The Palm Bosphorus Hotel

There was no soap in the bathroom, and the drain was blocked. The room was unbearably hot, and the AC kept switching itself off every 15 min. We brought up the problem several times after checking in but got no response, which made the whole stay incredibly frustrating.

The location was great, and the room was okay, though the climate controls were difficult and some rooms smelled of smoke. The service, however, was BAD. The hotel doesn't serve breakfast, but a friendly restaurant nearby does. LOOK OUT, they seem to charge different breakfast rates. We were a group of 10 and got charged hundreds of extra euros without being told. When we refused to pay, they locked the door and threatened to cancel our airport transfer. Shame!!

Our bedrooms kept filling with cigarette smoke through the ventilation, door handles were coming off, and the staff didn't respond to our complaints. We had a very bad stay. Breakfast was at a place across the street. Only at the end did we realize the restaurant had added thousands of lires without telling us or having us sign a receipt. When we went to reception to sort it out, they doubled the surcharge and threatened to cancel the airport shuttle unless we paid. We paid, very unhappy, and told them we'd write this review.

Being right by the Bosphorus and the metro is a great location, and the hotel is new. The rest didn't leave such a good impression. Breakfast costs €10 and is only served in the room, supposedly continental. In our three-bed room they left just one coffee and milk, and even after complaining to reception, the same thing happened with shampoo and soap. The mini bar was empty, and room maintenance was minimal. The cafe staff don't speak English, so ordering took a phone, a translator, and patience.