Guide: Get a Free Turkish Airlines Stopover Hotel in Istanbul

This guide explains how you can take advantage of a free stopover hotel in Istanbul when booking flights with Turkish Airlines.

Turkish Airlines free stopover hotel

There are several good reasons to consider choosing Turkish Airlines for your next flight.

Of all the airlines in the world, it is Turkish Airlines that flies to the largest number of countries, so it’s likely to be an option for the international route you’re considering.

Moreover, Turkey’s national airline generally offers good-quality in-flight service in both economy and business class.

To get an idea of what it’s like to fly with the airline, you can check out my recent Turkish Airlines business class review or my Turkish Airlines economy class review to see for yourself how pleasant flying with them can be.

Turkish Airlines also offers some highly useful perks to its passengers, with perhaps the most generous being the option to receive a complimentary hotel during your stopover in Istanbul.

This should not be confused with the Turkish Airlines free transit hotel, which the airline provides to eligible passengers with a long layover between flights, as that is a completely different programme with its own terms and conditions.

The free transit hotel is simply for eligible passengers on a long layover at the airport to get a good night’s sleep in between connecting flights, while the Turkish Airlines stopover programme is designed for passengers who want to discover the city of Istanbul for a day or longer without having to pay for their own accommodation.

Even though the stopover hotel is completely free of charge, it doesn’t mean it’s low-quality, as Turkish Airlines books its passengers into well-rated hotels in Istanbul, with economy class passengers getting a 4-star hotel and business class passengers a 5-star hotel.

In this guide, I’ll explain how the Turkish Airlines free stopover hotel programme works, who is eligible, and how to arrange your complimentary accommodation in Istanbul.

When can you get a free Turkish Airlines stopover hotel in Istanbul

To qualify for a free stopover hotel in Istanbul, you must have a return ticket booked with Turkish Airlines.

You will need to manually add a stopover in Istanbul on your outbound or inbound journey when you book your ticket, with at least 20 hours between your flights and a maximum of 7 days, if you want to be eligible for a free hotel.

Note that you must have a return ticket booked from and back to the same city of origin, so one-way flights do not qualify for a free stopover hotel.

Officially, open-jaw flights (where you return from a different airport than the one you flew into, for example London-Istanbul-Tokyo ; Osaka-Istanbul-London) are not considered to be return flights, though some reports online (which I cannot personally verify) suggest you might still be able to get a stopover hotel in this case as long as all other requirements are met.

Another important caveat is that your ticket must be issued by Turkish Airlines, which must also be the operating carrier of your flight, so codeshares operated by other airlines do not qualify.

You can verify this by checking your ticket number, as all Turkish Airlines-issued e-tickets begin with the prefix 235.

Departure countries

Another very important restriction you should be aware of is that only Turkish Airlines passengers starting their trip in one of the countries of departure listed below are eligible for a free stopover hotel.

In alphabetical order, these departure countries are: Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Zambia.

Note that what matters is that your Turkish Airlines flight is departing from one of the above countries, as this list is based on the departure location of the first flight on your itinerary, not your nationality.

For example, since the Czech Republic is not mentioned, you are not eligible for a free stopover hotel when departing on a Turkish Airlines flight from Prague.

However, you would be eligible if you start your trip on a Turkish Airlines flight from a nearby airport across the border, such as Berlin, Nuremberg, or Vienna, whether you are Czech, German, Austrian, or any other nationality.

Also, if you’re using Turkish Airlines to travel to the Czech Republic, for example from New York via Istanbul to Prague, you can use the stopover service, as you’d be commencing your trip in an eligible country (the USA).

How to apply for a free stopover hotel

To apply for a free stopover hotel in Istanbul, you must email Turkish Airlines at least 72 hours before your first flight to make a reservation.

In your email, you must include your full name, the reservation code of your ticket (PNR), and your full ticket number.

You should also specify your desired accommodation dates, preferred room type (e.g. single, twin, double), telephone number, and email address.

These details should, of course, match those on your flight booking.

You should send your hotel reservation inquiry to the dedicated email address for your country of departure.

For example, use freehoteluk@thy.com for passengers departing from the UK and freehotelcanada@thy.com for those departing from Canada.

The full list of email addresses for all eligible departure countries can be found here.

Selecting your hotel

After sending an email to inquire about the free stopover hotel, Turkish Airlines will verify whether your itinerary is eligible and, if so, provide you with a list of hotels from which you can choose.

As a Turkish Airlines economy class passenger, you will receive a list of 4-star hotels in Istanbul to choose from, while business class passengers can select from a list of 5-star hotels for their stopover.

Typically, the list of hotels to choose from consists of 5 to 8 properties.

