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A brief guide on where to stay in Istanbul. There are countless hotels to choose from in every area of the city and for all budgets. The most popular areas to stay are Taksim and Sultanahmet.
I really didn’t have the need to stay in a hotel until after I moved away, but I’ve had the chance to experience a handful since then. Most of the hotels featured in this post are located in the Beyoğlu district with a few in the Old City.
Where to Stay near Taksim Square, Istanbul
Most of my hotel experience in Istanbul has been in the vicinity of Taksim Square. I usually stay there for convenience after traveling for several hours, or out of necessity when traveling with a group. I’ll rank the hotels in order of my overall experience from best to worst.
Vardar Palace
I stayed two nights at the Vardar Palace. It’s situated in a building constructed in 1911 and was renovated in 2023. The location is fantastic, just a few minutes walk from Taksim Square and Istiklal Street.
I stayed in an economy single room, which is tiny but perfect since I didn’t spend too much time in it anyway. Staff is friendly and helpful while rooms are comfortable and quiet. Prices are reasonable. I enjoyed my stay and would recommend it.
Germir Palas Hotel
On one trip, I had a late arrival and booked a room at the Germir Palas Hotel. While it doesn’t look like much from the outside, the interior features a classic combination of Baroque and Ottoman-inspired design.
My room was very comfortable and I enjoyed my stay. I had a great night of sleep and the room was quiet even with all the street noise outside. My only complaint was there was no air conditioning which made it a bit uncomfortable on a hot night. Other than that, I had a wonderful view of Gezi Park and could even see the Bosporus Bridge from my window.
Breakfast was served in the basement. There was a nice assortment of food, but the room was quite crowded. There’s a rooftop terrace which was closed for maintenance during my stay. A restaurant and bar is located on the ground floor but I didn’t visit either. Overall service was hit or miss. The best thing about the hotel was the location right on Taksim Square and just a few steps from the metro and airport shuttles.
Ramada Istanbul Taksim
When I led a tour to Istanbul for a group of 23, we stayed at the Ramada Istanbul Taksim. Staff is wonderful and the hotel is in a great location near Taksim Square. A delicious breakfast is included.
Rooms are comfortable and clean. It was a great experience for most of the group, but a few had trouble sleeping because of noise from bars nearby. The noise depended on which side of the building the room was located.
Taximist
I stayed one night at Taximist. It’s a nice little hotel a short walk from Taksim Square. I arrived around 1am after about 30 hours of traveling and was very happy to get to the room. It was extremely clean, comfortable, and quiet. Unfortunately I slept through breakfast but that was expected. In any case, I’d be happy to stay there again.
Mitani Suites
After finishing up a tour, I stayed two nights at Mitani Suites. I’ll be completely honest – it’s definitely not the best place I’ve stayed but I got exactly what I paid for. However, what it lacks in comfort it makes up with hospitality and location. The owner is friendly and very helpful, the price is extremely reasonable for the location, and I slept well.
I had an economy single room, which was very tight but was fine because I didn’t spend much time in the room. The negatives are that the bathroom needed an upgrade and had no ventilation so it was quite musty, and the room could have been a bit cleaner. Otherwise, I enjoyed stepping out of the room where some of my favorite restaurants are located and the proximity to public transportation. I’ll stay there on a future trip in a larger room and see if my opinion changes.
Hub Suite
Hub Suite has a great location just steps from Taksim Square and several good restaurants. I stayed for 1 night with a group of 4 travelers. Just beware there’s no elevator, so keep that in mind if you travel with large pieces of luggage.
We had three rooms in total. Rooms are spacious and comfortable with good A/C. The others in the group were happy and had no complaints about their rooms, but mine smelled like an ashtray despite it being a non-smoking room.
Furthermore, when I went to take a shower the next morning, the shower gel was a half empty open bottle and the towel on the rack was wet. They obviously didn’t do a good job cleaning the room, and thankfully it was only my room and not my guests.
If you decide to stay there avoid the 3rd floor if you can. The rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors were perfectly fine. For me, it’s a toss-up whether I’d stay there again or not, as long as I’m on a lower floor.
The Row Taksim
En Suites Hotel (now The Row Taksim) is a small suite hotel in an up-and-coming area a short walk from Taksim Square. The room was very comfortable and spacious. There was a nice working area as well as complimentary tea and coffee. I was able to get a good night’s sleep with the blackout curtains.
