Istanbul bank is now a hotel

Original features from the latter days of the Ottoman Empire have been preserved at a new boutique hotel in Istanbul. Called Vault Karakoythe House, it owes its name to the fact that one of the two back-to-back properties it occupies is a mid 19th century neo-renaissance bank building. Marble staircases, ceramic tiles and intricately stencilled ceilings are among the original features retained. The 63 room hotel is in the Karakoy district, a 15 minute walk from the old heart of Istanbul across the Galata Bridge. It has a spa and a terrace restaurant with views over the Bosphorus and Golden Horn.