By Kinyas Hotel

The location is a real plus, on a lively restaurant-filled street and within walking distance of Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and other main sights. The apartment was spacious, though it felt more like an old Airbnb than a hotel. I had expected a hotel room, so I was disappointed at first. We arrived before check-in, and the kind receptionist offered us coffee and baklavas while we waited. But when we came back at 4 PM, the room still wasn’t ready, and we had to wait another half hour. It was clean, though not spotless. The heaters didn’t work, so it got cold at night, and the main room’s air-conditioning also wasn’t working in the morning. For the price, it was reasonable. Would I book it again? Maybe not.

The staff at By Kinyas Hotel were warm, gracious, and very friendly. The location is also really close to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Those were the only good parts of our stay. We thought we had booked a hotel room, but were put in an apartment above the shop next door, managed by the hotel. The photos didn’t match what we got, and we didn’t receive the daily cleaning we’d wanted from a hotel. We might have found an actual hotel in the same area for the same price if we’d booked earlier. The bedroom air conditioner only blew warm air, while the one in the living room, where our children slept, worked. Istanbul was hot, and sleeping in the bedroom became unbearable, so we moved the mattress into the living room. The blackout curtains there didn’t cover the whole window, and streetlights shone in. The kids slept through it, but I couldn’t get much rest. The shower had a lot of black mold, and I took photos. Its drain was blocked, so the basin filled and overflowed onto the floor within minutes. Guest services looked at it when I complained but dismissed the issue. The next day it happened again, flooding the bathroom and leaking into the shop below. That finally got their attention, and they came up and fixed it. The TV wouldn’t show channels or connect to a streaming platform. I developed a raspy throat and mild breathing problems, and my son got a lot of skin blisters after the first day. We don’t know whether that was viral or caused by something toxic in the apartment, and I can’t say if the mold was related. Nearby hotels were all booked, or I would have asked for a refund and moved. The stay rather spoiled Istanbul for us, and the whole family was glad to leave. If you’re looking for somewhere cheap and can tolerate the conditions, it might work for you. Good luck.

I stayed in the deluxe double room and had a great time. The hotel is right by Hagia Sofia, so I could always find my way back without using Google Maps. Staff were warm, smiley, and interested in my sightseeing plans. Their advice was good, and I trusted it. You can open the window for fresh air, and the water gets very hot. I saw the hotel cat, Kara (I hope I’ve got that right), most days when I went out, though I didn’t get one of the rooms she jumps into. Watch out for the rug sellers in the area.

The location is good, and the staff are friendly, but we were really let down after booking based on the glowing reviews. The photos look much better than the actual place, which feels rundown and more like a hostel in both appearance and service. There seem to be only about three people running the hotel, so it was hard to feel looked after or get requests handled. It’s budget-friendly, but we won’t return. Our room was tiny, with almost no storage. There was barely any bathroom storage beyond a little ledge over the toilet, and so little seating that we had to use it for our things. The room wasn’t clean enough either: the mostly used toilet roll from the previous guests was still there, pomegranate seeds were on the floor, and the pillows smelled awful. We emailed our preferences three times, but the room still wasn’t ready when we arrived. After a very long day, we waited around 40 minutes to get in. Later, reception didn’t deliver the towels and other items we asked for. They said they were coming from somewhere, but they never arrived. There’s no direct phone line to reception. Breakfast was the same three-item menu, ordered each time, with waits of over 20 minutes. It wasn’t a buffet. There was no fruit, yogurt, or olives, just eggs and two kinds of cheese, and staff said each person could order only one portion. I left hungry. The honey and jam were cheap little packets, despite being described as fresh on the menu. Coffee and tea had to be ordered too, and we often had to ask two or three times before drinks arrived. The TV had no signal for our whole stay, and the Wi-Fi kept cutting out. The radiator couldn’t be switched off, so the room got far too hot, while an extractor opening in the window couldn’t be closed and let in a cold draft during winter. We were either too hot or too cold. Noise from people walking around on the third floor restaurant, which is open to non-guests, kept us awake until at least midnight. The walls and floors are thin, and I suspect our room was right below the kitchen.