Turkey: Spa at the Four Seasons Istanbul at the Bosphorus, Istanbul

Anchored by three hammams (for men, women, and couples), nine treatment rooms, a spa suite, and a pool/whirlpool, this Bosphorus spa combines Ottoman history with spa luxe at the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus. Unlike at crowded historic hammams in the center of Istanbul, the marble baths are private and soothing, with blue glass circles cut into the walls meant to mimic filtered sun. Though the spa menu is diverse, when in Turkey, do as the Turks would: Choose the 45-minute traditional ultra-luxury hammam treatment, in which you'll enter a warm steam room lined in gray Carrara marble and lie on a traditional raised octagonal slab of marble to await your masseuse, who'll begin by pouring hot sudsy soap before administering an exfoliating kese rubdown, a cool-water rinse, and an aromatic Swedish massage that brings a Western knead to the Eastern hour. Cleansed and moisturized, you'll be left in the soft-lit marble of the recovery room, where you can revel in your decadent—yet cultural—Ottoman treat.

Spa at the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus
Istanbul
Tel: 90 212 381 4160

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