The Pera Palace Hotel (Pera Palas) is Istanbul's most famous historic hotel. Construction began in 1892 under the architect Alexandre Vallaury and it opened in 1895, designed to house passengers of the Orient Express, whose terminus was Sirkeci station. Its neoclassical façade stands on Meşrutiyet Street in Tepebaşı, a few minutes from İstiklal Avenue. More than a century after opening, it still operates as a luxury hotel, but part of the building can be visited: room 101, devoted to Atatürk, room 411, known as the "Agatha Christie Room", and the original elevator. The information below was cross-checked in October 2026; not all visiting conditions are officially published, hence the cautions given further down.
Highlights
The façade and the hotel's history
Vallaury, an architect of French descent born in Istanbul, also designed the museum building of the Istanbul Archaeology Museums. The hotel has hosted writers, diplomats and crowned heads, and is said to be the first hotel in the city with an electric lift. The domed salon (Kubbeli Saloon), in an Orientalist style, serves as a tea room.
Room 411, the "Agatha Christie" room
The novelist stayed at the hotel between 1926 and 1932 and favoured this room, where, according to legend, she wrote *Murder on the Orient Express*. Kept as a small exhibition (translated books, a replica typewriter, photographs), it can only be seen on the tour offered by the hotel. The hotel also rents the room by the night, at a very high rate.
The Orient Bar and room 101
The bar, with its red velvet armchairs and wood panelling, is open to visitors who order a drink. Room 101, where Atatürk stayed several times between 1915 and 1917, is now a small museum with his personal belongings: armchairs, rugs and a prayer rug.
Infos pratiques
Tips
The price of the tour of the museum rooms is not published in the sources consulted, and the hours quoted by guides (daily 10am to 6pm) vary with the season: ask at reception or by phone before you come, especially on public holidays. Tea or lunch in the Kubbeli Saloon or at the bar lets you see the salons without booking a tour, for the price of a luxury-hotel drink. Combine the visit with the Pera Museum, higher up the same Meşrutiyet Street, and the Tünel funicular. To stay in this area, see our guide where to stay in Istanbul; the article on Beyoğlu and Taksim places the hotel in its neighbourhood.
How to get there
Meşrutiyet Caddesi No: 52, Tepebaşı, Beyoğlu, Istanbul. Metro M2, Şişhane station, a few minutes' walk. From Tünel Square, at the top of the Tünel funicular (from Karaköy), allow about ten minutes walking down Meşrutiyet Street. The area is hilly: wear comfortable shoes.
Opening hours
Our guides that feature it
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