ibis Styles Istanbul Merter

After my sister's surgery, we stayed here for a week and it met our needs overall. The staff were friendly and very helpful, and the cleaner was always polite when we saw her. The restaurant made room service easy: check the menu online, order by phone, then pay at the door. Breakfast was free each morning, had plenty of variety, and changed daily. We could also get extra pillows, towels, and toilet paper without any hassle. The room was clean, with a fridge, strong shower, air con, and a large window on a safety latch for fresh air. The food was tasty and portions were good, though as someone with coeliac disease I found no reliable options. The menu listed gluten-free pasta, but they said they'd run out when I ordered and suggested regular pasta instead, so I stuck to hard-boiled eggs and fruit at breakfast. I had to get my food from nearby migros and a101 shops. Signs said not to bring outside food in, but thankfully nobody stopped me. My sister did order from the restaurant, so they still got our custom overall. The TV had no English channels apart from the news, and although we could connect our phones by Bluetooth to use it as a speaker, we couldn't share the screen, so we watched movies on our phones. Some rooms seemed to allow smoking despite the no-smoking policy, as we could smell it in the corridors. You can hear the mosque's call clearly five times a day, but the closed window helps with the sound if you're trying to sleep. We barely heard other rooms, though I don't know if we had direct neighbours. There were lots of stray cats around, all looking well cared for by the locals. They were friendly and let us pet them, though I'd recommend washing your hands afterward. There are plenty of nearby clothing shops with beautiful dresses, replica designers, and some children's options. Traffic gets hectic, so take care crossing the road. The pool, sauna, steam room, Turkish bath, and gym are free to use; hairdresser and massage appointments cost extra. I wouldn't call it quite 5-star: the carpets looked faded and dated, mattress toppers often slipped, the bathroom's 2-in-1 wash gel could have been better, and the TV and restaurant could offer more. I also don't know if there was a nice bar area, but I don't think so.