Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel: pools and spa

The Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel stands on Sahil Yolu Caddesi in Yesilyurt, Istanbul, and is part of the Renaissance Hotels & Resorts chain. It is about 9 km from the Koça Mustafa Pasha Mosque and about 9.4 km from the Sancaktar Hayrettin Mosque, in a straight line.

Istanbul Airport (IST) is about 34.4 km away, in a straight line. The hotel runs an airport shuttle, for a fee, which is worth weighing against other transport when you compare rates.

The rooms span a wide range. A couple who want the sea without paying for space can take a 30 m² Club Room with a sea view; the same room with a city view is the entry point of the range.

In the middle sit the suites. The Club Suite, 1 Bedroom comes in 53 m² and 62 m² versions, each with one king bed, with a partial sea or sea view depending on the version. The Family King Suite with Park View and Lounge Access is 52 m² with one super-king bed and both a park and a sea view, and the hotel offers family rooms, so it suits a family that wants separate space without going to the top of the range. The Room, 1 King Bed, Smoking, Poolside is 50 m² with pool and garden views; note it is a smoking room. The Garden King Room in the annex building is 30 m² with a garden view.

At the top is the Presidential Suite, Club lounge access, 1 King, Sea view: 140 m² with a queen bed and a sofa bed, and a sea view.

The hotel has both an indoor pool and an outdoor pool, so swimming does not depend on the season. Alongside them are a spa, a hammam and a tennis court, which together make the property as much a stay-in-place hotel as a sightseeing one.

For eating, there is a restaurant, and room service if you would rather eat in your room. Evening entertainment is on the programme, which matters if you like the hotel itself to fill the later hours. A business center covers work needs, and the hotel has facilities for disabled guests.

Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out until 12:00. Children are allowed, and with family rooms and a family-oriented suite in the range, the hotel works for those travelling with them.

Parking at the hotel is paid, and the airport shuttle is paid too, so both should be factored into what the stay costs.

It suits families, given that children are allowed, family rooms exist and the Family King Suite is built for them, and it suits anyone whose trip centres on the hotel itself: two pools, a spa and hammam, a tennis court and evening entertainment fill days without leaving the property. Travellers who want a suite with real separation will find one, up to a 140 m² Presidential Suite with a sea view.

It fits less well for someone who wants to be walking out the door into the sights: the mosques given are about 9 and 9.4 km away, in a straight line, and the airport about 34.4 km. A traveller who wants a compact city base, or who objects to paying for parking and the shuttle, should look carefully at the rules before choosing it.