where to tsay in istambul
 

will be traveling to turkey.. would appriciate info for hotels in old part of town .so I could explore it on foot

thanks in advance,
nadre

Don't know what your budget is, but the Empress Zoe was a very nice B&B I stayed in while in Istanbul. It's in Sultanahmet so very close to everything by foot.

YESIL EV is very nice, too and in an excellent location. We enjoyed our dinner in their candlelit garden. Another place that often gets mentioned on this site is: Sara Konak.

We stayed at Ottoman Hotel Imperial across the street from the Hagia Sophia and found it very nice. Our son stayed at Mavi Ev--Blue House--across from the Blue Mosque and liked that as well. Both these and the Hotel Seven Hills where we stayed on a previous trip and most others you will want to explore to be close to the sights are in the Sultanhamet district. Enjoy.

how much woudl you be paying for a room at even Hills. Their better room like the presidential suite.I gather it is not a five star is that right?
Thanks again all
Mooky

Mavi Ev (Blue Hotel) is in a great position and the sevice is very good. The roof has a fantastic view of the Blue Mosque !!

For info on room rates at the hotel Seven Hills (which is a 3 rather than 5 star hotel) go to hotelsevenhills.com They have internet rates on their own site.

How much do you want to pay?

About staying in Sultanahmet: if you stay near the Blue Mosque (Mavi Ev, Yesil Ev, Empress Zoe, Angel's Home, Four Seasons), you will be awakened at sunrise by the "Call to Prayer." It is VERY loud.

I stayed at the Ritz-Carlton near the Bosphorus and loved it. Taxis are cheap in Istanbul.

If you stay in Beyoglu or Taxim you are also closer to the nightlife. There is no nightlife in Sultanahmet. The really good clubs are in Ortakoy.

Sydney Carton

We stayed at The Seven Hills last year in two of their suites. The hotel has a great location,(gorgeous rooftop restaurant with unbelievable views!) and the suites were amazing, but both of them suffered from a nearly intolerable mildew smell,(we had to switch rooms with our kids who really couldn't take the smell) apparently coming from an upstairs restaurant bathroom. I don't know how you'd find out if this is still a problem, but it's worth looking into ( recent tripadvisor reviews??) before you book.

I stayed at Hotel Uyan in Istanbul last year (October 2007) and would recommend it. I booked it after reading a recommendation here on Fodors and reviews on Trip Advisor. It is in a good location, just around the corner from the Blue Mosque and Haiga Sophia in Sultanahmet.

The room was clean and comfortable, as I recall I paid 99 Euro per night(the price may have gone up this year) and this included breakfast in their rooftop breakfast room. There is not a restaurant at the hotel, but plenty to choose from in the area.