City Center Istanbul Taksim Hotel

The bathroom door was broken, and on the second day I got locked inside for more than three hours. Maintenance arrived very late, and the worker seemed inexperienced, using brute force to break the door. We lost the whole day of our stay. From the first day, things were already bad: the toilet didn't work, the room smelled awful and had visible mold, and cleanliness was far below an acceptable level. The staff were arrogant and unprofessional. We were also made to pay an extra breakfast fee that hadn't been clearly explained beforehand. The whole stay was stressful and felt unsafe. This place doesn't deserve four stars, and I wouldn't recommend it.

I arrived for my check-in date with a Booking.com reservation that was confirmed at a fixed price and paid in advance. The hotel refused to honor that price and demanded more money, saying they “don’t have rooms for that price.” I wouldn't pay extra, so I was left without accommodation and the booking was eventually canceled. It caused a lot of stress and inconvenience. A confirmed booking is an agreement, and guests shouldn't be asked to pay more when they arrive. This felt unreliable and unprofessional. Be very careful booking here, since they may not honor confirmed reservations or prices.

Being only a few minutes' walk from Taksim Square is the one real plus. The building feels old, with cracked doors and worn timber, and the rooms are small. In the bathrooms there's hardly room to move. Housekeeping is close to nonexistent: in family rooms they just make the beds and refold used towels, while in smaller rooms you have to ask, and even then service may not come. Breakfast is basic, mostly cold food with just a couple of hot choices. For a 3½-star place, it doesn't live up to the rating.

Ali at reception was so kind and professional, always ready to help with a smile, and his support made our stay even nicer. The rooms were comfortable and clean, and the hotel felt welcoming throughout. We had an excellent stay, highly recommend it and would definitely come back.