Castle Hostel

The owners are lovely and did everything they could to make our stay comfortable. There’s also a roof terrace where you can relax. The location is excellent, close to Hagia Sophia, Blue Masjid, Topkapi and the other old town attractions. Getting there means climbing 3 floors of spiral steps. The hostel itself is in very poor shape, especially the kitchen, which is falling apart. The worktop is held together with chequered tape sheet, if you look closely. There’s even a sign asking guests not to cook onions. The bedrooms have air conditioning, but the AC in our family room leaked badly. Stains on the wardrobe made it look like this had been happening for quite a while.

The view from some windows isn’t great, but that’s not why you stay in a hostel. This is a good option for backpackers, close to Sultan Ahmet square, with the Blue Mosque, Aya Sophia and Topkapi palace nearby, and the Sultan Ahmet tramway close too. There’s a shared kitchen with hobs, a fridge and microwave, plus a lounge you probably won’t use much. It has 3 shared bathrooms, 2 mixed and 1 female only. A launderette is about a 10 minute walk away, and they have a delivery arrangement with the hostel. Other reviews mentioned WiFi problems in the past, but now there are separate connections reaching all the rooms, though it can be a little slow sometimes.

The staff and the price were both really good, and breakfast was adequate for the cost. It can be a little hard to find because it’s on floor 3 and the sign is small.

The staff treat you like a brother, and the toilets are very clean. It’s a secure, quiet location close to town, with very cheap prices. I’ll definitely see them again when I come back. Thanks, everyone.