Serai Hotel

Okan made us feel especially welcome. He was kind, helpful, and professional the whole time, and the rest of the staff were friendly too. The rooms were clean and comfortable, and the hotel had a really welcoming feel. We’d happily come back and highly recommend it.

Breakfast on the panoramic terrace on the 7th floor was a great bonus, with a stunning view. The terrace is fully open in summer, and when the weather turns bad, staff roll up the windows and close the retractable roof. It’s also less than a 10-minute walk to the T1 tram line. The reception staff were wonderful, cheerful, and ready to help with any problem. The rooms are stylish, with floor-to-ceiling windows, lovely new furniture, and excellent bathrooms. The hotel recently had a complete renovation. We’re really glad we chose it and highly recommend it.

The rooms are clean but small. Housekeeping makes the beds and changes the towels, though they don’t actually clean the room. Serai is close to almost all of Istanbul’s attractions, and the reception team were helpful and friendly. Emre was especially helpful, giving us a lot of the instructions we needed.

The area felt safe and lively, and the location was amazing, less than a five-minute walk from the tram station, beyazit mosque, and grand bazaar. We stayed six nights, and the hotel was better than I’d expected. It was our first time in Istanbul, and staying here left us with a nice memory. The rooms are small, but two people can manage comfortably without huge luggage. We got used to it quickly. Breakfast was an open buffet, so you could take as much as you wanted. The selection was modest and a bit repetitive, but I didn’t mind. Our room wasn’t always cleaned thoroughly, and shampoo, soap, and the other supplies weren’t automatically refilled, so we had to ask for a lot. The reception staff sorted out each request straight away. On our last day, I met Berkay, if I’ve got the name right 😅. I think he’s part of the hotel’s new management. He was very nice, offered us turkish coffee, and took notes on our comments. I recommend Serai Hotel if you’re on a budget and want a moderate level of comfort.