kleeblatt

I'm organising my 8th English class field trip for March. We are going four days to Istanbul. We have three hotels in Sultanahmet to choose from:

Hotel President, Hotel Yasmak Sultan and Hotel Dersaadet.

I'm looking for a QUIET, clean hotel, centrally located with good breakfasts. We are fifteen adults (ages 35 - 70) that enjoy a drink at night but are otherwise well-behaved guests. A good night's sleep is important to us.

Kindly asking Istanbul experts: which of the above hotels would you choose?

Thanks for your response.

kleeblatt

ttt

Edward2005

I stayed at Hotel Nomade in 2000 and was very happy with it. It is in the Sultanamet (sp?) section, so it easy walking distance to a tram stop and several major attractions. It's on a back street so it is about as quiet as possible. Good traditional Turkish breakfast.

They have renovated since then according to their web site. A double will run you about $100.

kleeblatt

Thanks Edward. Unfortunately, I can only choose a hotel from the three above.

VandT24

try this link to help you decide; you wouldn't believe the rates:
http://www.olotels.com/en/index.html

kleeblatt

Thanks. But I really have to choose one of the hotels above. I'm booking a flight/hotel package.

ThinGorjus

I wouldn't stay in Sultanahmet again if you held a gun to my head. Too many hassles by rug merchants. Plus, too much noise. Can you find a hotel in Beyoglu?

kleeblatt

Thin and Gorgeous: I'm interested in your past experience. Can you elaborate?

ThinGorjus

I will top my trip report on Istanbul for you.

progol

Schuler,
To each his own, and I loved staying in Sultanahmet. I preferred staying in the old part of town, with all the major sights a short walk away. I suppose the main drawback is the immediacy of the rug touts, but one learns quickly not to let that become a bother. I can't speak to the experience of any of the hotels you mentioned, but I wouldn't hesitate to stay in Sultanahmet. In fact, for a first time, at least, I wouldn't want to stay anywhere else. But that's just me.
Paule

kleeblatt

Dear Thin and Absolutely Gorgeous,
Thanks for the thread. I remember seeing it as well when it was current. Love the humour and the bluntness of it all. I remember when you wrote from Istanbul and spoke about falling into the water (???) Hilarious.

As for Sultanahmet...you compared it to Disney World. Do you think that it will be just as bad in March? We are going off season.

Also, what's the best way to travel from Beyoglu to Sultanahmet? By tram? Remember: We are a group of 15!

kleeblatt

Progol,

That's what I was thinking when I started planning this trip. What's the best way to get rid of the rug touts? Speak Swiss German only? Ignore 100% Say "no, thank you?"

progol

Schuler,
I think the best way to deal with the rug touts is not to take it too seriously, realize that this is going to happen no matter what you do, and just go with it. Really. After the first day or two, my husband and I tended to either smile at the person and say "No, thanks" or just ignore them. Getting angry or annoyed is only going to add to your own stress level and may very well prod the tout into continuing his verbal attack. We also developed a bit of compassion, realizing that the country is, economically, in poor shape, and this is strictly business for people. So we stopped feeling the experience personally and understood this as a necessary way for people to make a living. It wasn't that we actually DID anything, it was more of an attitude shift. And occasionally, we found we engaged in conversations with people that we liked or we actually entered into a store just to look. It IS annoying, especially at first; but after a little while, it's easier to deal with.
I hope this helps.
Paule

Seamus

For a group of 15, maybe you could rent a minivan and driver for some planned excursions? Not sure about where to do this, but the local contact who was most helpful on my visit a few months ago was a guy named Nuri who seemed to work out of the Hotel Ambassador and was able to arrange just about anything, even though I wasn't staying at the Ambassador. (I wanted to, but couldn't get a room for my dates.) I don't have an email but his Istanbul cell phone is 05 33 769 9302.

Otherwise, from Beyoglu to Sultanahmet you could take a several taxis, or from the Tunel end of Istiklal caddessi take the Tunel funicular train to the bottom of the hill then pick up the tram (heading in the direction of Zeytinburnu) at the Karakoy stop diagonally across the street from where you exit the Tunel station. There is a stop in Sultanahmet.

Cheesy

I stayed at the President Hotel for 3 days at the beginning of September (on a tour) and slept like a baby!

The staff was helpful and the price was excellent (considering the onsite amenities: pool, good internet availability, bar, snack bar and 2 restaurants)

For my second trip I'd probably look for a botique hotel not so close to the Grand Bazaar area but for a chain hotel, The Best Western President was fine.

kleeblatt

Thanks everyone!

jtrandolph

You said,

>>That's what I was thinking when I started planning this trip. What's the best way to get rid of the rug touts? Speak Swiss German only? Ignore 100% Say "no, thank you?"<<

When we went to Istanbul my husband learned to say "I do not want to buy a carpet" in Turkish. (He is good with languages, speaks fluent Arabic and Spanish and passable French.)

Anyway, it worked. They looked at him with surprise and backed off.

However, I found the rug peddlers much less obnoxious than in, say, Algiers. They were friendly and had a sense of humor.

I can't help you with the hotels you need to choose from. We stayed at Oteli Sumengen. Have you tried googling the hotels you mention?

I think it is good to stay in Sultanahmet, so near to the history. Taksim Square, across the Horn, turned me off.

Zimmerer

I would recommend the Dersaadet Hotel in Istanbul. We received the best service I’ve had in the last 3 years. The staff was exceptionally friendly and accommodating. I’m sorry, I don’t have any experience with the other two.

The location of the hotel is good. Our first impression of the area was poor, since it is on an ugly side street, however it is very close to everything and the distance to the main street is negligible. The rooms are nicely decorated and spacious, but a little dark. The view from our room was nice. The bathroom is OK, not great (the bath is small and cold in winter). The Sultan Suite is wonderful and romantic. Nicely decorated with a fun bed and fantastic views from the wraparound windows and balcony. They have cribs and baby baths available ($10 charge). They have heaters and AC in the rooms (room-controlled vs. central).

The breakfast deck has a nice view of the blue Mosque. The breakfast was fresh, typical of the area (Bread, cake, tomatoes, cucumbers, yogurt, boiled eggs, cereal…) This is also a great place to have a drink at night, (however, only snacks served after breakfast).

I would recommend this hotel. Compared to others in it’s class it is of good value and excellent hospitality without being overfriendly or pushy.