ISTANBUL HOTEL AREA ?
Jun 30th, 2011, 08:52 AM
#2
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I don't like staying in Sultanahmet. It is very touristy, although many of the sites are situated there. This is where you will be chased down the street by carpet salesmen.
I would stay on the Bosphorus or near Taksim Square (Ritz-Carlton, for example).
Taxis are cheap in Istanbul.
The big nightlife place is Ortakoy.
P_P
I would stay on the Bosphorus or near Taksim Square (Ritz-Carlton, for example).
Taxis are cheap in Istanbul.
The big nightlife place is Ortakoy.
P_P
Jun 30th, 2011, 08:56 AM
#3
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 567
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Most of the main tourist sites - Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Aya Sofya, Topaki Palace, Cistern - are around the Sultanahmet area, so it's very convenient to stay around there, especially for your first time visiting Istanbul, I think. My hotel was in the back of the Blue Mosque near the Arista Bazaar, and it didn't feel touristy at all.
Jun 30th, 2011, 09:35 AM
#4
P_P, The new Four Seasons Bosphorus has definitely replaced Ritz Carlton as the place to stay, although its back rooms certainly are quite a few notches below the back rooms of the Ritz in terms of view.
I agree with Axel2DP that one does not feel touristy if everyone around you is either a tourist or one who caters to the tourists. There were many who posted here and even wrote long trip reports totally believing that Istanbul was Sultanahmet multiplied. I guess it made the OPs feel good to compare themselves to carpet salesmen, tourist restaurant tauts and waiters and bazaar salesmen, guides, scammers and come out with flying colors. All America is not the Magic Kingdom, the world is not Epcot Center nor vice versa.
Visiting Sultanahmet is great, living there may be a requirement if you work there and cannot afford anywhere better, but paying top dollar to spend the night there is not my idea of a good vacation in the summer when the soft breezes of the Bosphorus beckons me or in the winter when the warmth of good music and cozy atmosphere of Nisantasi or Cihangir allows me tastes and smells of art and intellectualism. (well..... money too)
I agree with Axel2DP that one does not feel touristy if everyone around you is either a tourist or one who caters to the tourists. There were many who posted here and even wrote long trip reports totally believing that Istanbul was Sultanahmet multiplied. I guess it made the OPs feel good to compare themselves to carpet salesmen, tourist restaurant tauts and waiters and bazaar salesmen, guides, scammers and come out with flying colors. All America is not the Magic Kingdom, the world is not Epcot Center nor vice versa.
Visiting Sultanahmet is great, living there may be a requirement if you work there and cannot afford anywhere better, but paying top dollar to spend the night there is not my idea of a good vacation in the summer when the soft breezes of the Bosphorus beckons me or in the winter when the warmth of good music and cozy atmosphere of Nisantasi or Cihangir allows me tastes and smells of art and intellectualism. (well..... money too)
Jun 30th, 2011, 09:51 AM
#5
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi,
My favourite area is Cihangir. On my first trips to Istanbul I used to stay in Sultanahmet, Laleli or Beyazit but on recent trips I have stayed in Cihangir which in my opinion is a very nice area. Cihangir is cozy, relaxed, beutiful and convenient. It is easy to take the tram from Tophane tram stop to Sultanahmet.
My favourite area is Cihangir. On my first trips to Istanbul I used to stay in Sultanahmet, Laleli or Beyazit but on recent trips I have stayed in Cihangir which in my opinion is a very nice area. Cihangir is cozy, relaxed, beutiful and convenient. It is easy to take the tram from Tophane tram stop to Sultanahmet.
Jul 1st, 2011, 09:53 PM
#7
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
For a first time visit to Istanbul I would disagree with the previous post and definitely stay in Sultanahmet. All of the big historical sites are there and within walking distance: the mosques, Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar, etc. Besides that, the hotels are cheaper there. One does get hounded by carpet salesman and by restaurant workers, just stay firm and keep walking.
Jul 2nd, 2011, 02:46 AM
#8
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 2,801
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I strongly support those who recommend to stay out of Sultanahmet. Cihangir and the area around Istiklal Cadesi would give you a much more authentic feel of Istanbul. The area around Taksim Square and Beyoglu would, too.
And while Sultanahmet is home to some of Istanbul's main sights getting to a truly good restaurant and/or a nice bar which is likely to be somewhere around the previous areas or even in Ortaköy, Kurucesme or Bebek, is going to be much more complicated and time consuming if you are in Sultanahmet.
