La Mer Old City Pansiyon Hotel

Room 402 on the fourth floor was tiny. Once the twin bed, TV, and little cupboard were in, there was barely any room to walk, so we had to keep our bags on the balcony. There’s no view from there, just a demolished building, and we could hear pigeons at night. The balcony didn’t make up for the lack of space. We heard noise all the time because nothing is soundproof. I couldn’t stay here more than a day. The manager kept bothering us about a hairdryer he couldn’t find, to the point that when we were waiting for our taxi after checkout, we walked far away just to get away from him. I offered compensation money a few times, but he refused it. Breakfast was average, and the staircase was so narrow it was very hard to carry bags up to the fourth floor. This was our worst stay in Istanbul, and I don’t know why others rated the hotel so highly.

Hadi made our first visit to Istanbul feel welcoming right away. He was warm, kind and full of charisma. The hotel team also helped us find our way around, so we never felt like confused outsiders. It felt more like being welcomed into a family home, with a real chance to experience the beauty and culture of old Istanbul. Our room was neat and very clean, and we could easily reach many sights and parts of the old city. La Mer Old City Hotel was a lovely fit for exploring Istanbul and getting a sense of its culture as well as its attractions.

The room was spotless, though on the small side, and the service was excellent. I came from the Netherlands for a short holiday in Turkey and was really satisfied with my stay. The location made getting around easy. Hagia Sophia mosque, Sultanahmet Mosque and Istanbul Grand Bazaar are all close enough to reach on foot.

Hadi was friendly and helpful, which was the one bright spot for us. We were a group of five couples travelling through Istanbul, Cappadocia and Gallipoli, and our stay here was disappointing. The rooms were cramped and not very clean. Room 402 was especially tiny, with a bad sewer smell coming from the bathroom. Street noise was very loud, with people, traffic and birds on the roof. We were missing linen and had no toilet paper. After our first two days, staff asked us to leave a good review and said we'd get better rooms for the remaining nights, but that never happened. There were no views like some other reviews mention, and the rooms were very small, which made me question whether the five star reviews were genuine. I wouldn't recommend this hotel.