Emirhan Hotel - Adults Only

Breakfast was better than I expected, and the tourist attractions were a moderate walk away. Still, it felt more like staying in someone’s home than in a hotel. During my two nights, the bathroom smelled awful and the radiator didn’t work. Neither problem was sorted out.

We were treated respectfully throughout our stay as a rainbow couple, without questions or fuss. The staff took good care of us, even offering water when we arrived and coffee while we waited for the airport shuttle. Our room was spacious and airy for such an affordable price in Sultanahmet, and breakfast had a lot to choose from: eggs, sliced meats, several cheeses, tomato and cucumber, an eggplant and olive-tomato mezze, and cake. The location was great for walking to Hagia Sophia and the Hippodrome, and we’d stay again. One small hassle at first was waiting for the internet to work for the card payment. I’d suggest using one of the nearby ATMs for cash. We saw several places around Istanbul unable to take cards because of internet problems, including places that were supposedly card-only.

Breakfast is quite good, and the location is decent. Getting to public transport means walking uphill, though, so taxis tend to be the only convenient choice. They don’t include room cleaning or provide it daily by default. If you want it cleaned, it costs €10.

The one thing I liked was that the neighborhood felt safe. Otherwise, getting in and out was hard because the apartment is at the bottom of a hill, even for me traveling alone. Breakfast was ordinary: bread, spreads, cheese, olives, fruit, and tea, so don’t expect much. I saw two tiny cockroaches in the restroom. The blanket wasn’t comfortable, and the towels and bed had unexplained spots and didn’t seem very clean. Street and neighbor noise carried into the room.