It is not possible to suggest hotels yourself.

The hotels that Turkish Airlines has partnered with for their stopover programme are located throughout the city and belong to various hotel groups.

You can therefore choose based on location, online reviews, or perhaps whether you may receive extra benefits at a particular chain due to your elite hotel status.

To give you an idea of the type of hotels you can expect when taking advantage of the Turkish Airlines free stopover hotel programme, typical 5-star properties for business class passengers include Le Méridien Istanbul Etiler, Istanbul Marriott Hotel Sisli, Sheraton Istanbul Levent, Sofitel Istanbul Taksim, and Radisson Blu Hotel Istanbul Sisli.

For economy class passengers, 4-star hotels such as Grand Yavuz Hotel, Eresin Hotels Topkapı, Grand Cevahir Hotel, and Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Istanbul Ataköy are often included in the list of Turkish Airlines stopover hotels.

Once you have made your choice, simply send an email back to Turkish Airlines to complete your free hotel booking, after which you will receive a voucher for your complimentary hotel stay during your Istanbul stopover.

Getting to the hotel and check-in

When you take advantage of Turkish Airlines’ free Istanbul stopover hotel programme, it remains your responsibility to travel between the airport and the hotel, as this is not covered.

Likewise, it is your responsibility to meet the entry requirements for Turkey.

Any potential costs involved, such as arranging a visa or e-visa, are to be paid by the passenger.

At check-in, you will need to present your passport, hotel voucher, and boarding pass.

A complimentary breakfast is typically included with your free hotel stay, but remember that you are still responsible for all other transport, sightseeing, food, and beverages during your stopover.

It is also your responsibility to ensure you return to the airport in time for your onward flight.

How long can your Turkish Airlines Istanbul stopover last?

Turkish Airlines economy class passengers can enjoy a 1-night hotel stay for free, unless they start their journey in Australia, Canada, Chile, China (only Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi’an), Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, or the United States, in which case they are eligible for up to two nights free.

Turkish Airlines business class passengers can enjoy a complimentary 2-night hotel stay for their stopover, unless they start their journey in the countries mentioned above, in which case they are eligible for up to three nights free.

Of course, you can have a longer stopover in Istanbul if you wish – just keep in mind that the duration mentioned above is the maximum for which Turkish Airlines will provide a free hotel as part of their stopover programme.

If you wish to stay longer at the same hotel, you can contact them directly to take advantage of Turkish Airlines’ special rates, although it’s always best to compare prices and check the rate on both the hotel website and online booking platforms as well.

Other terms and conditions to take into account

Although I’ve explained the most important rules of the Turkish Airlines free stopover programme above, there are additional terms and conditions that apply:

– You can choose whether you want to have your free hotel stay during a stopover on the outbound leg of your journey or on your way back home.
– You can only benefit from a free stopover hotel once per trip, so you cannot use it on both the outbound and inbound journey.
– The days you can get a free hotel stay in Istanbul courtesy of Turkish Airlines must be used consecutively and cannot be split across different dates.
– Once a voucher has been issued, it cannot be changed by the system, so ensure you are happy with your choice of hotel.
– Passengers with a ticket in fare class N or R are not eligible for the free stopover hotel programme.
– It’s not possible to benefit from both a free stopover hotel and the Touristanbul service (Turkish Airlines’ complimentary Istanbul tour service for passengers on a long layover) on the same route.
– Passengers travelling alone must be at least 18 years old to take advantage of the free stopover hotel.

Note that Turkish Airlines can change the conditions of the free stopover hotel programme at any time, so it’s best to review the rules on their official website again to check for any possible changes.

Conclusion

Turkish Airlines offers a free stopover hotel in Istanbul to passengers who wish to explore this fascinating city between their flights.

Passengers booked on a return ticket with Turkish Airlines departing from a few dozen countries around the world – including most European nations – are eligible for a free stopover hotel, provided they have at least 20 hours between their flights.

Depending on the departure country, economy class passengers can get 1 or 2 nights for free in a 4-star hotel in Istanbul, while business class passengers can get 2 or 3 nights for free in a 5-star hotel.

If your Turkish Airlines flight ticket is eligible for a free stopover hotel, you should email the dedicated stopover hotel email address at least 72 hours before the departure of your first flight to arrange your complimentary accommodation.

When you meet all the criteria, Turkish Airlines will send a list of hotels across Istanbul, from which you can choose.

You’ll then be issued a voucher, which you simply need to show at the hotel to enjoy your free stay during your Istanbul stopover.

Note that you will still have to pay for any other costs during your Istanbul stopover, such as transport to and from the airport, and you must meet all entry requirements for Turkey.