Historic hotel prepares to reopen doors in July

Sibel Cingi ISTANBUL - Radikal

This file photo shows the Grand Tarabya Hotel before it was renovated. Hürriyet photo

Istanbul’s famous Tarabya Hotel is gearing up to open its doors to customers in July. The historic hotel, which was bought by Bayraktar Holding for $145.3 million in 2006 and renovated with a $350 million investment, is being reborn. The hotel is being advertised in the Gulf countries first with the slogan “the legend returns.”

The hotel will begin to train its new staff in June and is expected to open in July. One of the new staff members the hotel is looking for is an Indian chef.

The hotel’s original owners were the Armenian Tokatlıyan family, who migrated to Istanbul in 1883. The hotel soon became an Istanbul landmark and was an important meeting point for people who wanted to have a meal, meet for coffee or hold weddings and parties. In short, the hotel was a status symbol.

The Tarabya Hotel is located right on the Bosphorus in Istanbul’s Tarabya neighborhood on the European side of the city.