Ramada by Wyndham Istanbul Grand Bazaar

The staff were friendly and the customer service was exceptional. It felt like we were among the tourist sights, including the Blue mosque and Galata Tower, about a 10-minute taxi ride away when there wasn't traffic. Little shops for snacks or cigarettes are a two-minute walk away, and the high streets are another five to 10 minutes on foot. I wouldn't mind staying here again. My only personal gripe is breakfast: it was the same each day I was there, and I'd have liked more variety.

The room we were given didn't match the category on our reservation, which was disappointing from the start. The staff never smiled, and the dated rooms didn't feel like a four-star standard. The shower was old too, and its door wouldn't close properly, so the bathroom was half flooded after each shower. Breakfast was a very basic buffet with little variety. Once, a restaurant worker swept dirt off the floor right below the buffet, then emptied the dustpan and sent a cloud of dust over the food. The hotel without a smile, indeed. Never again!

The staff were super friendly and helpful, and getting to food, taxis, and bazaars was easy. The building felt old and didn't match what we expected from other Ramadas. The bathroom was right next to my bed, with basically no privacy, lol. The room also smelled, probably from the toilet or an old drain system. I'd give the staff 10/10, but the building only 6.5/10.

The clean rooms and bedsheets, polite and helpful restaurant staff, especially Mr. Murat, and access to the T1 and M2 were the main positives. The hotel is on a very steep hill, though, which may be hard for anyone with mobility issues. Beyond that, my stay at Ramada Istanbul Grand Bazaar was extremely disappointing. I booked two Standard Rooms through EasyJet Holidays, expecting a recognised brand to be reliable. One room was clearly an Economy Room with fewer facilities. Reception and the manager confirmed this by email, but Wyndham's central customer service later denied it. The advertised bathtub wasn't there. The telephone, refrigerator, and kettle were all broken at check-in and were replaced after 2:00 AM, just hours before my scheduled medical procedure. The sauna and jacuzzi advertised on the EasyJet website were closed for renovation without warning. There was no ironing facility or minibar, the door safety guard was broken, and the heating didn't work. I was later told it had been switched off throughout the hotel. For someone with asthma, arthritis, or other health conditions, that can be a real health risk, not just an inconvenience. When I reported the issues, the receptionist got defensive and said they weren't her problem. English support at reception was very limited, so communication was hard. The room was very small, with a semi-transparent bathroom wall, poor soundproofing and constant noise from upstairs, little wardrobe space, and only a few power sockets. Breakfast choices were extremely limited. The inaccurate information, unreliable facilities, and inconsistent service made the stay very disappointing, even though cleanliness and location were acceptable. Booking an international brand didn't guarantee quality or professionalism here. Management, staff, and the information shown to customers seemed disconnected. EasyJet Holidays should review its partnership with this property.