Novotel Istanbul Bosphorus

Right by Galatport, the location is excellent. The breakfast staff were wonderful: Chef Serkan made delicious omelettes and brought warm, gracious hospitality to every morning. Mehmet was attentive to each guest and a real backbone of the service team. Dilek's welcoming smile was a lovely start to the day, and Sabina was sweet, attentive, and excellent. Ibrahim at reception was so helpful too. Thank you all.

The lights going off without any warning after about an hour made us feel like we were being pushed out. Nobody explained that closing time was near, and there was no courtesy or effort to make us feel welcome. The bar had no more than ten guests on the evening of June 3, yet from the moment we sat down, we had to keep getting staff attention to order. The first bartender seemed to be filling in and didn't appear familiar with the menu or how to make the drinks. The cocktails were poorly prepared and disappointing. A second bartender came later, acted arrogantly, and showed little interest. We had to call him over each time we wanted another drink; he never checked in or offered attention. We came to the Novotel rooftop bar in Istanbul expecting a pleasant atmosphere and good hospitality, but the lack of professionalism and attentiveness made the experience very unpleasant. We won't remember it fondly, and expected much better from a hotel of this standard.

Mehmet looked after us throughout the trip, always professional, friendly, and attentive, and went above and beyond to make sure we had what we needed. His service really made a difference. Thank you Mehmet Bey!! The location made it easy to get around the city and visit many of Istanbul's main attractions. Our room at Novotel Bosphorus was standard, but clean, comfortable, and well maintained, with everything we needed. We had a wonderful stay and would gladly recommend the hotel to anyone visiting Istanbul.

The location is excellent, with lots to do nearby, and the lobby is clean and very nice. Surprisingly, the bedrooms themselves were clean too. The staff were kind and polite, though they couldn't provide a suitable room. They offered us a suite, but despite being non-smoking, it reeked of cigarettes. We spent three days with that heavy tobacco smell, running the air conditioning and leaving the window open to no avail. Our clothes still smelled of smoke when we got home. The suite bathroom was better than the first one, but only superficially cleaned. The first bathroom was extremely dirty: feces left in the toilet, which clearly hadn't been disinfected, toothpaste splashes on the mirror, counter, and wall, a dirty faucet and shower drain, and dirt and what looked like mucus on the wall by the toilet paper holder. The toilet smelled of urine. I can understand an occasional sewage smell, but cleaning products should at least overpower the odor from the toilet. The pillows and duvet were very poor quality and uncomfortable, nothing like a 5 star hotel. The hotel may be somewhat outdated, but that doesn't excuse the lack of cleanliness. I actually think it could be a charming place. It was an unpleasant experience, and unfortunately we won't return because of the poor housekeeping.