Istanbul to get “seven-star” Shangri-La hotel

by Melanie Nayer on

What makes a seven-star hotel? Travelers to Turkey will soon find out.

Local media reports in Turkey claim a new seven-star Shangri-La hotel will open in Istanbul in 2012. The super-luxury 200-room hotel will feature seven storeys, both above and below sea level, and will cost an estimated $250 million to construct.

Turkish newspaper Zaman reports that the hotel will be located on the banks on the shore of Bosphorus Sea, at the site of an old tobacco factory.

Currently, the Shangri-La hotel group owns 66 hotels around the world, the majority of them with five-star rankings. However, seven-stars are unique in their own right. The hotel must be exceptional in design, decor, luxury and amenities.

Only three hotels in the world have managed to claim the seven-star status: the Town House Galleria in Milan, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai and the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.

[via The Independent]

Photo of the Day 2.3.10

by Melanie Nayer on


If you’ve been to Istanbul you know not to miss the Grand Bazaar (and if you’ve never been to Istanbul you now know what you must see). This photo by ken_1001 truly captures the mood of the market. We don’t know his name, but we bet this is a man who has worked hard his entire life in the markets. The lines around his eyes tells a thousand stories, and the smile on his face lights up a room.

Want your pics considered for Gadling’s Photo of the Day? Submit your best ones here.