Antusa Design Hotel & Spa

The family room’s armchair bed was uncomfortable, and there wasn’t a better option available, so one person had some rough nights. Apart from that, we had a good stay. The location is excellent for seeing Istanbul’s main sights, and the staff were welcoming and helpful. Mr. Hasan, the breakfast maître d’, and his team made us feel at home by noticing what we needed and taking good care of us.

We chose the “larger” room, though it was barely big enough for the bed, and our booked queen bed was actually two twin beds pushed together. The furniture was stained and damaged, and the bathroom was too cramped for two people to stand in together. The hotel smelled strongly of smoke throughout. The walls were paper thin, so we could hear neighbors at night and had to play white noise on our phones. On our last night, loud thuds from above kept us awake at 1 a.m. My husband went up from our second-floor room and traced the noise to the hotel restaurant on the sixth floor. Staff were restocking the bar and dropping liquor cases on the floor. He asked them to quiet down because guests could hear them four floors below, but they carried on. At the front desk, they said we were probably hearing noise from outside and did nothing. We were offered a choice between a “larger” room without a view and a “smaller” one with a view. After reading the positive reviews, we were really disappointed. Given the price, the current ratings are deceiving.

My family and I loved our stay, and the hotel was good value for money. It’s in a prime area with easy access to Istanbul’s historical sites, and it was clean and tidy, with services available at all times. The staff were extremely kind and helpful. Special thanks to Hamdullah, a humble, down-to-earth person, and to the whole team for their excellent support. The breakfast was excellent too. Highly recommended!

The food was very good, especially the steak, and breakfast was great value for what we paid. We had a really good experience at Antusa Design Hotel, an unexpected gem, and I’d return if I visit istambul again. One thing to know: the “upgraded” room was actually smaller than the standard one. It was considered an upgrade because it faced one of the Mosque.