I am a little late and caught this just now.
Interesting review - what is not mentioned (for the budget-minded traveler) is that currently Turkey is very inexpensive due to the low standing of the lira. From a European view, one receives almost twice the shopping value for the € (based on my country Austria), which makes Turkey by far the most inexpensive travel destination for us.
The opulence displayed in your hotel I can see, but am not surprised: my city Vienna, Austria has a large Turkish community and I am familiar with their taste by visiting stores in those communities.
As an aside: have you visited, or will you visit Vienna - the "most livable city in the world" according to the Mercer Report? It would be interesting to read your point of view.
Cheers
Otto