Bzn Ai̇rport Hotel

This felt like a total rip-off. I left another hotel because I didn’t feel safe there, and my taxi driver brought me here. They insisted the only room available was a three-bedroom one and charged me 60 pounds. There were no basic toiletries, and they wanted 5 pounds for a toothbrush. The room was noisy, with traffic and hotel sounds coming through, and I didn’t see another guest there. On Booking.com I found that the room they gave me cost 23 Euro. When I asked to borrow a phone charger, they said they had a spare but wanted 10 pounds for it. In the morning, Geo Taxi quoted 70 pounds to Hagia Sofia, but a taxi I booked in an app cost 23 pounds. I felt they were trying to rip off a poor woman traveling alone.

Frahan at reception was good, and the night receptionist was excellent too. The owner's son, though, charged my card extra, apparently hoping I wouldn’t notice. When I challenged the charge, he got angry and told me to leave.

Our room was neat and cozy, with everything we needed for a short stay. The only downside was noise from other guests. We were checked in quickly, and they offered us a better room for just $10 extra. The hotel can help arrange a transfer, and you can get food there or choose from the many restaurants in the neighborhood. It’s about 10 minutes from Istanbul airport.

The one good thing was how close it is to the airport. We’re extremely disappointed, and the experience left us with no trust in this hotel. We had a confirmed booking elsewhere, but after meeting an agent to arrange a shuttle, we were persuaded to cancel it and stay at this family hotel. They promised us a room with a view, breakfast, and attentive help from a family member at reception. We paid for the room, breakfast, and a private shuttle based on those assurances. On arrival, they put us in a basement room. We only got moved to a room with a view after complaining, even though that had been promised before we booked. The basics were missing too: no shampoo, conditioner, or toothpaste, and the soap pumps in the bathrooms were nearly empty. There were only three small sealed cups of water for our family of five, which wasn’t enough. We were offered a wide choice of dinners, with prices described as full meals including the main item, chips, and a drink. When we ordered, the price suddenly doubled. They wanted over €140, more than 7,000 Turkish Lira, for what was essentially burgers and pide. We refused and decided to order outside food. Only then did the price drop by nearly €50, over 2,500 Turkish Lira, which made us seriously question how transparent the pricing was. We reluctantly accepted. Once the food was ready, staff pushed us to eat in a small lounge by the front door, with a sign saying guests couldn’t eat in their rooms. It was night and our children were already in pyjamas, so we said no. We were allowed to eat in the room only after promising to clean it ourselves. Soon after, they called and told us to clear everything away right away and take the dishes downstairs. This was appalling and put unnecessary pressure on us, especially with young children. Before checkout, we told staff we’d be leaving before breakfast and were clearly promised sandwiches. In the morning there were no sandwiches or breakfast. The staff member said he hadn’t been told, had no bread, and wouldn’t prepare anything. No other option was offered, not even tea or coffee. We had to ask for drinks ourselves so the children could have something before traveling. The private shuttle we paid for also wasn’t provided as agreed. Instead of driving straight to the airport, the driver made an unauthorized detour to pick up a friend and bring him along. We gave up a secure booking based on promises that repeatedly weren’t kept. It was misleading and deeply disappointing. We won’t return and can’t recommend this hotel or its services.