The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide, has announced the Radisson Blu Golden Horn Hotel, Istanbul. The new property featuring 133 guest rooms is scheduled to open in Q1 2013. The owner of the new building is Dilek Holding which also owns the Radisson Blu Şişli in Istanbul.

“Our core brand Radisson Blu is the largest upper upscale brand in Istanbul – our portfolio now comprises 5 hotels with 1,000 rooms in operation and under development. Istanbul and Turkey overall are important markets for us as they offer considerable opportunities both within the business and leisure segment”, said Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor. The group’s offer in Istanbul stretches from the airport (Radisson Blu Conference & Airport Hotel), across the continental divide (Radisson Blu Istanbul Asia), into the upmarket Şişli district (Radisson Blu Şişli), along the Bosphorus (Radisson Blu Bosphorus Hotel), and finally to the banks of the Golden Horn.

The Radisson Blu Golden Horn Hotel will be located in the trendy and cosmopolitan Pera neighbourhood and will be facing the Golden Horn, the famous inlet of the Bosphorus dividing the city. Next to the property is the legendary Pera Palace Hotel, the oldest luxury hotel in Istanbul, which formerly accommodated passengers travelling on the Orient Express train.

Besides 133 contemporary guest rooms with unique views across the Golden Horn and into the heart of Istanbul, and with Radisson Blu signature services such as free high speed internet access, the hotel will have an all day dining restaurant, 800m2 of meeting space, and a wellness area with an indoor swimming pool. A focal point will be the chic rooftop restaurant and bar offering spectacular views and tempting cuisine.

Istanbul's long and illustrious history has seen it serve as the capital city of the Roman Empire, the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, the Latin Empire, and the Ottoman Empire. The architectural and cultural legacies of these fallen empires remain as the city was chosen as joint European Capital of Culture for 2010.