Oldcity Rhythm House

KUMKAPI, in FATIH, is the area to look up when finding this hotel. There are a lot of different ways to get there, and we got lost, our fault, so check the directions beforehand. Once we arrived, MOHAMED was brilliant, always ready with the tea pot and happy to answer questions. My travel companion got a great haircut for 350 TL after MOHAMED escorted him. We also ate on a side street away from the busy spots, and the train station was just a few minutes' walk. The room had lovely hot water, a small fridge, and a tea pot, and the price was great. A small, friendly hotel.

We thought about cutting our losses and moving to another hotel after the first night. The three of us saved £200 by choosing this place, but it was a bad mistake. I wouldn't stay again. I've read other reviews and, from what they describe, they must have been somewhere else. The manager was polite and friendly, and did move one of us to another room, but the replacement was clean and still very tatty. My wife and I had one room, with a third adult in another. Her first room had an exterior door that wouldn't lock, so she was afraid to stay there. She ended up staying with my wife, while I took the replacement room. I checked the clean bed for bedbugs because the place looked so cheap and shabby. We were all shocked by the condition. In my room, the shower room basin tap was loose, as was the toilet seat, which was even worse. The toilet seat was the wrong size and fixed too far back. The tap hit the wall and couldn't work properly. The toilet brush was busted. The shower flow was poor, with water running down from the head onto the hose and floor, and the head holder was broken so it couldn't be raised. The hair dryer was dangerous: bare wires where the cable joined the dryer could have electrocuted someone using it with wet hands. It uses 240v, so a person getting shocked might not be able to let go. I'm a tradesperson by profession. The workmanship around the door was poor too. They'd used expanding foam, which is fine, but hadn't masked the area, removed the excess, or sealed the opening. You could see daylight around the frame. The bedroom heating gave no heat. It looked like an air-to-air unit heated by an ASHP, I think, because I could hear the compressor labouring on the roof at night. Noise was a major problem. The railway and dual carriageway were minor compared with other guests in nearby and lower rooms, thumping around, talking loudly, and a crying kid. It felt like the building was made of paper. Worst of all was loud music from somewhere nearby, with a constant heavy beat and strong bass until 1am most nights. It was horrendous, and I was exhausted every morning. The cheap laminate floor was starting to disintegrate, the double glazing had been patched to cover gaps, and two damaged sockets wouldn't take a plug because their earth prongs were damaged. Wallpaper was peeling near the window. In the third adult's room, the double-glazed door was warped and wouldn't close and lock properly. The room was tiny, with barely enough space at the end of the bed for an overhead wheelie suitcase. Getting around it to open or close the curtains felt like an obstacle course. The manager was friendly and changed the room, but never again. People who call this hotel great must live in serious squalor.

Rhythm Hotel felt safe and comfortable the whole time we were there. We walked around both during the day and late at night without concerns, which matters in a busy city like Istanbul. The area itself is peaceful, even though the hotel is very central. Restaurants and cafés are right outside, and the Grand Bazaar and other historic sights are a 10-15 minute walk away. Trams and metro stations are nearby too. Our room for three was clean, modern, spacious, and thoughtfully laid out. The bathroom was large, newly built, and spotless, with a good shower and fittings that felt above the price range. Everything seemed fresh and well kept. The common areas and lift were clean as well, and the lift worked reliably. Free WiFi was great to have. The staff and owner were kind and attentive, gave recommendations, answered our questions, and made us feel cared for. Room service came in handy on busy days when we couldn't eat out, and the service stayed excellent throughout. Prices are very fair for what you get. I'd recommend Rhythm Hotel and plan to return to Istanbul.

After two nights, we discovered a serious bed bug infestation and had to leave right away, though the damage had already been done. The owner didn't seem surprised, which made us think this might not be unusual. Before that, the staff had seemed cooperative and changed our room, but the second one was just as bad. They changed the bed sheets, and we stayed the night. It was a very bad hotel experience in Istanbul. Tourism in Istanbul has unfortunately declined a lot, and health and cleanliness inspections seem very poor.