Investor Tuncel Toprak studied economics at Rutgers University in the USA. After a brief stint working in the financial industry, he returned to Istanbul to follow his dream of opening a boutique hotel.
Tuncel spent years tracking down the right location for his first hotel project – Witt Istanbul Hotel. He finally settled on a corner block in Cihangir. In spring 2008 this former headquarters of Ogilvy & Mather was nipped, tucked and stylishly reshaped into a luxurious all-suites property, showcasing furnishings from designers around the world.
‘I wanted to stay away from the tourist areas of Taksim Square and Sultanahmet. Here you can be an insider and hang out with locals,’ Tuncel says.
From the outside, Witt Istanbul Hotel’s traditional Turkish sandstone facade looks like a nondescript apartment block. But kitted out exclusively in bespoke furniture by Autoban, Turkey’s top interior designers, and with bathroom and mini-bar fixtures from Ross Lovegrove, Witt Istanbul Hotel is far from ordinary. The end result is domestic luxury rather than hotel swank. The non-chain, non-banded 17 suite luxury boutique hotel is diminutive, discreet and designer without being garishly so. It all makes for the perfect pied-a-terre in the vibrant Beyoğlu neighborhood.
The concept of creating spacious modern-retro suites for the price of a nice hotel room turned out to be quiet an accommodation revolution which didn’t go unnoticed. Witt Istanbul Hotel became a big hit. It has been selected as one of Wallpaper Magazine’s best new hotels, and placed on the 2009 Conde Nast Hot List.
Rewards and recognitions received thanks to attention for design detail showcasing local talent, the attentiveness of the staff, and a convenient location overlooking the Bosphorus Strait and the old city alike.