And while Sultanahmet is home to some of Istanbul's main sights getting to a truly good restaurant and/or a nice bar which is likely to be somewhere around the previous areas or even in Ortaköy, Kurucesme or Bebek, is going to be much more complicated and time consuming if you are in Sultanahmet.
Jul 2nd, 2011, 04:42 PM
#10
The question really boils down to: What do YOU want? Sultanamet is the magnet with most of the the touristic 'must sees'. Regardless of where you stay, this area will occupy a bunch of your time in Istanbul. You can stay elsewhere & commute, or you can brave the hoards & stay locally. A personal call.
ian
ian
Jul 3rd, 2011, 02:16 AM
#12
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 12,268
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
www.Otel.com IST based global booking get cash back discounts
betterbidding.com great deals bidding Priceline also
Best for me old city Boutiques great value
The Constantine one of my favs...
betterbidding.com great deals bidding Priceline also
Best for me old city Boutiques great value
The Constantine one of my favs...
Jul 5th, 2011, 04:16 AM
#13
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 291
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just returned from a four night stay on Sunday, and I liked staying in the Sultanamet area. Our hotel was in a great location and it was less than a 10 minute walk to the Grand Bazaar and 5 minute walk from the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia area. I personally did not care for Taksim Square. We only had one carpet salesman approach us and it was because he thought my fiance was Turkish. When he convinced him he wasn't Turkish, he gave us some advice on the attractions and left us alone. It does get pretty crowded when there are more than one cruise ship in town, which was the case on Saturday. But that's when we wondered around away from the attractions or sat at a pub and enjoyed the people watching.
Jul 5th, 2011, 05:58 AM
#14
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 17,106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I, too, would opt for the Sultanamet area because you don't want to spend hours each day commuting there to see the major sights and then commute back to your hotel out in the "burbs' somewhere. Waste of time.
Don't know what your budget is, but try the White House Hotel. My friend stayed there and it was much, much better than the hotel I was staying in - and for the same price.
No carpet salesman ever approached me.
Don't know what your budget is, but try the White House Hotel. My friend stayed there and it was much, much better than the hotel I was staying in - and for the same price.
No carpet salesman ever approached me.
Jul 5th, 2011, 06:22 AM
#15
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
why not staying in Sultanahmet Area? All the main city attractions are just within walking distance. there are lots of hotels from budget ones to high class boutique hotels. We stayed in Cordial House Hotel, a very nice budget hotel, www.cordialhouse.com
Jul 6th, 2011, 09:48 AM
#16
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
>I, too, would opt for the Sultanamet area because you don't want to spend hours each day commuting there to see the major sights and then commute back to your hotel out in the "burbs' somewhere. Waste of time.<
ROFL! I almost choked on the Chalten Melbec I am having for my liquid lunch!
Saying that Nisantasi is in the "burbs" is like staying in Times Square in Manhattan and saying that Soho is in the "burbs."
Ridiculous.
We (Muffy, Mother, Keith, and I) stayed at the Ritz-Carlton and it never took us more than 15 minutes to get the Sultanahmet by cab. Saying that it would take hours is high-falutin' hyperbole at best, and very "hick-from-the-hinterlands" mentality.
Go to the sophisticated T Travel Section of the New York Times and see what they recommend for Istanbul. Certainly not a "whirling dervish show" or sitting in a hookah bar in Sultanahmet.
Istanbul is a sophisticated city filled with art galleries, dance clubs, jet-set restaurants, beautiful shops, etc. It is a travesty to go to this city and think that everything is about waiters standing out on the sidewalk trying to hook tourists, carpet salesmen, and haggling for old tourist tat at the Grand Bazaar.
Stay in Sultanahmet if you wish, but there is absolutely NOTHING to do there at night. Maybe you are elderly and don't care about nightlife? Maybe you go to bed at 9 PM?
Another HORRID thing about Sultanahmet is that the CALL TO PRAYER from the Blue Mosque will wake you from a sound sleep!!!
Go to Sultanahmet to see the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palas, Hagia Sophia, but stay near the Bosphorus for a more pleasant experience when not playing tourist.
Agree with University of Denver grad othercelebi that most of the people you meet in Sultanahmet are from the lower classes of Turkish society.
