Taksim Stone Wall Apartments

I had to stay one night because it was late and I couldn't find another place, then left the next morning. The room at Taksim Centre Hotel was nothing like the Booking.com pictures. It was freezing, smelled terrible, had bedbugs, and was on the first floor with steep, dangerous stairs. I felt scared and unsafe there. I politely asked the host for a refund as soon as I saw the room. He laughed rudely and said, “you knew it’s not refundable, do whatever you can.” The whole thing was humiliating and disgusting. The online photos are completely misleading, and the hotel's real condition is unacceptable. This was the worst hotel experience of my life. If I could give zero stars, I would. Avoid it and spare yourself the stress, smell, and bedbugs.

We left immediately and booked somewhere else without spending a single night there. We had arrived in Istanbul three days earlier with our family and paid approximately €216 through Agoda for a 2-bedroom room for four people. Within an hour, we found at least five bed bugs. The place was filthy, with stained sheets, dirty blankets, and unhygienic beds. The listing photos were completely misleading. When we complained, staff were rude and said, “You get what you paid for.” They even called us “poor” for choosing the accommodation. We contacted Agoda for a refund; they said they would speak to the owner, but we still haven't received any money back. It was an absolute disaster and a health risk. Don't waste your time or money. I've attached photos showing the real conditions.

The staff were kind and helpful, and breakfast was okay. There was always warm water, plus both an air conditioner and an air heater, which made the room manageable for a night. Still, it wasn't like the photos: there was mold in the bathroom, the windows didn't close properly, and the sheets were dirty. The humidity made us feel a bit disgusted about staying there. Street music made it hard to sleep, especially on weekends when it was unbearable. It was better during the week, and usually stopped around 2-3 at night. You get what you pay for, and at least the staff are really nice.

The location is excellent, and Hasan, the receptionist who welcomed us the morning we arrived, was very nice and had excellent customer service skills. I wasn't going to write a review, but they reported me as a no-show on Booking.com. It's cheap, and you can see why. Everything was old and dirty, with stains on the sheets and towels, mold in the bathroom, and half the things in the room broken. The shower didn't work properly, so we had to fix it ourselves to take a shower because the front desk didn't respond. Breakfast plates were so greasy we had to wash them before using them. Most staff weren't polite, didn't look at us, and didn't even say hello in Turkish.