La Perato
La Perato is an apartment hotel near Taksim Square. I stayed five nights there at a fair price. It sits downhill a short walk north of Tarlabaşı Boulevard. The neighborhood is a little seedy but it’s not unsafe. The host is friendly and was nice enough to meet me around 1am to give me the keys after I had a long flight delay.
Overall, the room was spacious and comfortable. There’s a small kitchenette and A/C, but WiFi wasn’t very good. My only complaint was the noise from other guests, but that’s no fault of the property.
InterContinental
The only hotel I stayed at while I lived in Istanbul is the InterContinental. I stayed there with family who visited and wanted to splurge for a few days, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. It’s located at the north end of Gezi Park.
The room wasn’t as nice as we expected, but the views were spectacular. We were able to see the Bosporus.
Other than that, the pool area was a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, and the spa looked great even though we didn’t use any of the services.
Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus
The Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus was the first modern hotel in not only Istanbul but in all of Europe after World War II. It’s also the oldest serving Hilton outside the United States. It sits on a huge property with a large outdoor pool and also has a few restaurants. While I haven’t stayed there, I know people who have and they enjoyed it very much. Personally, I’ve eaten dinner there and can say it’s a beautiful hotel.
Ardilas Residence
If you want a horrible experience stay at Ardilas Residence. It’s on one of the streets off Istiklal Street. I booked a room there for some guests of mine based on the overwhelmingly positive reviews and great photos, but it turned out to be a disaster.
Our Negative Experience at Ardilas Residence
I picked up the guests at Istanbul International Airport early in the morning and we got to the hotel around 8:30am. I had notified the front desk ahead of time that the guests would arrive early, and if the room isn’t ready they would wait.
When we arrived, the man on duty, who was very friendly, told us there’s one room ready but not the one I had booked. He offered the guests a chance to rest and wash up and told us to come back at noon and ask the next person on duty to move them to the correct room.
When I came back to meet the guests, we explained the situation to the new and he exploded in anger.
“NO! You came this morning and you demanded to take the other room! You were very rude! How can I change after you have a room? I will lose money! No hotel will ever do this! We already gave them a room!”
I responded calmly that the man had offered the room as a courtesy, nobody demanded anything, and if we knew it would be a problem we would have waited for the room I had booked.
Again, he snapped at me and told me to find another hotel if I didn’t like it. I raised my voice and told him there are plenty of other places to stay and I’ll cancel the whole booking for four nights if he wants us to leave. He then changed his tone. In the end, to avoid further escalation, the guests decided they were fine staying in the room they had been given, but the whole situation left a bad taste in our mouths. Avoid Ardilas Residence like the plague.
Where to Stay in Tepebaşı, Istanbul
I was fortunate enough to stay a few nights at the historic Pera Palace Hotel. There are a few other decent options in Tepebaşı as well.
Pera Palace Hotel
I was very fortunate to have the chance to stay at the Pera Palace Hotel. It was very exciting for me. I had walked past the building and popped in so many times before, and I was curious to see how it felt to be a guest.
My room was spacious and extremely comfortable. There was a huge bed, small workstation, and a hamam-style shower. I had a few amazing nights of sleep.
A balcony opened out onto Refik Saydam Street (Refik Saydam Caddesi) with views over Kasımpaşa, the Golden Horn, and the skyscrapers to the north.
The view was just as spectacular at night, with the city beautifully lit for miles into the distance.
Dora Pera Hotel
Further south is the Dora Pera Hotel. It’s situated in a restored building and has a great location like the previously mentioned hotels. I stayed for one night while leading a tour.
My room at the Dora Pera Hotel was, like the other hotels, comfortable, clean, and quiet. I opted for a room with a nice view of the Golden Horn, which added to my stay. A fresh plate of fruit and complimentary bottle of water was a pleasant surprise.
I only have two complaints about the hotel. First, the breakfast area was very crowded and I had to wait to get a table. For a hotel with several rooms, there should be an area with more tables available. Second, since the rest of my group had to leave at 3am for an early flight home, I asked the front desk to prepare a box breakfast for them to take with them on their airport transfer. When the staff member at check-out came out with plates wrapped in plastic, we knew our request had fallen on deaf ears.
