Ahmet Efendi Evi

Safely and cleanly

Absolutely fantastic location. 15 minutes walk to iconic sights (Blue Mosque, Aya Sophia, Topkapi, Cistern) and just a 10 minute walk to the Bosphorus. Gonul, the owner, is very helpful with advice and anything else I asked about and is a delight to chat with. Breakfast was substantial with a variety of food and freshly prepared coffee or tea. It was mainly cold items, breads, fruit, cheese, meats etc. but, each day there was a different hot item available. The room was comfortable and had AC and heating with remote control but, since I was there in early April, I did not need to use the unit and just opened or closed windows as needed. I did not turn on the TV so have no idea what channels were available. The one disappointing thing about the room was the bathroom. I had not noticed when I booked but there are no photos of the bathroom on the website. It is small and the shower is poor. The shower curtain did not reach down to the tray so, every time I showered, the bathroom floor would be covered with water. The water pressure was pathetic and the temperature fluctuated dramatically. However, since I shower in the morning and the room was serviced daily, this was just a minor inconvenience for a few minutes each day and did not really affect me. Visitors in hot weather or with a family may not feel the same. Overall, a fantastic stay that greatly benefited my enjoyment of Istanbul.

Beruset Nice host

I stayed in the room with the terrace on the top floor for 7 nights. It's an interesting hotel with a lot of character. Pros: view of blue mosque from the terrace at night is mystical, the hostess is amazing at directing everyone to really interesting adventures and giving you some sense of the grandeur of Istanbul, the location is just enough out of the tourist flow to feel interesting but still close to the main tourist attractions. Cons: a few maintenance flaws in the bathroom, some of the stuff is a bit old, walking up the hill to the metro stop was fun at first but got old after 7 days of it. Overall I recommend it, you get a taste of old Istanbul while still being right next to the big tourist attractions. The little flaws appeared as charming.