Hotel Review: Hyatt Centric Levent Istanbul

Overview of Hyatt Centric Levent

The Hyatt Centric Levent Istanbul is considered a luxury and upscale hotel with 79 sleek and spacious rooms and suites available. All rooms are decorated in an elegant, contemporary-chic style.

Overall, I’d say this hotel feels in between a small boutique hotel and a mega-resort. In fact, you get the feeling of boutique accommodations with the space you need to relax and enjoy yourself immensely.

Not confined to catering to a single type of traveler, the Hyatt Centric welcomes everyone from couples to families and even those looking for a lively scene. Its prime location nestles it amidst a vibrant neighborhood, ensuring there’s always something to explore nearby.

How I Booked Hyatt Centric Levent Istanbul

Before getting too involved, I wanted to talk about how I booked my stay at the Hyatt Centric Levent Istanbul. I booked a king room with Hyatt points for 8,000 points per night for five nights. At the time I did this, this was a Category 2 Hyatt property. However, it’s now a Category 3 property, costing 12,000 points per night on standard dates.

Even at 12,000 points per night, this hotel is a pretty good deal on points. The standard rate for a deluxe twin for Hyatt members is around 230 euros (~$250) per night.

A Category 3 property can be booked with the free night certificate offered by The World of Hyatt Credit Card and The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card. Both of these cards offer a great way to earn Hyatt points as well.

Hyatt is a 1:1 transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards, so you also can earn points needed to book this hotel with the following cards:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
• Bilt Mastercard

Hyatt Centric Levent Istanbul Location

The hotel is located in the Levent neighborhood of Istanbul on Buyukdere Street, 136. This isn’t the most common area for visitors to stay, but it’s well connected to other parts of the city via the metro and bus lines. There’s a bustling neighborhood all around, and the vibrant area features skyscrapers, residential avenues and much more.

The Hyatt Centric Levent Istanbul is located about 35 minutes away from Istanbul (IST) airport, depending on traffic. I arrived late in the evening and didn’t want to mess around with public transit, so I took a taxi to the hotel.

Best Parts of Hyatt Centric Levent Istanbul

There were so many great things to enjoy about the Hyatt Centric Levent Istanbul. The following are the top three things I enjoyed.

Tons of Amenities

I loved the free Wi-Fi, and all the rooms at the hotel had air conditioning, a minibar and a refrigerator. However, the concierge and room service were phenomenal, and I got a free breakfast due to my Hyatt Globalist status and spent much of my downtime in the pool. Prior to this hotel, I had been staying in less luxurious accommodations, so this was a nice upgrade.

Close to the Subway

While this hotel isn’t in one of the more touristy parts of Istanbul, it’s less than a three-minute walk from the subway station to the entrance of the hotel. This made it incredibly easy to access other parts of the city while staying here.

Great Upgrade

Also because of my Hyatt Globalist status, I was upgraded to a king suite, the hotel’s standard suite. The room was gorgeous and huge for being in such a prime location in the city.

Hyatt Centric Levent Istanbul Drawbacks

Though I loved many things about the Hyatt Centric Levent Istanbul, there were a couple of drawbacks.

Not the Best Wi-Fi

While Wi-Fi is available for free, it’s not the best. However, since I wasn’t there for work, it wasn’t too much of a problem for me.

Outside of the Main Tourist Areas

I loved that the hotel was close to the subway, but it was about a 30- to 45-minute haul across town to most of the main attractions. I spent more time in Istanbul in other hotels that were much closer to the action after this stay.

Getting to Hyatt Centric Levent

I flew to Istanbul from the U.K. on a one-stop itinerary from London-Heathrow, but Istanbul is a major international hub so it’s easy to get there from nearly anywhere you might find yourself. A visa is required for U.S. passport holders to enter Türkiye, but you can apply online and you’ll usually receive your visa via email within a couple of hours.

