This 438-room hotel, organized on 25 floors, offers a view of the Sea of Marmara.

For my stay in Istanbul, I chose a hotel set back from the city because I was looking for an affordable option in points.

15,000 points per night were required for a total of 45,000 points or paying 635 euros($855) was required for 3 nights. So using my points seemed like the best option with a valuation of 1.9 cents per point.

I also applied complimentary suite upgrades (earned with my Marriott Bonvoy status) to my booking, choosing only the best available suite in the options. Five days before my arrival, I received an email confirming that my upgrade was confirmed.

The cost of this suite was 1170 euros(1575$) for 3 nights! My three free Suite Night Awards were worth $240 each for a total of $720. These Suite Night Awards were earned uponreaching my Platinum Elite status.

The best way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points for free stays at over 8,000 hotels worldwide is to have the Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card (and/or the Marriott Bonvoy^® Business American Express^®* Card).

In addition to the great welcome bonus on both cards, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar on all purchases and 5 points per dollar at Marriott locations.

And each year, you’ll earn a free night certificate (35,000 point value) as well as 15 Elite nights towards your Marriott Bonvoy status.

The Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel is located approximately 40 minutes from IST Airport and 1h10 from SAW Airport.

To get to the tourist district of Istanbul, it takes between 25 and 55 minutes depending on the traffic.

A cab from the IST airport to the hotel will cost you about 20 euros. It is customary in Turkey to round up the fare as a tip.

If you choose to rent a car, the rental costs are very affordable. My car rental with Hertz cost me $75 for 3 days. Parking at the hotel is subject to a fee of 5 euros per day.

When I arrived, 2 valets helped me with the luggage, the stroller and my 2 year old baby. I head to the reception where I am immediately taken care of at the Members counter.

I give my passport and my Marriott Bonvoy American Express credit card for the security deposit. I am thanked for my Titanium status and informed of the benefits of my Marriott Bonvoy status.

Free breakfast is served in the hotel’s restaurant as a buffet. It costs 24 euros per night for those who do not have a status.

The hotel also offers a continental breakfast option for 14 euros. I also have access to the lounge every day from 6am to midnight and alcohol is served from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. I decline the proposal of late check-out since my flight to Abu Dhabi leaves in the early afternoon.

Upon entering the suite, you find yourself in a large open area that includes the dining room and living room. A small work desk separates the space between the two. Equipped with electrical outlets, USB and a lamp, it has everything you need to work.

The living room is furnished with a large modular couch, an armchair and a coffee table with fruits and nuts as a welcome gift. Unfortunately, the LG TV does not include my favorite streaming applications.

The only usable application is Youtube but a ChromeCast system is installed.

The dining room includes a table with 4 chairs as well as a piece of furniture where the fridge and the coffee set are located and a second piece of furniture on which my luggage was deposited by the porter.

On the right, a door leads to the room. Furnished with a king bed, 2 bedside tables, a television, an armchair, a desk and a closet, this room is spacious and has lots of storage space. A crib has already been installed in the room at my request.

You have to go through the bedroom to get to the bathroom. It has a separate shower and bath, a large mirror and a make-up mirror. It has only one sink.

All the rooms are very spacious and the large windows make it a bright space with a view of the sea. It is a pity that the rooms of this hotel do not have a balcony/terrace because the view is superb.

The Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel has 2 restaurants, a bar and a café. The Daphne is the restaurant where breakfast is served until 11am. The buffet is large and very complete (there is even a Vegan section!).

For lunch and dinner, you can go to the Marmara restaurant or order directly from your room with 24-hour room service. I had dinner at the Marmara on the evening of my arrival because I was exhausted after the long trip.

I was not impressed with my steak which was far from excellent despite the rather high price for Istanbul. I recommend going out for dinner in the city as Istanbul is full of good and affordable restaurants.

During my stay, the Noblesse bar was always full. There was a corporate event at the hotel so I don’t think it’s normally this busy.

If you make drinks at your hotel’s bars and restaurants, don’t forget to charge these expenses to your room bill, earning up to 17.5 points per dollar based on your Marriott Bonvoy status!

When you check out, pay with your Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card to earn 5 points per dollar!

The club lounge offers snacks all day and evening bites from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. I really liked the option of going there for a glass of wine and a few bites before going to dinner in town.

I like to have a late supper when I travel but my 2 year old is less patient. The small bites made him wait.

Please note: wine and beer are not self-serve and are not really displayed, you have to ask the staff and they will gladly bring you some.

For those who like to work out, the hotel’s fitness center is a little paradise. It is simply huge with lots of weight machines and cardio equipment. There are even squash classes. From your treadmill, you have a view of the hotel’s two pools.

The hotel also has a spa with saunas and Turkish baths. I have not had the opportunity to try their services.

The hotel has a huge outdoor Y-shaped pool that is not heated. The weather did not permit outdoor swimming during my stay.

We did however enjoy the indoor pool which was 28 degrees as well as the three Jacuzzis which were 41 degrees. The pool was 4 feet deep throughout but there was also a separate shallow children’s pool.

My flight to Abu Dhabi was finally delayed until the next morning. The airline sent us to the hotel for the night …. And yes, the hotel was the Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel that I had left that morning!

The hotel staff recognized me and I jokingly asked when I checked in if my suite was available.

It was occupied but I was the only person on my flight who was assigned a suite on the 24th floor instead of a basic room on the lower floors!

The location of this hotel is not ideal if you want to spend a lot of time in the tourist area of Istanbul. With the traffic, it can take up to 1 hour to get to the city.

Despite this, I enjoyed my stay at this hotel because my suite was very spacious and nice. The staff is very friendly and attentive.

In addition, the hotel provided me with milk for my baby during my entire stay at no extra charge.

Main photo credit: Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel.