15 Best Hotels in Istanbul, Turkey

Dersaadet means "place of happiness" in Ottoman Turkish, and this small, family-run, cozy hotel lives up to its name—rooms have an elegant, even plush, feel, with colorful rugs, antique furniture, and ceilings hand-painted with traditional motifs. Upper-level rooms have views, while a cozy indoor and outdoor roof terrace looks out to the sea; breakfast is served here while classical or jazz music plays in the background. Thoughtful touches include complimentary snacks for guests in the lobby, but what really makes Dersaadet so special is that the Duryar family run the place with great professionalism and enthusiasm, ensuring that staffers are just as welcoming.

The emphasis at this delightful, family-run bed-and-breakfast is on guest satisfaction, and the eight rooms in the restored wooden house are decorated with thoughtful attention to detail, like lovely Ottoman-Victorian-style wallpaper, upholstery, and linens; wooden floors and ceilings; and old-fashioned furniture. Tile-lined bathrooms feel fresh and modern; a couple have showers with exterior-facing stained-glass windows. A large roof terrace, where breakfast is served, has excellent views.

At what is now a Sultanahmet institution, rooms and suites are varied and charming—standard rooms, with colorfully canopied four-posters, nomad textiles, and dark woods, have an almost rustic feel, while suites are more fully furnished, and some have marble-lined bathrooms done up to look like mini hammams. The hotel's lush garden is an extremely tranquil spot to eat breakfast, and there's also an intimate, two-level roof terrace with nice views, as well as a small bar area inside.

The elaborate lobby here—with its carved wooden columns and ceilings, plush antique furniture, chandeliers, and marble floors with Oriental rugs—could well be a film set, while the standard rooms are done in a sleeker, more contemporary style that retains some vintage design accents. The suites carry on the "retro Ottoman" style of the lobby, with vintage-style lamps and decorative moldings stenciled onto the walls. The large junior suites have hammam-style bathrooms, divan sofas, and pastel-painted wooden wardrobes with traditional latticework; two bi-level suites are well suited for families. The plant-filled roof terrace, open year-round, has a lovely view of the Sea of Marmara, and service is on par with that at sister establishment Dersaadet.

Housed in a restored, late-19th-century building that was formerly a schoolhouse, this hotel and its dozen rooms are decorated in an old-fashioned Victorian style and outfitted with modern lighting, bathrooms, and other conveniences. The back garden, with its cozy lawn furniture, an enclosed bar area, and a vegetable plot where produce is grown for the daily breakfast, is a lovely place to hang out at any time of day or night.

An attractively renovated, century-old building so close to the 14th-century Galata Tower that you can almost reach out and touch it, the Anemon Galata provides plenty of old-world charm. The rooms are elegant and comfortable, if a bit musty and showing some wear. Breakfast is served in an upstairs restaurant with wonderful views of the tower and the Golden Horn, while the underground Sensus Wine Bar carries hundreds of local vintages, along with cheese plates and other light fare. Ask for a room in the back to get a view of the Old City and avoid noise.

The roomy, open-plan "suites" in this stylish, hip, early-20th-century building are arranged with separate sleeping and living areas and decorated in a smart, minimalist style, with slightly retro touches; a few on the upper floors have excellent views of the Golden Horn.

Three conjoined, restored town houses make up this comfortable, well-maintained hotel, which has new furnishings designed to look old-fashioned and an inviting lobby with a cozy bar decorated with colorful Turkish rugs and kilims. The compact standard rooms feature white furniture, attractive textiles in pastel or earth tones, and decorative flourishes; higher room categories also offer separate sitting areas and some have good views. A rooftop terrace, with sofas, glass tables with wrought-iron chairs, and potted plants, is a relaxing place to hang out, while the upper-level restaurant provides a fine view of the Ayasofya.

Two adjoining 19th-century houses offer old-world charm and comfortable rooms close to Sultanahmet's main sights. It's decorated in Ottoman-Victorian period style, with cozy furnishings that include brass beds and lamps, floral wallpaper and textiles, wooden floors with plush area carpets, and old-fashioned-style telephones. Most rooms face the neighborhood, though a few on the upper floors have views of the Sea of Marmara or the top of the Blue Mosque. Breakfast is served in summer on a rooftop terrace, which has the same view and is also the site of a Turkish restaurant offering à la carte lunch and dinner selections. Service is both friendly and efficient.

This lovely little inn near the main sights of Sultanahmet has bright, clean, and attractively decorated rooms—dark wooden floors, burgundy curtains, and a few four-poster beds with embroidered canopies—and a pleasantly laid-back vibe. Two rooms lead out to a small garden patio, while the sought-after Room 18 has a lovely sea view. The top-notch breakfast, which includes homemade cakes and fresh-squeezed orange juice, is served on a comfy roof terrace with a panoramic view; you can also enjoy a drink here at the end of the day.

Occupying two adjacent, Ottoman-style wooden houses on a quiet side street, Hotel Tashkonak has appealing rooms, friendly service, and a spacious, leafy garden patio that is a calming oasis in busy Sultanahmet. Cozy rooms have old-fashioned touches like chandeliers, boudoirs with mirrors, ornamental designs painted on the ceilings, and framed Ottoman prints and watercolor paintings; three family rooms comfortably sleep four to five people each. The roof terrace has a sweeping view of the Sea of Marmara, and complimentary tea is offered every afternoon in the garden.

Named after an ancient Anatolian fertility goddess, this charming little inn is best known for the incredible profusion of antique lamps—both functional and purely ornamental and totaling 4,000 at last count—that hang from the ceilings in the ornate, parlor-like lobby and the small but imaginatively decorated rooms. In addition to the lamps, rooms have antique furniture, textured floral wallpaper, kilims, and Turkish textiles. There's a little garden in the back, as well as a cozy library and a good restaurant.

The large rooms and suites at this cozy hotel on a quiet backstreet not far from the Çemberlitaş tram stop are attractively if a bit eclectically decorated, with brocade satin upholstery in Ottoman patterns, hanging Middle Eastern–style brass and cloth lamps, ornate mirrors, and kilims on parquet floors. Bathrooms, featuring patterned blue-and-white vintage-looking tiles, have tubs or rain showers and an extensive range of complimentary toiletries. Family suites have sofa beds in a separate living room off the bedroom, and one deluxe room has a small private patio in the back.

Rooms in this tiny hotel tucked away near the entrance to Değirmenburnu Park are simply but tastefully decorated, with old radios and furniture adding nostalgic charm; a top-floor king suite has a minibar, whirlpool tub, and terrace. The downstairs restaurant is cheerily strung with paper lanterns and has a lovely view over the water to Istanbul’s Asian side.

These bright, well-maintained accommodations in a converted Ottoman mansion have mainly modern furniture, though the decor also includes Turkish and period accents like brass lamps, antique mirrors, and Ottoman-era etchings; some rooms have original tiled floors. Breakfast is served in winter in a rustic room that opens onto a tiny courtyard and in summer on the rooftop terrace, where in the evening you can also sip a glass of rakı and contemplate the Sea of Marmara or the nearby Blue Mosque. If you don't want twin beds, or prefer a bathtub to a shower, request these when making reservations.