Ottoman Time Hotel

The service was awful. First they told us to spend a night somewhere else, and then the breakfast was so poor it barely seemed like breakfast: one boiled egg, two olives, three pieces of cheese, and a very hard piece of bread. It was the worst breakfast I've ever had anywhere. I definitely wouldn't recommend staying there.

The hotel is hard to reach by vehicle. You have to walk about ten minutes from the main road, which was a dealbreaker for me. If that would put you off too, don't bother counting this review. I also felt the area wasn't safe for tourists, especially walking alone after 8pm. There were only two staff members, including the receptionist, and neither could understand or speak English. They had no customer service skills, and there was no refund policy. Both were very rude and two-faced. The breakfast was poor and full of bugs. Food was left uncovered on the tables for four hours, so I'd rather they didn't serve it at all. The room had an exposed lock housing that looked easy to break, and I found that one key opened every room. There were no in-room safety deposit boxes. Hot water kept running out, the bathroom had no window or extractor fan, and it stayed misty after a shower and smelly after using the toilet. The beds were extremely uncomfortable, and the solid pillows hurt my neck. Dust was everywhere and kept settling back after we wiped it away with baby wipes. Under the bed was filthy, and when I asked the receptionist to change the dusty sheets, he said the cleaner had finished and asked who was supposed to do it. As soon as we arrived, we saw dirty hotel curtains hanging like rags behind the grimy glass of rotting windows. We should have turned around and run. The place was awful in such a beautiful city. If you're adventurous, don't care about cleanliness, like eating out, and want to explore the island without feeling watched, this still isn't the place for you.

We left three days earlier than planned because the stay became overwhelming. There was a large fire two buildings away on our first day, which was terrifying, and the electricity went out twice. The wiring seemed so bad that I worried about a fire, especially since the steep, dangerous stairs have no railing for most of the way and would make a quick escape difficult. My father has heart problems, and climbing them was a nightmare. Nobody warned us about the stairs. If you're not fully physically able, staying here could be impossible. The photos were misleading, mixing pictures of different rooms as if they showed the same one. Our booking was for an apartment about 100m from the main hotel. We expected two bedrooms and three double beds, but were told that room wasn't available. They offered a different layout or a sister hotel. We agreed to the sister hotel after seeing pictures that looked fine, but it was above a cafe full of men playing cards and smoking hookah, an atmosphere we weren't comfortable with. The building shook from a nearby engine, cracks showed in the walls, and metal boards were hammered over the outside. It looked like it was falling apart and wasn't worth $100 a night. The manager sent us there expecting the same amount of money. We called the owner, who moved us to the apartment next to the hotel. That apartment seemed somewhat renovated, but none of the beds had blankets. The bathroom door wouldn't close at the sister hotel, and in the apartment there was no shower curtain or door, so the bathroom stayed soaked for all three days. We had to ask in advance for towels or toilet paper, and also for water, shampoo, bath gel, and room slippers. They bought a new front desk but couldn't be bothered to put a kettle in the rooms. We tried to meet the manager about some kind of refund, but he kept avoiding us. He apparently stayed in the office to meet guests, yet never showed up while we were there. He'd say he was on his way and then not come. The owner avoided us too, apparently so he wouldn't have to refund us. I feel bad for the nice guys who work for him. Breakfast wasn't worth the money: just what was on the plate and two pieces of bread. The woman working there wasn't helpful, played music on her phone, and got annoyed when asked for more bread or tea. Buying a sandwich from a nearby bakery would be better if you need enough energy for the day. Sultanahmet is also a fair distance away. It's a 15-minute uphill walk to the main street, then still quite a walk to the main Sultanahmet square.

The location isn't very convenient because public transport is a bit far away. Rooms are very small, and the breakfast has little variety. Amenities aren't supplied in advance either, so you have to ask for each thing.