Real sleeping like sultans in Istanbul

HUGO CEREZO. ISTANBUL 04/08/2013

In preparation for Tuesday’s clash with Galatasaray, the Real Madrid players are very much laying their heads in the lap of luxury. During their time in the Turkish city, they are staying at the Ciragan Palace, one of the world’s swankiest hotels, where a standard room will set you back some €600 a night, while the Sultan Suite comes in at a whopping €30,000.

There is a reason for these high prices. The hotel is housed in a beautiful Baroque-style palace built under orders of Sultan Abdulaziz I between 1863 and 1867. Set on the European side of the city, across the Bosporus from Asia, it provides breathtaking views out over the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, which should inspire the ‘Los Blancos’ players.

The palace is one of the top function venues in Istanbul, hosting gala events for sports like Formula 1, the WTA and Euroleague Basketball, as well as international summits and even the press launch of the most recent James Bond film.

After landing at a private terminal at Ataturk Airport on Sunday evening, the Real Madrid camp, headed by Florentino Pérez, was given a 70-strong police escort to the palace.

via Real sleeping like sultans in Istanbul – MARCA.com (English version).