Zorlu Center picks Raffles, the premium luxury hotel chain, as the hotel to be located within the project as it is prepared to host the most famous brands in the world. Raffles, the winner of the Condé Nast Traveler “World’s Best Places to Stay” and Travel & Leisure World’s Best Awards, will be opened in the last quarter of 2012. Raffles Istanbul Zorlu Center, which will be opened with an investment of approximately 175 million dollars except the land value, is set to serve Istanbul with its concept of excellent and premium service. The notion of “impossible” is not included in Raffles Istanbul Zorlu Center’s premium luxury service concept.
The premium hotel chain that will operate within Zorlu Center, Turkey’s first and only mixed-use project with five functions has been revealed at a press conference on May 11th, 2011.
Zorlu Center, which will bring business, finance and art communities together with its unique Bosporus view, will include Raffles, known as ‘sophisticated, enchanting and charming’ in the countries it operates and the owner of the World’s Best Places to Stay of Condé Nast Traveler, one of the world’s leading magazines, and World’s Best Awards of Travel & Leisure.
No use of the word “impossible” with its concept “personified service”
The hotel, which will begin its operations under the name Raffles Istanbul Zorlu Center in the last quarter of 2012, will redefine the concept of luxury in Istanbul with its concept of “personified service”.
Providing premium services such as appointing a specialized butler to each one of its guests, Raffles Istanbul Zorlu Center will operate with the perception of becoming the best hotel of Istanbul. Nothing is impossible in the Premium luxury service concept of Raffles Istanbul Zorlu Center.
Raffles Istanbul Zorlu Center is set to offer its “personified service” concept, specialized butlers and to draw attention with its world renowned SPA covering a space of approximately 3,000 square-meters. Like in other hotels of the chain, the logo of the Raffles Istanbul Zorlu Center will be the palm tree with fan-shape which is believed to bring good luck to the travelers, serves as a compass in East and West directions and accepted as unique with such characteristics.
The new address of Raffles, one of the leading representatives of the “Business & Leisure” concept, built in Zorlu Center, is aimed at reflecting the historical and characteristic features of Istanbul while keeping Raffles’ traditional values seen in other hotels of the brand.
Total investment costs are above 175 million dollars…
Raffles Istanbul Zorlu Center will be developed with an investment over 175 million dollars except the land value and will have 180 rooms, including 130 standard and 50 suites. The size of the rooms is over average with standard rooms will have a space of 65 square meters while the suits are designed with a maximum space of 370 square meters in order to ensure a peaceful, comfortable and luxurious experience of the unique beauty of Istanbul.
Raffles Istanbul Zorlu Center will have a ballroom with a capacity of 1,200 people, suitable to organize exclusive events, and will include two exclusive restaurants and bars as well as open and closed swimming pools and a heliport.
The privileged guests of the Raffles Istanbul Zorlu Center will have the chance to be close to the Performance Arts Center and to the most exclusive events of Istanbul, where even direct connection facilities between the functions are not skipped. Performance Arts Center will host famous plays and musicals simultaneously with their openings in London and Broadway. It will be the closest address for the hotel’s guests to experience unique events that cannot be found in different parts of Istanbul.
Raffles Hotels & Resorts is owned by FRHI Holdings Ltd, a leading global hotel company with 98 hotels and resorts worldwide under the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmont and Raffles branded residences, Estates and luxury private residence club properties. Raffles brand now has 9 hotels, each with a different story and 5 hotels, including Istanbul, expected to be open in the coming days in Maldives, Indonesia, Philippines, and China.
“We signed a contract with Raffles for 30 years”
The Chairman of the Management Board of Zorlu Holding said they are delighted to have this partnership with Raffles Hotels & Resorts and added:
“Zorlu Center was a first for Turkey. Therefore we wanted to include the first hotel of a premium hotel chain in Turkey in Zorlu Center. And we achieved this. Raffles enters Istanbul and Turkey with Zorlu Center for the first time. This special premium brand fits Istanbul and operates in seven countries with its nine hotels with its experience of 124 years. We are delighted and proud that Raffles has picked Zorlu Center since it picks the countries it invests in with extreme care. As we are confident about our decision, we have signed a contract with Raffles for 30 years. Our most important objective from now on will be to make contributions with our hotel to the process of Istanbul becoming the capital of the global tourism.”
Zorlu gave the following response when asked “Why Raffles?”:
“With Zorlu Center, we have realized a project that is as unique, beautiful and inimitable as Istanbul. The premium hotel brand that we would choose should be compatible with these values. Because for the first time in Turkey, we have created a ‘city square’ with bringing five functions together, residences, Performance Arts Center, shopping mall, hotel and office. We held talks with many exclusive hotel brands since we see the hotel as the most important element of this city square. All of them had powerful features. The premium hotel chain, which will be located within the Zorlu Center, should fit with these standards and also create added value as part of this city square. As the talks proceeded, we saw that Raffles has all of the values we are looking for. Its management and service quality impressed us alongside with its quality, luxury and comfort. The ‘personified service’ concept of the Raffles Istanbul Zorlu Center will redefine the concept of luxury in Istanbul.”
The Chairman of Raffles Hotels & Resorts John Johnston said Turkey is the rising star of the global economy while Istanbul is the rising star of the global tourism and added that Zorlu Center played an important role in their decision to include Istanbul in their investment plans.
Thanks to the surprising harmony of the various cultures and styles, each hotel within the Raffles family has a characteristic, story and sense of place of its own, Johnston said and added:
“An exciting combination of different but complementary things. The Zorlu Center and Raffles. An iconic development and an award-winning hotel company, in a place where people come to do business, to stay, to shop, to live, to appreciate music and art. A new quarter for the city of Istanbul and a destination for people from around the world. This development will be iconic, both in function and design – like our hotels. And being part of a development where the arts are a key element, reaffirms our own commitment to arts, culture and sense of place.
Today Raffles brand exists, from secluded resorts to chic hotels, in key locations around the World. Its hotels and resorts, considered to be among the best ones in the world, turn into a legend and icon. Its search for constant excellence in service gained international praise as it can be seen with the awards given by Condé Nast Traveler World’s Best Places to Stay and Travel & Leisure World’s Best Awards to its hotels and resorts.
About Zorlu Property
Zorlu Property was set up as a subsidiary of Zorlu Holding in 2006 in order to develop quality houses, office, business center, shopping mall, hospital, hotel and commercial warehouses on valuable lands in Turkey and in other countries to sell, hire or operate investments in the real estates it develops. The objective of Zorlu Property is to develop globally competitive and unique projects on prime locations and provide full customer satisfaction by correctly analyzing the market expectations, customer demands and needs.
About Raffles Hotels&Resorts
Raffles Hotels & Resorts is an award-winning, luxury international hotel company with a history dating back to 1887 with the opening of Raffles Hotel, Singapore. The portfolio currently comprises nine luxurious properties, from secluded resorts to chic hotels in key locations around the world: in Singapore, Cambodia, China, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles and Paris. The company is embarking on a new phase of expansion, with openings in the Maldives, Indonesia, the Philippines and China scheduled over the next two years.
With a compelling mix of cultures and styles, every hotel in the Raffles family has its own individual personality, with its own story to tell and its own sense of place. However, each one is proud to draw on the original Raffles tradition of delivering thoughtful, personal and discreet service to well-travelled guests.
Raffles Hotels & Resorts is owned by FRHI Holdings Ltd, a leading global hotel company with 98 hotels and resorts worldwide under the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmont and Raffles branded residences, Estates and luxury private residence club properties. www.raffles.com
