Erten Konak - Special Class

The room pictures on booking.com didn't match what we found. The bathroom was tiny, and at 6ft I couldn't stand upright in it. The AC barely worked, so nights were hot and stuffy, especially for young children. The floors creaked, and you could hear rooms above, below, and next door. If you made even a small noise at night, staff and other guests complained. I wouldn't consider it suitable for children. The only good point for someone fully able-bodied is the location, an uphill walk of about 7 to 10 minutes to the main Blue Mosque area. I've been to Istanbul more than five times, and this was by far my worst hotel experience. We stayed one night, then booked somewhere else the next day. They later refused to refund the unused nights and showed no remorse for the stress caused by their claims about wheelchair access. The hotel was advertised as wheelchair accessible, but it's anything but. Please stay away if you use a wheelchair. We arrived at 2am, and the receptionist, a short man with a beard, looked at my disabled brother in his wheelchair and just shook his head. The hotel is on a difficult-to-reach cobbled side street, and there are huge steps at the entrance and inside, even on the ground floor. It's not suitable for wheelchair users.

I usually don't write reviews, but I want people to know what happened, and I wouldn't recommend staying here. The one bright spot was the woman who helped with breakfast, she was polite and helpful. The cereal was left uncovered the whole time, from the day I arrived until the day I left. I stayed for a week. When I came back to my room, I found my contact lens and the cardboard toilet roll tube in the toilet. I reported it to the manager, who blamed me. When I said I'd returned and found them there again, he said I must have thrown my contact lens cases into the toilet. The room was cramped, with large furniture leaving no space to walk around the bed. Dust had built up on the furniture, and there was hair on the pillows. The mini fridge smelled awful and had brown stains and goo inside. In the bathroom, the light flickered, the shower base was broken, and the shower looked unclean, with black mold. There was dried toothpaste, other residue, and dust in the toiletry cups by the mirror, plus hairs under the toilet rim.

The bathroom had a strange, foul smell from the toilet. They were also harsh and abrupt, and refused to refund us even though we hardly used the hotel. Don't waste your money or time. The place was advertised as wheelchair accessible, but it didn't meet basic accessibility needs at all. I strongly advise wheelchair users to avoid it. The room photos were inaccurate, and the beds were very small. I've visited Istanbul several times, and this was the worst hotel I've encountered. I'm writing to warn others, especially anyone travelling with someone with a physical impairment. My family member was really upset, as it was his first trip to Turkey, and I'm very disappointed too. They ask for your passport and have you sign an agreement even when everything's already booked, then keep copies. I don't know why they do this or what the agreement says, so check it carefully before agreeing. I wouldn't trust them.

The decor was outstanding, and the staff at reception and elsewhere were helpful and spoke English well. We were treated well, and breakfast was good. The location works well for the old town and Bosphorus. If you're coming from the airport, consider the hotel's taxi service, which cost us 45 euros. Istanbul has lots of hills and cobblestones, so good walking shoes are essential.