Grand Duayen Hotel

For a low-cost stay close to Ankara's centre, the location is convenient, with the main attractions within walking distance. The hotel is quite old and needs renovation, though. It was really noisy all night, and there's no air conditioning in the bathroom. My bathroom door got stuck when I locked it to shower. Luckily, my wife was in the room and called for help. If you're after a cheap place near the centre, it's OK, but don't lock the bathroom door!

From the hotel it's easy to get a bus, and there's a taxi HQ just down the street, so there are options for getting around the city. The rooms are comfortable, and the restaurant upstairs has a very nice city view from its position on a pretty high hill. A lovely setting for breakfast.

I stayed at Duayen hotel for 8 days and had a great experience. The staff were kind and quick to handle even my unusual requests, like a vaccuming cleaner for compressing clothes, a sharp knife for changing my watch battery, printing my documents, and shopping consultation. They dealt with all of it professionally. The neighborhood felt quiet and safe, and the view is spectacular because of the height. It's good for walking, with several parks, cafes, restaurants, and malls within a maximum 20 minutes on foot, though streets in Çankaya can be a little steep. At night, you can socialize with others at the bar (Meyhaneh) on the hotel's top floor. My room was cozy, with lots of mirrors, and the bathroom was very clean. Housekeeping came every day and cleaned everything, even when it wasn't needed. The cleaning staff were friendly and helpful. There's also a spa with a sauna and turkish bath, where you can get a decent massage after a long flight to ease tired, stiff muscles. Breakfast is served at the roof restaurant, which has a great view over the whole city. It was wholesome, and even with a big appetite I could never finish the meal. There were many cheeses, susages, bologna, cucumber, tomato, lettuce, honey, jam, butter, nutella, dried cheese, omlet, french fries, and a special bread with something white and creamy inside. It was delicious, with coffe, tea, and orange juice. You can ask for any food you want and they'll make it.

The room was nice and very clean, and the staff were friendly. Breakfast was the same scrambled egg each day, with no other variety, and the Wi-Fi was very, very weak. It was quite cold with some snow during this period. I would recommend it.