Need advice on a wonderful hotel in Istanbul
 

My husband and I are spending our 25th anniversary in Istanbul. We will be arriving after a 8 day tour of Greek Islands, and spending 5 nights there. I have been doing much research on hotels in the Sultanahmet area as it seems thats where all the "big " sights are. I am not sure if this is the right decision for us. We love to come back after long day of sight seeing and spend time hanging out like a local. Enjoy unusual but comfortable hotels with a little activity at night. So 2 questions really. 1. Should we stay put in Sultanahmet area or look else where? 2. Any great recommendations for hotels in the 150.00 euro range? Give or take a few $. Thank you for your always appreciated advice. (Oh I forgot to mention we will be in Istanbul October 27-November 1 this year.)

This is way out of your range, but for a once in a lifetime experience, try the Çırağan Palace.

This hotel was originally an Ottoman palace, that is right on the Bosphorus.

They will upgrade folks from the hotel to the palace. It happened to a travelling associate of mine. Beautiful duplex room in the old palace. It's about a 10 minute walk from the hotel, but still on the grounds.

The next morning, he met me at the main lobby. He said "should we turn in our keys?". I asked him what he was talking about and he produced a large key that was attached to a 12" board. I started laughing as I had a plastic room key.

If you tell them it's your 25th anniversary, they might go for it.

Places are not far apart, and a taxi from one site to another is pretty cheap.

the hotel we stayed 2 months ago was Ada in Sultanahmet area. It is about your price range. I like everything about the place except for the street noise, closing the window and turn on the air con would solve the problem. I don't mind the call to prayers because I go to Indonesia often. That is the only place I stayed in Istanbul so nothing to compare with. The breakfast is a great spread, a wide variety of food served by 3 sisters on the roof overlooking the sea, the scenery is so spectacular that i spent more time than i could spare there. The owners are a retired couple, the men who was a professor speaks excellent English, their son works for google in NYC, he has installed some cool stuff in the building. See if you can figure out how to open the door with the key looking thing. It's not what you think. They don't ask for credit card info or downpayment, that's a plus. I would reserve the room now, if decided it's not for you can cancel without penalty(forgot how many days before arrival). You need to check the website and the terms for yourself. You get the ride to the airport for free which we got if you stay more than 3 days. I chose that hotel because it was reco by the San Francisco Chronicle. It has a high rating from trip advisor also.
Hope this helps.

Just returned about 24 hours ago from Turkey...spent 3 nights at Empress Zoe (130 Euros/night for a very tiny suite) and then traveled to Cappadoccia for 2 nights & then returned to Istanbul for an additional 3 nights at the Ferman Hotel at around 170 Euros/night for a nice sized room with breathtaking Blue Mosque views. Both of these Istanbul properties were in Sultanahmet area. I LOVED staying in this area!

Here is a brief rundown of these 2 hotels for your consideration: (Keep in mind rates may be less you when travel).

EMPRESS ZOE: This was a VERY highly recommended hotel & is very much a favorite of many travelers. It was very charming; had lots of character. We likely had the smallest/least charming room they offer so I'm not sure we saw the place at its best but we still enjoyed it very much. There is no elevator & the stairs are narrow & steep. Lovely garden area & a nice smallish rooftop area for relaxing/sunning. Very friendly & accommodating staff. I understand many of their rooms have 4 poster beds...it was very close to Blue Mosque, the tram & tons of restaurants/shops.

THE FERMAN HOTEL-Just around the corner from Empress Zoe. One side overlooks the Sea but if you select one of these rooms, you will be in for some serious train noise. We had a stunning view, square on of the Blue Mosque. We were on the top floor & had a large private balcony. We had reserved a Sultan room but the upgraded us to what they refer to as a "penthouse" suite...but it really was nice room rather than a suite...They have a very lovely, large rooftop deck for breakfast & evening cocktails with Panoramic views of sea & Mosque. They have an elevator but you need to take 1 flight of stairs to rooftop. Service was very good; this hotel was more luxurious than the 1st.

Noise was not an issue at either of these properties for us although we could of course hear the call to prayer if windows were open...

Let me know if you have any additional questions about either of these properties or the area...

I really appreciate all the help. Seems everyone enjoys the Sultanahmet area so I guess I will focus on that. I will check out all the recommendations. Now DH says he would rather pay more to have a balcony so that narrows the search for sure. I will start another thread but wondering if any of you took a day trip to Iznik and if the time is worth it?

rattravlers - my friend and i are looking at the very teeny tiny budget room at Empress Zoe. it looks like a cool place to stay, and we will save lots of $$ for food/fun. can you tell me any other impressions you had of that hotel or the area? will you be writing a trip report?

I'm afraid it might be out of your range, but a few years ago my family stayed at The Seven Hills Hotel in Sultanahmet. We reserved a jr. suite that had a large balcony, although all you could really see from it was the top of the Blue Mosque and the street below. If you like old elegance- beautiful woodwork, interesting fabrics, large windows, this is the place for you.

But the best part of the hotel was definitely the rooftop restaurant. It has a big two-level terrace with stunning views of The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and The Marmara Sea. The food was very good, too.

Unlike some other posters, we really liked being in Sultanahmet because it was so easy to visit many of the places we wanted to see. But you do have to be ready for the noise, some aggressive touts, and the call to prayer, which I actually loved.

callalilli2 I will write a trip report when I get home. I love the looks of the Empress Zoe unfortunately they are booked for my dates:( I am going to keep checking just in case something opens up.

looking forward to it kmh7!

We were in Istanbul in May and stayed at the Hotel Dersaadet in the Sultanahmet. I really liked this hotel -- as did many others on TripAdvisor. Only one suite has a balcony and that exceeds your budget. But the breakfast room and terrace on top of the hotel has a wide view of the sea and of the Blue Mosque. This room is open during the day and in the evening for light snacks and drinks. So if your husband can be persuaded to share....

oh.. kmh7.. i just realized i will be there before you are. we're going in Sept, and we did get the tiny budget room at Empress Zoe. hopefully, i will write a trip report when we get back... :)