Sophia Studio Apartments

Warning, don't book this apartment. We reserved four nights for two adults and two children, and paid in advance by credit card. Our flight meant we couldn't arrive for the 23:00 check-in, so more than 24 hours beforehand we told the owner we'd arrive the next day and still stay the other three nights. He said it counted as a no-show because we weren't there at 23:00, that we couldn't come on any of the remaining days because “it's the system,” and cancelled the reservation while keeping all the money for four nights. The apartment was then available to rent to other people. We booked through Booking.com, which makes reservations like this possible by facilitating them. I work in tourism in Holland, and this is a delayed arrival, not a no-show. We'd booked four nights, not just one. If someone books two weeks at a hotel and tells them they can't make the first day, they should still be able to use the rest of the time they've paid for. I can't imagine being told to pay for all those nights but not stay at all. This owner did that. Money seems more important to him than hospitality, something Turkish people are known for. I've traveled widely, including throughout Turkey, from Edirne to Urfa, Ayder Yaylası Trabzon to Çesme, Kars to Bodrum, and Kapadokya to Mardin. I've never had this happen in any country. The owner is a very poor example of a Turkish person. Very bad person, a real scoundrel.

Rifat is a true gentleman, always smiling and offering coffee or tea. The staff are friendly, and the place is super clean. The Wi-Fi works great, and it's very close to some of Istanbul's main sights. I'll come back on my next trip to Istanbul. Highly recommended!

Mr Rifat is the best part of this apartment, such a helpful and genuinely nice person. The room itself was very clean and comfortable. If I return to Turkey, I'll definitely stay here again.

The host is very kind, and the apartment is cleaned every other day. It's in the old city, where many apartments are guest houses and there are lots of street food shops. That also means it's noisy outside at night. There are many cats around, and their sounds can be scary. The morning call to prayer from the mosques will wake you up.