A former textile store has been converted to a luxury boutique hotel in Nisantasi, Istanbul’s hippest district. The all-suites Gallery Residence is a unique alternative to hotels, apart-hotels and serviced apartments. Owned, created and run by an architect, the hotel’s name and concept are inspired by the world of art.
Istanbul, the intriguing city with its distinctive blend of opposites, recently gained a unique accommodation alternative with a similarly diverse personality. Gallery Residence is owned, created and run by architect Yalcin Saglikova, whose 40 years of architectural creations include the Istanbul World Trade Center and Istanbul Chamber of Commerce building renovation.
"We merged the best qualities of various accommodation concepts, while avoiding negative characteristics of each. Gallery Residence demonstrates that a luxury hotel does not have to feel stodgy, a hip hotel does not have to feel detached, and an apart-hotel does not have to feel cheap," states Mr. Saglikova.
Yalcin Saglikova designed, built and ran his first 4-star hotel in Istanbul in the early 1990s, before selling it to a Spanish chain in 2005.
Each of Gallery Residence’s 45 m2 (450 sq. ft.) suites has an open kitchen with a full-size refrigerator, electric stove-top, microwave/grill combination oven, compact dishwasher and more. The hotel offers grocery shopping and laundry services for extended stays. Urgent needs including baby diapers or recordable CDs can also be delivered within minutes from the hotel’s mini-market 24 hours a day.
Each suite is equipped with an LCD TV, DVD/CD Player, Printer/Scanner/Copier/Fax machine. Rentals from the hotel’s DVD collection, wired/wireless internet access, sauna, jacuzzi and fitness room are all complimentary. The 21 suites are named after famous painters, with prints and posters of the corresponding painter’s most renowned work in each. The lobby, roof lounge and stairwells are also decorated with various prints, posters and sculptures. All artwork, including original pieces from Mr. Saglikova’s personal collection, is available for sale.
Nisantasi is Istanbul’s hippest district with trendy boutiques, cafes, restaurants and bars. It is possible to spot the Turkish jet-set and the paparazzi chasing them at any time of the day. Gallery Residence is located at Suleyman Nazif Street (named after a famous Turkish poet), steps away from Lutfi Kirdar/ICEC (International Convention and Exhibition Center). The original building at this location was home to the British Council. That historic building was demolished in the mid 90s to build a new and larger one, which maintained the architectural characteristics of the original. After serving as a textile store for a few years, Yalcin Saglikova purchased the building in August 2005 and transformed it into a luxury hotel within 6 months.
About Gallery Residence: Gallery Residence is an all-suites luxury boutique hotel owned, created and run by an architect in downtown Istanbul, Turkey. Located in Nisantasi, Istanbul’s hippest district, the hotel converted from a former textile store offers a unique accommodation alternative with its well-equipped suites and services. The hotel’s name and concept are inspired by the world of art. The 21 suites are named after famous painters, with prints and posters of the corresponding painter’s most famous work in each.
About Yalcin Saglikova:
Born in 1941, Yalcin Saglikova received his architecture degree from Istanbul Mimar Sinan University. Mr. Saglikova has won many awards, performed 4.5 million square meters of architectural work and 186,000 square meters of construction in commercial and residential projects. His son architect Burak Saglikova joined the family firm, Ova Design & Construction, in 1995. Their creations include the Istanbul World Trade Center and Istanbul Chamber of Commerce building renovation.
