The Halich Hotel Karaköy

I hadn't intended to stay at The Halich Hotel Istanbul Karakoy, Special Category. I was moved here from CSK The Halic Port Istanbul without warning or my consent. I arrived in the evening, exhausted, alone in an unfamiliar city, and couldn't realistically find somewhere else so late. The rooms were old, worn, dirty, and smelled unpleasant. There was dust everywhere, damaged walls, broken plumbing, and dirty towels. My room had no heating, so it was very cold in late November. When I complained, staff said nothing could be done. They moved me to another room, but it wasn't any better and smelled strongly of food from the restaurant. Breakfast isn't served in this building. Each morning you have to get fully dressed and walk along a regular city street to another hotel for it. In the evenings, reception was almost always unattended, with staff nowhere to be found. I also had trouble with the safe, which locked as if someone had tried to tamper with it. This was a deeply unpleasant stay that I hadn't chosen. I strongly don't recommend the hotel. It honestly felt like part of a misleading, deceptive scheme.

I paid about €100 a night for a double room, but my guest wasn't allowed in, even though she showed her ID and was willing to register properly. The staff handled it so badly that they ended up calling the police. The service and communication were unacceptable, and they showed no ability to solve the problem.

It's a beautiful, clean place in a handy spot near the main attractions. Sara at reception and Farooq were especially kind and quick to help, which made the stay much more pleasant. Thanks to both of them.

Mr. Mustafa was especially hospitable and polite. We had only booked two nights, and when we wanted to extend but the hotel was full, the staff arranged for us to stay at another hotel without any hassle. We also asked if breakfast could be added to our package, and they did that for free, which was great. The rooms, bathrooms, and breakfast were all very good. The location in Karakoy puts you in the city center, close to the metro and within easy reach of major attractions. There's also a park by the water nearby, with a view of the Blue Mosque, which was a lovely place to spend time at night. I spent seven days in Istanbul and had a great stay. I'd definitely recommend the Halich hotel.