Siesta Hotel

The room itself wasn’t too bad, but the carpet was dirty and the bathroom tiles were broken. Extra toilet paper had been left on top of the garbage bin, and there were no sleeping pillows or covering sheet. My room wasn’t cleaned, the garbage wasn’t removed, and the bed wasn’t made. I had to ask the next day. During my three-night stay, housekeeping came only once, and there was no hot water on my final day. I decided not to bother asking about it. The entrance was very undesirable too. Service was lacking from the start. Check-in wasn’t good, and I had to wait for someone from reception to show up. The only positive was being allowed to check out at 12 noon, though I was told not to stay a minute longer. It was very disappointing and different from what I saw online. I guess you get what you pay for.

The best thing about this simple place is the location. It’s close to Sultanahmet, with shops and restaurants within walking distance, yet it’s on a very quiet street. The friendly service was really good, and breakfast is included and nice. For one or two people, it has the basics you need: a clean bathroom and a comfy bed.

The view from the third floor is quite decent, and the rooms on the second and third floors are spacious, with tidy sheets and clean, decent bathrooms. I cleaned the A/C filters myself, though, lol. Breakfast is average, as shown, but you can order eggs or an omelet, and they make those nicely. The stairway is very narrow, so lifting a heavy suitcase takes some effort. It’s also a little hard to find the first time, though it’s barely five minutes from the Blue Mosque. My last stay in May was better, perhaps because it was peak tourist season. Siesta is still a reasonable place to stay and can leave you some lira for Turkish souvenirs.

The whole stay was stressful and disappointing. When we arrived after midnight, it was hard to find anyone to help us get into our room. There’s no lobby, just an “office” in another building. Once in the room, we found the shower rod was broken, then later noticed a half-eaten ice cream frozen to the fridge. The room and bathtub were clearly unclean, and we even found a trail of ants. They advertise free parking, but it’s actually very cramped street parking. The Wi-Fi barely worked and kept disconnecting. I asked the manager to come see the problems, and he said he would, but never showed up. Spend a little more for a better hotel and a better Istanbul stay.