A man and a son who owned a shop near the Blue Mosque were playing some sort of game (like checkers), when the older man spotted Muffy's Rolex he jumped up--overturning the table--and had his son run into the shop to get carpets and silver jewellery. This is the kind of thing WE experienced in Sultanahmet, to the point of exhaustion.
If you look like you have any money, you will be hounded by the carpet salesmen. Best to look like stoned hippie backpackers if staying in Sultanahmet.
Even the people who stay at the Four Seasons have private guides, cars, and drivers so they don't have to walk down the alleyway in front of the hotel because the carpet salesmen are so unrelenting.
P_P, no fool!
ROFL! I almost choked on the Chalten Melbec I am having for my liquid lunch!
Saying that Nisantasi is in the "burbs" is like staying in Times Square in Manhattan and saying that Soho is in the "burbs."
Ridiculous.
We (Muffy, Mother, Keith, and I) stayed at the Ritz-Carlton and it never took us more than 15 minutes to get the Sultanahmet by cab. Saying that it would take hours is high-falutin' hyperbole at best, and very "hick-from-the-hinterlands" mentality.
Go to the sophisticated T Travel Section of the New York Times and see what they recommend for Istanbul. Certainly not a "whirling dervish show" or sitting in a hookah bar in Sultanahmet.
Istanbul is a sophisticated city filled with art galleries, dance clubs, jet-set restaurants, beautiful shops, etc. It is a travesty to go to this city and think that everything is about waiters standing out on the sidewalk trying to hook tourists, carpet salesmen, and haggling for old tourist tat at the Grand Bazaar.
Stay in Sultanahmet if you wish, but there is absolutely NOTHING to do there at night. Maybe you are elderly and don't care about nightlife? Maybe you go to bed at 9 PM?
Another HORRID thing about Sultanahmet is that the CALL TO PRAYER from the Blue Mosque will wake you from a sound sleep!!!
Go to Sultanahmet to see the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palas, Hagia Sophia, but stay near the Bosphorus for a more pleasant experience when not playing tourist.
Agree with University of Denver grad othercelebi that most of the people you meet in Sultanahmet are from the lower classes of Turkish society.
A man and a son who owned a shop near the Blue Mosque were playing some sort of game (like checkers), when the older man spotted Muffy's Rolex he jumped up--overturning the table--and had his son run into the shop to get carpets and silver jewellery. This is the kind of thing WE experienced in Sultanahmet, to the point of exhaustion.
If you look like you have any money, you will be hounded by the carpet salesmen. Best to look like stoned hippie backpackers if staying in Sultanahmet.
Even the people who stay at the Four Seasons have private guides, cars, and drivers so they don't have to walk down the alleyway in front of the hotel because the carpet salesmen are so unrelenting.
P_P, no fool!
Jul 6th, 2011, 01:15 PM
#17
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 17,106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, welcome back, gorgeous PP!
("Muffy" was the giveaway)
15 minutes by taxi to Sultanahmet? You must have been traveling at 2am in the morning.
"Even the people who stay at the Four Seasons have private guides, cars, and drivers..."
What? You mean these people need a car to take them two blocks to the Topkapi Museum?
Obviously once there they can't be allowed to walk the extensive grounds of the Topkapi. What DOES the Four Seasons do for its guests? Do they have four strong and beautiful Nubian slaves come with a palanquin and carry the guest around the Topkapi? It's the least they can do.
After all, which idiotic Four Seasons executive suggested building an upscale hotel in the Sultanahmet area among "the lower classes of society" catering to "stoned hippie backpackers"?
("Muffy" was the giveaway)
15 minutes by taxi to Sultanahmet? You must have been traveling at 2am in the morning.
"Even the people who stay at the Four Seasons have private guides, cars, and drivers..."
What? You mean these people need a car to take them two blocks to the Topkapi Museum?
Obviously once there they can't be allowed to walk the extensive grounds of the Topkapi. What DOES the Four Seasons do for its guests? Do they have four strong and beautiful Nubian slaves come with a palanquin and carry the guest around the Topkapi? It's the least they can do.
After all, which idiotic Four Seasons executive suggested building an upscale hotel in the Sultanahmet area among "the lower classes of society" catering to "stoned hippie backpackers"?
