Hotel Jakaranda Istanbul

We got a great price by booking at the last minute for our trip to Istanbul last Christmas. The room was small, but cozy and clean, and Istiklal was less than five minutes away. We were happy with the stay and recommend it! 🙂

My sisters and I had the best two weeks here. It's centrally placed, close to everything, and getting transport was easy. The staff were the best part, especially Susan, who really is one of a kind. She checked that we were comfortable and had everything we needed. I can't wait to return to Istanbul, and I'd definitely stay here again. If I could give it 10,000 stars, I would. Highly recommend it.

The staff are friendly and helpful, and room service is included. It's a quiet place, and so far everything has been satisfactory, though I haven't finished my stay yet. The location is great, about a five-minute walk from Taksim square, with taxis and buses nearby. A few things might bother some people: the elevator is out of order at the moment, the staircase is very narrow, and there are no tea makers in the rooms, so tea fans should bring their own. There is warm water whenever you want to shower.

The receptionist made check-in unnecessarily difficult and behaved unprofessionally. We arrived on 01.08.2023 for a stay through 02.08.202, and he asked for our identification. I showed my passport, but my girlfriend had forgotten her ID and offered a photo of it. He refused and demanded the original. Having worked as a receptionist myself, I know the usual purpose is to report a guest's details to the police system. I believe a photo should be enough when the physical document isn't available. He told us, “If you don’t have your ID, go to the police.” I explained why I thought the photo should suffice and asked why he wouldn't let us check in. He said he couldn't know whether the person in the photo was the one staying, and mentioned a past case of someone using another person's ID. I then showed him an Istanbul card with a passport-sized photo, name, surname, and ID number, which only its cardholder can carry, but he still insisted on seeing the actual ID. I told him he didn't have the right to insist on that, and that we could identify ourselves with an ID, a document showing our ID number, or a photo of the ID. I even showed him what I found on Google. I also said he could call the police if he doubted we owned the card, and that he wouldn't be held responsible while we would be. He rejected that too and kept demanding the original. In my understanding of the law, an original ID is required by state law enforcement or official places such as embassies, airports, hospitals, and police stations. At hotels like this, a photo of the ID or another document proving identity should be enough for check-in. I raised all of this, but he still refused. Instead of trying to solve the problem reasonably, he knowingly made things harder for us. The rooms are also smaller than I expected, so be cautious when booking.