Our cruise next September ends in Istanbul and we thought we'd spend 3 or 4 days there. What are the recommendations for moderately priced hotels that would be convenient to places that first-time visitors would want to see?

We just stayed at the Hotel Uyan in Istanbul this past October and it was great. It is in the old section (Sultanahmet) and is within a few blocks of the major sites.

We also stayed at the Uyan in September. It was extremely clean, very well located,pleasantly decorated, quiet, moderately priced etc. I highly recommend it for a moderately priced hotel in Sultanahmet. We were in a deluxe room. Good luck.

I stayed at the Mavi Ev (The Blue House) in June, it was very convenient and in Sultanahmet.

http://www.bluehouse.com.tr/english/welcome.asp

The next time I go to Istanbul I would probably stay in a different neighborhood. It's good for a first-time visitor, but a follow-up visit would require a less-touristy neighborhood (for me anyway!)

Another vote for the Uyan. Stayed in a deluxe room this August, and it was perfect. Beautifully appointed, excellent service, breakfast on the roof with unbelievable views, and very reasonably priced. And the location couldn't be better. (smack dab in the centre of Sultanhamet and half a block away from the Four Seasons.)

Hi
we were in Istanbul a few years ago and stayed at the Sarnich Hotel. It was clean, a nice room, the hotel had a good breakfast buffet and the staff spoke English and were helpful and friendly. It's located in Sultanahmet. Very convenient to Aya Sophia, the Bazaar and most of the other area for tourists.

Hotel Ambassador seems to get consistently good reviews, though when I tried to book they had no vacancy for my dates. I did visit there and it seemed fine - nice location, geat staff and close to but not in the thick of the tourist area in Sultanahmet, much better than the grittier area around the Sirkeci train station. I wound up staying in the Taksim area, was concerned that it would not be convenient, but it turned out to be fine and I really enjoyed it.

While some probably see chains as a venial sin at minimum, I found this Holiday Inn to be a good value and conveniently located:

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hd/istmc

It is just inside the ancient wall of the city. If you like to walk as much as I do, then you can hoof it to things like the Grand Bazaar and the Blue Mosque pretty easily (but it IS a walk). If not, there is a tram stop right in front of the hotel or a cab is cheap.

I stayed at the Hotel Ambassador in October and had a positive experience there.The location can't be beaten and the service was quite good.

My husband and I spent 4 nights at the Hotel Sari Konak in Sultanahmet last month, and loved it. The rooms and common areas are well maintained and charming. It has a fabulous roof deck. The staff is welcoming and helpful in every way. It's a 5 minute walk to the Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Aya Sofia and Topkapi Palace. This is where you want to be if it is your first visit to Istanbul. The only downside to staying in Sultanahmet is that many restaurants within immediate walking distance are a bit touristy. We found our best meals in other neighborhoods. However, we had a lovely meal in the restaurant in the cistern (can't recall the name but it's the only one) though it was expensive. (Ask to see the photo book that shows how the cistern was turned from an auto repair shop into a totally romantic dining room!) Also, do make time to go to the modern, northern side of the city (including a ride on the Tunel subway).

I stayed at the Sude Konak. Quiet area within easy walking distance of all sites for reasonable price.

My son and I went to Istanbul with a tour last March and stayed at the President - a Best Western hotel. We had a group of 60 people, so we needed a place that could handle that crowd.

Now, I'm a bit of a hotel snob, preferring to stay at top notch/5* places. But we were quite comfy at the President and the location was great - just 3+ blocks from the Grand Bazaar, just 4 blocks from a nice pedestiran area with restaurants where you could sit outside (it was too cold when we were there). The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are a quick cab ride away. Many folks from our group had fun walking and exploring the city from the hotel. There was also a whirling dervish club/show right next door.

We are going to Istanbul again this March and when I was looking at rates at the President - I could get a jr. suite for about $180 a night (including breakfast). For our whole family, we need 2 rooms, so that is quite good for us. Well, my husband and I may take the suite and put the teens in a regular room!