Arnavutköy Holidays

Good hotel in fantastic location in Central Istanbul. Close to all the big sights and with helpful staff who spoke good English.

The hotel is set in the old town, very convenient to the main attraction - the Blue Mosque and take a walk further and you will find yourself in the shopping areas and more places to eat. Be warned, the price of eating out is not cheap! I went to Istanbul many years ago and eating out was an adventure, part of the holiday; now, you will see men outside restaurants, side by side, all trying to get you to go inside and eat their food. It was not a pleasant experience. The food was not particularly good, it certainly did not live up to the photos in their glossy menus! Back to the hotel, it was a great, the staff were all very friendly. Breakfast was the highlight of the day!!! There were so many things to eat. Fresh fruits, wonderful yoghurts, muesli and other cereals, wonderful omelettes, cheese, bacon far too much to mention. It was a feast to last till mid afternoon! Only one issue, the very friendly bellhop, arranged a taxi for us with a negotiated fixed price fare, once in the cab, the driver then said he wanted more than the agreed price. Do not believe anyone, the bellhop wasn't at fault it is just the driver was just greedy. We were in the cab, unable to do anything other than pay up! A nasty end to the holiday. The hotel was full of character, lovely furniture, old pictures and lemon juice, water or sherbet available in the entrance at all times. Loved the hotel, loved the staff and it made a lovely place to relax after a dusty, challenging day sight seeing.

Good location for sightseeing or business, as the tram stop and subway station are nearby. plus excellent view from the restaurant at the top.

The room was clean and well-maintained, and the breakfast was tasty and varied. The hotel is a little away from the main area, but still conveniently located near a tram stop (Tram 1). Unfortunately, there were two things I wasn’t happy with. First, our room had very limited natural daylight because it faced a backyard with a dark artificial wall just a few metres away. Second, the twin beds were too narrow for my comfort.