Sipahi Hotel

The room barely had an outlet, all the way across from the bed beside the sink, so far away they needed an extension cord to power the overhead lamp. It had a bed, landline, armoire, and sink, and that was about it. Despite the online descriptions, there was no air conditioning, TV, room service, currency exchange, or in-room refrigerator. I barely spent time there apart from sleeping, so the lack of amenities itself wasn’t a big deal. The problem is how blatantly the descriptions seem to lie just to rip people off. The prices are ridiculous for rooms in such poor shape. The walls and ceilings look like they could collapse any moment, as if nothing has been maintained structurally for over a decade. Nearby hotels at the same price don’t look like they’re falling apart, and you could probably find better conditions at a hostel for a fraction of the price. It looks frozen in the 1940s, though I was surprised it had wifi. Most of all, women traveling alone, or even with other women, should not stay here. Keep your distance from the men working there. While I was checking out, I was chatting with Salim, the daytime front desk worker, and he acted creepy, sketchy, and inappropriate. He was old enough to be my grandfather, but took my friendliness as an invitation to grab me and force a kiss when no one else was around. He assaulted me.

We chose the hotel because of its location. The staff were welcoming and ready to help. Ali at reception and his assistant Mustafa, who are not young men, carried our two huge suitcases to our room after our four-month trip around EUROPE. Madame Nazan Soydan, the founder’s granddaughter, was sweet and friendly. She helped us print 10 pages of our flight documents. My Marina was so charmed by her that she asked to take a picture together, and Madame Nazan Soydan happily agreed. The hotel has been here since 1910, so the rooms do need renovation. Still, prices would surely jump so much after that that staying here might no longer be appealing. Breakfast had no variety and was very basic. I’d suggest at least two boiled eggs for the men, or a choice of that plate, an omelet, or some kind of porridge. Before coming to Istanbul, we stayed at another family hotel in the same price range, where the owner had made a six-item à la carte breakfast menu, so you could choose what you liked.

The room was clean, had enough space, and breakfast was included in the price. The hotel is economical, well maintained, and in a good spot, about a 5-10 minute walk to the Blue Mosque or Grand Bazar. It’s quite old inside, including the decor, but they’ve kept it up well. They do need to fix some broken things in the toilet.

The bathroom and shower are shared, and the staff were extremely rude and impolite. They’re older, so they couldn’t help with luggage. As soon as I arrived, they kept insisting I pay right away, and only accepted cash. I had to go find a bank. One man yelled at me, saying I wouldn’t pay and acting like I was going to steal from them. He told me to leave if I wasn’t happy, so I did, but still forced me to pay 200tl for the one bour I stayed there.