Lider Otel

The location at the central station is awful. It stays noisy until midnight, and the smell is vile. Inside, the rooms are old, dirty, and smelly, with holes in the wooden floor hidden under an old, dusty carpet. There’s Wi-Fi in the rooms, but barely any in the lobby, so you can’t count on it if you want to sit there with a drink. One receptionist was rude and impolite. This was a really unpleasant stay. The hotel is garbage. Don’t go.

Being at the bus station made this hotel handy for travelers between trips, and you can buy tickets to any city in Turkey there. The staff were welcoming when we arrived and stayed friendly and ready to help throughout. It’s recently renovated and has what you need to rest, including a TV, Wi-Fi, air conditioning, a comfortable bed, and soundproofed windows. There’s also a lounge and bar, and the Turkish coffee is worth making time for. Breakfast was delicious, with fresh local ingredients. You can walk 15-20 minutes to areas with shops, places to eat, and things to do. We hope to return soon.

I’ve stayed here several times and would use it again when passing through Istanbul by bus. It’s convenient, especially if you miss your bus and need somewhere until tomorrow. The rooms are worn and dirty, and there’s a lot of noise from the station, but you get what you pay for. It’s the best budget choice for that situation.

The beds and bathroom were uncomfortable, and the rooms smelled strongly of smoke. For rooms this low quality, I usually pay 15TL or 30TL, but here they charged 100TL. I normally stay in a hostel when I visit a big city. I was worn out from long travels, though, and didn’t feel like cycling around Istanbul at night.