A visa on arrival is also available for eligible travelers visiting Turkey for tourism purposes who arrive at one of Turkey’s international airports.

You can also fly into Istanbul’s other airport, Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW). It’s a bit farther from the Hyatt Centric Levent Istanbul, but this is where many of the low-cost carriers fly into, so it may be possible to nab a cheaper flight.

Check-In

Check-in was easy for me. When I first arrived, I was greeted at the door and helped with my bags. Immediately, I went to the service desk and gave them my name.

The moment they looked it up, I was greeted as a Globalist and informed about my complimentary breakfast and also that I had been upgraded from a king room to a king suite. King rooms are 419 square feet and have a city view while the king suites are 538 square feet, so it was a nice boost of extra space.

Overall, my impression when I walked inside the hotel was that it was stately, luxurious and perfect for a relaxing stay.

The Room at Hyatt Centric Levent

The vibe of the king suite was welcoming, and the layout was inviting. When you walk in, you see the stately bed, and there’s a sectional couch along the wall with the picture window.

I’d say the room is quite dark because of the wood paneling and blackout curtains. However, everything looks luxurious, and there are plenty of lamps to shed as much or as little light as you want.

Overall, I liked the layout of the room and found it to be comfortable.

• The air conditioning and heater worked well for the environment. Istanbul can get quite hot, but I never felt sweaty or overheated.
• The room was insulated from noise quite well. I never heard the traffic outside nor the call to prayer, and the blackout curtains did a great job blocking out the early-morning light. Likewise, I didn’t hear the other travelers outside my room door.

When staying at a hotel, I love a good bathroom. The king suite had a marble bathroom, and the walk-in rain shower was amazing. There was no tub, which was too bad because I also love a good bath, but overall I had no complaints with this bathroom.

The water pressure was decent, and the hot water was warm enough without scalding me. The Hyatt Centric Levent uses the KenetMD Signature Collection for toiletries. It was designed specifically for Hyatt and features lemongrass and eucalyptus oils.

Now, let’s focus on the room amenities for a bit. I liked that there was an electric kettle to make hot water for tea or soup. Likewise, there was a coffee maker with a few sample packets of specialty coffees.

There were also plenty of outlets to plug in phones, laptops and other electronics. Plus, there was one right beside the bed, which made it easier for me because I like my phone to be next to me while I sleep.

In summary, I felt that the room lived up to the quality I expect from the Hyatt brand.

Food and Drink

I didn’t drink or dine at the hotel other than for my complimentary Globalist breakfast, but I was satisfied with the breakfast options. It’s possible to eat all meals on site, and room service is available 24/7.

If you don’t want to eat at the Hyatt, there are plenty of other restaurants nearby. I highly recommend Efendy Istanbul, which is about a five-minute walk away and offers upscale Turkish cuisine and amazing cocktails.

Amenities

The amenities are definitely why people choose hotels over other accommodations, and the Hyatt Centric Levent Istanbul doesn’t disappoint.

There’s one 15-meter-long pool, which is inside and heated. You’ll have access to many sun loungers, and it’s available for adults and children. However, it’s open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day, which I found to be a bit limiting.

You’ll also find a fitness center that’s open 24/7 and features a Technogym. It also offers Power Plates, Bonpilates Reformer and Kinesis.

There’s also a spa, but I didn’t visit so I can’t comment on the quality.

Hyatt Centric Levent Family Friendliness

The Hyatt Centric Levent doesn’t offer a kids’ lounge or activities, but I’d say that it’s still a family-friendly hotel.

Final Thoughts on Hyatt Centric Levent Istanbul

I loved the Hyatt Centric Levent Istanbul overall, especially at the Category 2 pricing I booked. I prefer to be a bit outside of the action, so it was great to have the metro close by but be outside of the main tourist areas. It’s easy to get to and from the Istanbul Airport and is quiet but offers access to plenty of fun. Though there were a few drawbacks, it’s one of my favorite places to stay in Istanbul.