GH Taksim Hotel

We had everything we needed nearby, from the supermarket and restaurants to the bus stop and metro. The area stays open even after midnight, and the hotel itself is comfortable and well placed downtown. The reception team were lovely and helpful. Farhat gave us lots of useful information, and the morning receptionist was helpful too, even though I can't remember his name. Breakfast had a nice selection, and tea and coffee were available around the clock. Our room was clean, tidied daily, and replenished with shampoo and other essentials. I'd happily book again.

The rooms were a good size, with fresh sheets and towels each day, and everything was clean. We could walk to all the places we wanted to see, and breakfast was delicious. The staff were professional, kind, and always ready to help. I had a great stay and would recommend it to anyone visiting Turkey. I'll come back next time I'm there.

For a budget stay in a prime spot, this is hard to beat. There are plenty of restaurants close by, and the staff were courteous and helped us with even the little things. At this price, getting a basic breakfast already feels like good value, so I wasn't expecting more. The toilet seat and ventilation had a couple of issues, but they were manageable and minor compared with what we got.

The breakfast buffet was poor, though the older man there did his best to keep things available. That's about the only positive I can find. We were stuck for five nights because our payment couldn't be refunded, and it was a nightmare. We arrived at 6 a.m. The man asleep at reception was rude and initially refused to let us in. I showed him our booking, and he said check-in was at 2 p.m. and the hotel was full. I explained that I'd emailed and been told they'd try to get us in early. I asked whether we could wait in reception, which was just a few tables, chairs, and two armchairs. A few minutes later, maybe because he wanted to get back to sleep, he agreed to check us in but said breakfast wasn't included. We accepted. Breakfast was served in that tiny entrance area anyway. The room was awful and nothing like the photos, but we were exhausted and glad to get in early. There was months' worth of dust under the bed. We could barely move in the tiny room, and putting our luggage on the wardrobe stirred up more dust. The freezer was so iced over there was barely room for a bottle. The air conditioner smelled bad, and its filters were caked in dust, so I had to wash them myself. Our window faced dirty stairs, and we kept the curtains shut because the view felt scary. The street was full of loud pubs on weekends, and I didn't feel safe walking alone there. They didn't clean the room. When we asked, they only left one towel per person and still didn't clean the bathroom. This was the worst hotel stay I've had. Not recommended at all.