Renaissance Istanbul Polat Bosphorus Hotel

The facility felt very safe and secure, and the staff were friendly and helpful. Turan and Emre at the desk deserve a special thank you. The rooms were really clean and had a great view. Everything was excellent, and I highly recommend it, especially for US citizens. Thanks again.

We paid extra for a Bosphorus view, but there isn’t one because a building blocks it. They did nothing to make up for that. Breakfast, which should come standard at a 5-star hotel, doesn’t count. The window was broken and let in cold and noise, and the hotel is right on the street, so heavy traffic was audible all night. When we raised problems, the staff weren’t helpful. At 00:15, they knew we wanted to sleep but only told us to be patient and calm, and sent nobody to fix anything. Then they put us in an inferior room for the same price. Absolute robbery. Don’t be fooled. This place is maybe 2 stars, if that.

The lobby is the only clean part of the place. The hallways to the rooms smell of pee, and so do the rooms. The service was even worse. The buffet they served so graciously seemed to be canned grocery store food poured into hot dishes, and it gave my husband and me the worst stomach ache of our lives. Anyone who thinks this hotel deserves a 4.5 should rethink their hotel choices. If Google had a zero rating, I’d have given it that. A horrible, horrible experience.

The staff went out of their way to make my stay pleasant. The hotel is close to IST airport, around 45 minutes if you can avoid rush hour, and it’s not far from most tourist sites. Highly recommended!