Raymond Blue Hotel

I’m not familiar with how Istanbul hotels are rated, but by EU standards I’d give this one two and a half stars at most, not four. You could hear everything going on in the other rooms. The laminate flooring in our room was damaged, and rusty pipes were left visible. There were no croissants at breakfast either. Also, the restaurant shown in the photos is run by an outside company, not the hotel. I was turned away twice when I tried to go up there.

We were only a five-minute walk from all the main old city sights, and the rooms were great. The staff were the kindest people we met anywhere in the city. There were some lovely cats out on the street, too :)

Getting help was a real problem. I asked the staff several times to address the issues, but nobody responded or made an effort, and their attitude felt careless and unprofessional. The room was full of insects, and the air conditioning barely worked, if it worked at all, which made the stay unbearable. The rooms are also very small and not suitable for a family, especially with a child. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone looking for basic cleanliness or comfort. I hope management takes serious steps to improve the service.

The breakfast was free and really good. We also found the room and hosts very nice. It’s in a great spot, and the price was very fair. I’d recommend it to anyone spending a weekend in Istanbul.