Istanbul Medikal Termal Hotel

I stayed about 13 nights, and this was quite a different experience from my visit to Istanbul Basakshir last year. The hotel’s main advantages are the price, full-pension food, and indoor pool. If you arrive at Sabiha G. airport, it’s about 20 minutes away, which is a major plus. It’s not expensive, and I’d recommend it for one to three nights at most if you’re looking for affordable prices and generally acceptable service. Four families we invited stayed no more than three days and were happy, but I wouldn’t recommend a longer stay. Other guests were happy about the hotel’s connection with a rehabilitation hospital. The hotel is very clean and has indoor and outdoor pools for women and men, plus wellness and spa facilities. The outdoor pool may not suit families, since many women wear bikinis there. There’s also a friendly dog in the area, though it might be an issue for people who are afraid of dogs. The Level A prayer room needs proper care and cleaning, as it smells bad. Getting to historic areas is another drawback. A taxi to anywhere beyond Fatih can cost at least 60 Dollars and take 90 minutes during the day. The room photos aren’t current, and the rooms look a little old. Room service often arrived late, and they didn’t clean the bathrooms. Reception staff were kind, but some struggled to speak English, making communication difficult. With my full-pension booking, the restaurant waiter didn’t introduce the full menu. Communicating with foreign guests seemed difficult, and the receptionist seemed to prioritize Turkish speakers over people needing Google Translate.

We stayed four nights in March 2025. The service was highly professional, and breakfast was solid. Our double room was spacious and clean, with a renovated large bathroom and comfortable beds. Towels were changed daily, and the water bottles were refilled free of charge. I recommend this place.

I’m very sad that I couldn’t swim. I’d been told the pool would be available anytime from opening until midnight during Ramadan, but when I went at 2 pm it was being cleaned, including the floor, and stayed that way for several hours. No one had told me beforehand. Because of my disability, I couldn’t just come back later. At 6 pm I still couldn’t swim for the next two hours. I expected more for the price, especially since I don’t have much money, have a major disability, and haven’t sensed my body for almost sixteen years. It’s a very special occasion for me, and I’m not here every day. The hamam wasn’t working either, and I don’t know why. Maybe it only works when more people are there, but it should work whenever the place is open, or guests should be told in advance. People pay to use it when they need it. Luckily, the sauna worked, and my first impression was good. I also hope I’m allowed to use the bathtubs. I meditated in the meditation room and resting room, but then a worker talked loudly on the phone for a long time right outside the resting room. It’s supposed to be quiet there. I’m sensitive, but anyone would have had to leave. I didn’t have the energy to say anything, and I’m shy. The person talked right in front of the room without considering that a guest might be meditating. This is a special place for people to have therapy and rest, a unique medical thermal bath.

The hotel has kind staff, nicely cooled rooms, restaurants nearby, and breakfast in the area. There’s a green-marked dog that seems to act as an unofficial guard. It’s completely safe and won’t interact unless you approach it. The pools are nice: the middle one is colder, while the gender-separated thermal pools are warm. The saunas are free to use. The separate pools are a mixed blessing, since you can’t really relax and swim with your fiancée unless you’re both the same gender. You have to wear a cap to swim, which helps prevent lice but can be tedious to wear the whole time. Nice hotel.