Istanbul is one of the few places where giving someone an evil eye is a good thing. The charms ward off jealousy — which you’ll definitely have to deal with when recounting your thoroughly modern stay to friends.

Istanbul is one of the few places where giving someone an evil eye is a good thing. The charms ward off jealousy — which you’ll definitely have to deal with when recounting your thoroughly modern stay to friends.
RESTThough you want to see and be seen — not to mention eat and drink — at the always-buzzing boutique chain The House Cafe, now you want to sleep there, too. After opening a twenty-suite Galatasaray location inside a four-story mansion from the late 1800s and, most recently, a 45-room design den in shopping destination Nisantasi (don’t miss the mix of local lines, like Mehry Mu handbags, and international labels, like Vanessa Bruno, at nearby Midnight Express), there’s a third in the works in charming Ortaköy. But if you want to skip The House Hotel’s scene, check into one of the The House Apart’s stylish, full-service flats located throughout the city.