Hey, all you good-looking Young Turks ...

By Pauline D. Loh | China Daily | Updated: 2013-11-03 12:00

He was very polite, and seemed genuinely concerned that I had not finished all the offerings in the fruit bowl placed in my room. Are they not to your taste, he asked solicitously.

No, no. They are all good, but there was such variety that I was spoilt for choice. I had finished all the luscious figs, I pointed out. Five minutes later, he was back with more rich purple fruits in a bowl.

This is what makes a hotel special - the intimate encounters with staff members that leave you with that warm fuzzy feeling you will take away long after you forget the luxurious decor of room, lobby or restaurant.

My dimpled, handsome server was a young Turk, and only one of the many friendly staff members who make the Shangri-La Bosphorus Istanbul an outstanding hospitality establishment.

The general manager of the hotel tells us one of his concierges is known to set the ladies all a-flutter, and I know for sure that our sommelier at dinner one night was an outstanding example of Turkish gallantry.

The hotel is equally good-looking and it never fails to impress me that the group always manages to find the best locations in every city to establish yet another piece of Shangri-La. In Istanbul, it has outdone itself.

This Shangri-La must have one of the most coveted views in the world, sitting on Europe and looking toward Asia across the Golden Horn.

Not only that, it is situated in a prime shopping district with designer boutiques within walking distance.

And then there are some rooms in the hotel that overlook the Dolmabahce Palace grounds. As far as neighborhoods go, you do not get more exclusive than that.

There is a very European feel about this Shangri-La and even though the lobby and alcoves in the multilevel atriums are amply decorated with Chinese art, it is more like touches of Chinoiserie. This combination of European elegance and Chinese aesthetics push standards up several notches.

Food is another draw. After several days of lamb stew, lamb kebabs and lamb cutlets, our palates were becoming distinctly homesick. That was when the Shangri-La's Chinese chef at its Shang Palace treated us to a meal that transported us across the straits back to Asia again.

It was the Mid-Autumn Festival and a full moon hung over the Bosphorus as we ate al fresco on the balcony of one of the suites. We had mooncakes, roast duck, clay pot stews and noodles, and it was one of the most memorable meals for our gathered group of galloping gourmets.

Again, it was a thoughtful effort to make guests feel at home, in all senses.

Personally, the breakfast at Ist Too Cafe was the daily highlight that also furnished me with enough energy for a full day out.

Pieces of liquid amber honeycomb served with fresh curd and bread became a ritual, as was that elegant cup of Turkish tea that a wiser gourmet says is just plain strong black tea brewed with sugar. His theory is that the cup is what makes it taste better.

My one regret during the stay was that there was just so much to see and do that I never got to spend enough time in the indoor heated swimming pool, a decadent luxury tucked away in the basement.

My consolation was we managed to squeeze in, on the last day, a session at Chi, The Spa, where a young therapist from Bali gave me an invigorating Turkish bath that left my skin glowing and baby smooth.

Traveling is all about experience, and there is no doubt that in Istanbul, the ultimate hotel experience belongs to the Shangri-La. Few hotels tempt me into saying: "I'll be back."