Where to Stay in Şişhane, Istanbul
I’ve stayed at a few different hotels in Şişhane. I really enjoy staying there due to its proximity to Istiklal Street, Galata, and some great restaurants. The connection to the Istanbul transportation network is also very good.
Aspera Hotel
One of the best hotels I’ve stayed at in Istanbul is the Aspera Hotel. I spent a night there in May 2022 after it had been open for only 6 months and a few months later while leading a group of 22 people.
I found the room to be modern, clean, and very comfortable. The room was silent at night even though it was situated on a very busy street. A complimentary bottle of water and sweets were a nice touch.
Staff is wonderful and went out of their way to make my stay even better than I expected. There’s a big spread for breakfast with a nice variety of fresh items available. Also, the location is fantastic. It’s only a few minutes walk to the Galata Tower and Istiklal Street, and the Şişhane metro entrance is literally just a few steps from the entrance. I look forward to staying there again in the future.
Galata Times Boutique Hotel
Around the corner on Meşrutiyet Street is the Galata Times Boutique Hotel. I stayed for one night when I had to meet a group very early in the morning for an airport transfer.
The hotel has a few different types of rooms. I stayed in a superior room, which was comfortable and clean yet a bit small to be called superior. Thankfully, I didn’t upgrade to a room with a balcony. That would have given me a view of an Istanbul alley with a brick wall staring me in the face. Other than the room being a bit tight, I had a great night of sleep and awoke fresh for my early start.
Staff was very friendly and prepared a box breakfast for me since I would miss the actual breakfast time on the rooftop terrace. They also gave me complimentary tea on the terrace as I enjoyed the views of Galata and the Golden Horn.
Where to Stay in Karaköy, Istanbul
I normally wouldn’t stay in Karaköy, but I found a great deal at a nice hotel.
Nordstern Hotel
As a treat to myself for a night of relaxation, I spent a night at the Nordstern Hotel on Karaköy Square. It’s a historic building dating back to 1889 that has been beautifully refurbished as a hotel.
The Nordstern Hotel has three types of rooms. I chose a basic comfort room, which had a view of the Galata Tower. The room was wonderful, with very high ceilings, modern amenities, and classic decor. The superior rooms have a more modern design, which in my opinion wouldn’t fit the character of the building very well.
The hotel has an excellent staff that go out of their way to help. I really appreciated the fact they greeted me by name each time I walked into the lobby. Another feature of the hotel that I enjoyed was the rooftop terrace, which is open 24 hours a day. Breakfast is served on the terrace but you have to be lucky to grab an outdoor seat with a view of the Galata Bridge and the Old City. It’s a classic Istanbul view.
Where to Stay in the Old City of Istanbul
I try not to stay in the Old City of Istanbul, mostly because it’s way too touristy and lack of good restaurants. There are, however, some good places to stay.
Million Stone Hotel
The Million Stone Hotel has a fantastic location next to the Basilica Cistern and just 100 meters from Hagia Sophia. It’s situated in an Ottoman-style building hidden down a quiet alley. The staff is friendly and helpful and there’s a decent breakfast buffet in the morning.
My room was comfortable, clean, and quiet. I got a great night of sleep. Most of all, price is fair for the location and quality of the hotel. If you really want to be in the middle of the Old City, this is a great place to stay.
Darüssaade Hotel
A couple blocks from the Blue Mosque is the Darüssaade Hotel. It’s housed in a 19th century Ottoman mansion fully renovated in 2007. I didn’t stay there personally, but one of my tour groups did and they loved it. The rooms are spacious and comfortable and they enjoyed breakfast on the rooftop terrace. The only negative is that the street in front of the hotel sees heavy traffic, so expect a little bit of noise and difficulty getting a taxi if you need one.
Sayeban Gold Hotel
Sayeban Gold Hotel is tucked away on a quiet street between Sirkeci Station and the walls of Gülhane Park. I needed a last-minute place to stay and was able to get an amazing rate for one night. All staff members are very friendly and welcoming.
I had a simple room that was clean, comfortable, and quiet, with great air conditioning. The bathroom was a little dated but that’s not a problem.
The best part about the hotel is the rooftop terrace where breakfast is served every morning. In addition to a hearty breakfast with eggs made to order, there are fantastic views of Galata and the Golden Horn, both day and night.
