The only place to begin describing this yali is to note that there is a reason the Turkish have a specific word for “water palace,” and Armaggan Bosphorus must surely embody the best of it.
The service started the moment I stepped off the plane in Istanbul, where a handsome man in tailored suit held a sign with my name on it, then whisked me into a pristine white Mercedes van and an hour through the city to a broad, tree-lined street on the Bosporus. We turned down a long driveway, drove through black iron gates that opened silently and into a courtyard lined with green bushes and a security house on the side. A woman dressed smartly in a grey shift dress and pearls greeted us, a second woman in Versace necklace and heels led us inside.
“This is not a hotel—it is a private residence,” she told me almost immediately, then handed me a tall class with lemonade and mint leaves. I peaked under a golden dome on the cedar front desk to find Turkish Delight underneath, then walked through a large sitting room to see panoramic views of the river as the evening light gilded it as bright and enchanting as that candy dome.
The Turkish-American inventor and engineer Yalcin Ayasli bought it with money he earned from a career working at Raytheon and then at his own publicly traded Hittite Microwave Corporation (he holds 15 patents). Ayasli and his wife, Serpil, use the residence as a real-life showcase for their ultra-high-end Armaggan brand goods, from the silverware and dinner china to the bed linens, textiles, and leather cases. Armaggan is Turkey's most famous producer of fine heritage products; the Ayaslis are strong supporters of Turkish culture.
I met them there one night with Idil Tabanca, the Turkish-born editor-in-chief of Bullett magazine and a few friends. (Disclaimer: Idil is a social friend of mine who organized this trip, along with several others.) He was tall, dressed conservatively with silver hair and was quite engaging to speak with. Serpil, youthful and blonde, told me all about the photo shoot she had just orchestrated for some Armaggan jewelry. The couple spend half the year living in the Boston area (they have adult children there) but had just come from spending days at sea in Greece and would be staying at the yali next door. In fact, Armaggan Bosphorous is one of three waterside residences built in 1863 directly across the strait from a stately Ottoman palace—the prince who lived there loved the residence so much that he gifted its architect with the land directly across the water; the designer then built his home there so he could rise each day and see his best work of art first thing.
The residence is designed to meet the expectations of world leaders and extreme high-net-worth travelers. (There is a secret entrance accessible by water so that heads of state can arrive via yacht to enjoy a meal or take meetings before they leave again in total anonymity.) The staff is trained to service VIP guests as if they are at home, and you certainly feel it. One late night after returning from dinner I sat on the riverside patio with a friend, talking and lounging in the pleasant night air. When we decided to go inside, we found the door had locked behind us. It took just a minute of searching for a different exit for the security guard came to open the door for us—he had seen us on the security cameras wandering on the deck like children looking for a secret passage. What's more: Each day as I left for a morning jog the black iron gates at the front of the palace swung noiselessly open as I approached, then opened again as if on cue as I returned, sweaty and breathless, from the street.
Armaggan Bosphorous has eight bedrooms, a spa, a Turkish bath, a sail boat and a private staff who cater to your every need. Every detail is considered, from the hand-made lace cloths set under crystal glasses (stitched by local Turks) to the original oil paintings to the baroque ceiling painted in gold leaf by hand. The level of luxury here is surreal: a 5x10-inch throw-pillow, one of many throughout the house, was stitched in gold thread and cost 4,000 Euros ($5,145). Sachets of lavender were everywhere, tucked into thick white bathrobes, lodged inside the huge wooden armoires, placed delicately on pillows and on settees.
The elegance here is casual in a way that evokes grandeur from the ancient orient mixed with French aesthetics and attention. Breakfast was served promptly at 8am on exquisite china; I counted seven different kinds of cheeses and five choices of bread alone, plus fresh tomatoes, olives, figs, apricots, jams, honey, walnuts, eggs and cured meats derived from Nar Gourmet, Armaggan's exclusive all-natural Anatolian line of herbs and ingredients. On tap: The orange-est orange juice I’ve ever seen, and dark Turkish coffee with fresh milk poured by a young butler. Healthy living here would be a breeze. If you prefer breakfast on the run—day-old pizza or cigarettes and coffee alone with your thoughts--this is not the place for you.
I should note that the stark divide here between guests and The Help is evident—acknowledgement and thanks for simple favors from attendants was met with faint surprise. The attic nook set aside for nannies or butlers who travel with Armaggan clients was tidy and comfortable but squired away on the top floor of the yali through a heavy wooden side door with slanted ceiling and scant evidence of the opulence below. No Louie XIV writing desk or silk-tasseled pillows here; the window overlooked the back courtyard rather than the grand river below.
Source: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mkm45ghkdk/6-the-armaggan-bosphorus/
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