T URKEY’s TV stars do not have it easy. The global success of the country’s soap operas, episodes that last up to three hours, and the frantic pace of production make for punishing work schedules.

In Istanbul it is all the rage to restore beautiful historic buildings to create upscale hotels. The Park Hyatt, housed in what was the art-deco Macka Palas, a 20th-century apartment block for ...