paris Fashion Week and are carried at discerning retail outlets including Harrods in London, Bergdorf Goodman in New York, and Montaigne Market in Paris. Her exacting craftsmanship, combined with her modern sensibility and affinity for unusual fabrics, are evident in the bespoke wardrobe she has created for employees of The Peninsula Istanbul.
  
  
• Nishane founders; Mert Güzel and Murat Katran, both as passionate lovers of mysterious scents and the rich heritage of the city they were both born and raised, curated the exclusive fragrance “Citrus Fig & Bosphorus Breeze” for The Peninsula Istanbul’s collection of in-room bath products. While creating the scent, Nishane focused on the fig trees of Istanbul which date back to Byzantine times. To complement the fig with a freshness and charm, the citrusy and flowery notes of lemon, mandarin, lavandin, lily of the valley and jasmine were added to the evoke the complexity and beauty of the city. The scented amenities are all free of harmful chemicals such as parabens and silicone; and in keeping with The Peninsula’s commitment to sustainable luxury, use packaging that is 99.9% free of single-use petroleum plastics.
  
  
• The first and only two Michelin-starred Turkish chef Fatih Tutak has enjoyed a globe-spanning career, during which he has achieved some of gastronomy’s most prestigious accolades. Working at two of the most celebrated restaurants in the world – NOMA in Copenhagen, and Nihonryori Ryugin in Tokyo – Fatih Tutak spent a great deal of time in China and Hong Kong where his passion for Asian and Silk Road cuisine began to flourish.  He returned to his home city after 16 years and eventually opened, Turk Fatih Tutak, and is now creating deliciously innovative Turk-Asian cuisine in his role as Chef Director of The Peninsula Istanbul’s stunning rooftop restaurant, Gallada. This show-stopping venue incorporates a collection of exquisitely appointed spaces – including a main dining room lavishly appointed with Turkish fabrics, fixtures, and tile mosaics; a palatial alfresco terrace where pomegranate trees and a cascading fountain frame unparalleled views over the Bosphorus and the Old City. 

Heritage Glamour on the Bosphorus

The Peninsula Istanbul, the newest addition to The Peninsula’s portfolio of peerlessly elegant and luxurious worldwide properties, will officially open on 14 February 2023. Guests wishing to plan a stay or an event at the stunning new hotel can now do so through their preferred travel advisor, or via The Peninsula Istanbul’s website, www.peninsula.com/istanbul. The site showcases the property’s diverse array of magnificently appointed rooms, suites, and gathering venues; its compound of graceful buildings, lavish gardens, and outdoor spaces; and its location within Galataport, a new waterfront revitalisation project featuring museums, restaurants, and boutiques in the harbour district of Karaköy.

For reservation options, please: 

1. Call our 24-hour Global Customer Service Centre at Reservations Toll-Free Numbers
2. Visit www.peninsula.com for direct reservations online
3. Speak with your preferred travel advisor