Jul 8th, 2011, 08:33 AM
#20
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 13,812
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just read some of the Sultanahmet replies above. I'm female and travel the world alone 99% of the time and have been doing such since I was 17. I'm out and about, in the world, 1-3 times a year. I've experienced a lot of different types of areas.
While staying in Sultanhamet I walked all over and had no major problems. Of course, there are always situations of men who will come up to a solo female and try to talk to her, but I'm used to such as I've dealt with it on a lot of continents in the world. It doesn't intimidate me. And there are situations of being approached by people trying to sell stuff. It can be annoying, but it's not intimidating. The area of Sultanahmet definitely did not intimidate me. It is not the Istanbul of the 1970s movie, "Midnight Express". I have had much older friends, who were in Istanbul and Sultanahmet, way before the Four Seasons was built and back when the structure was a prison, so I've been told. They were in hardcore Sultanahmet. That was another time period.
While staying at the Empress Zoe, I met a young woman in her 30s. who was traveling around the world solo for 2 years. She and I teamed up and did Istanbul together for a day and a night. She had been there for a few days before I had arrived and had also been out on her own, roaming the city, day and night, and was fine. This was in 1999.
The day after we went out, she left Istanbul for Madagascar. She had really enjoyed her stay in Istanbul, but said it was time to move on.
As for the Four Seasons and guests there having cars, guides, whatever, my mouth flew open on that one. Although, I stayed at the Empress Zoe, a block from the Four Seasons, I am also a big Four Seasons fan. While in Isatanbul, I did go to the FOur Seasons for drinks with a friend from Istanbul. In some places in the world I regularly stay at Four Seasons hotels. So, I'm the type of person who feels very comfortable in 0-star hotels up to 5-star hotels. I'm very flexible.
If I had been staying at the Four Seasons, I still would have been out in the street walking and taking public transportation as I did while staying a block away at my then, $50.00 a night room, at the Empress Zoe. By the way, the hotel owner is from San Francisco and gives a discount for paying cash and in dollars.
As for the Sultanhamet area, I liked being close to the sights as then I could take my time and see them and easily go back to them if I wanted to. I went to other areas of Istanbul as I was all over. I also took the public ferry to some places. As for Taksim, I personally couldn't get into it and am glad that I didn't stay in that area. Overall, I'm glad I stayed where I stayed. But, to each his own. Happy Travels!
While staying in Sultanhamet I walked all over and had no major problems. Of course, there are always situations of men who will come up to a solo female and try to talk to her, but I'm used to such as I've dealt with it on a lot of continents in the world. It doesn't intimidate me. And there are situations of being approached by people trying to sell stuff. It can be annoying, but it's not intimidating. The area of Sultanahmet definitely did not intimidate me. It is not the Istanbul of the 1970s movie, "Midnight Express". I have had much older friends, who were in Istanbul and Sultanahmet, way before the Four Seasons was built and back when the structure was a prison, so I've been told. They were in hardcore Sultanahmet. That was another time period.
While staying at the Empress Zoe, I met a young woman in her 30s. who was traveling around the world solo for 2 years. She and I teamed up and did Istanbul together for a day and a night. She had been there for a few days before I had arrived and had also been out on her own, roaming the city, day and night, and was fine. This was in 1999.
The day after we went out, she left Istanbul for Madagascar. She had really enjoyed her stay in Istanbul, but said it was time to move on.
As for the Four Seasons and guests there having cars, guides, whatever, my mouth flew open on that one. Although, I stayed at the Empress Zoe, a block from the Four Seasons, I am also a big Four Seasons fan. While in Isatanbul, I did go to the FOur Seasons for drinks with a friend from Istanbul. In some places in the world I regularly stay at Four Seasons hotels. So, I'm the type of person who feels very comfortable in 0-star hotels up to 5-star hotels. I'm very flexible.
If I had been staying at the Four Seasons, I still would have been out in the street walking and taking public transportation as I did while staying a block away at my then, $50.00 a night room, at the Empress Zoe. By the way, the hotel owner is from San Francisco and gives a discount for paying cash and in dollars.
As for the Sultanhamet area, I liked being close to the sights as then I could take my time and see them and easily go back to them if I wanted to. I went to other areas of Istanbul as I was all over. I also took the public ferry to some places. As for Taksim, I personally couldn't get into it and am glad that I didn't stay in that area. Overall, I'm glad I stayed where I stayed. But, to each his own. Happy Travels!
