One of my favorite hostels in Europe (out of about 12 or so?), though much of the positive experiences are about who you meet at the hostel. I'll get to that in a bit.
The place is tucked in a backstreet, but Volkan's email introduction on booking described the location very well. For being my first stop in Europe, knowing no Turkish, and having never traveled by myself at all, his directions got me from Ataturk Airport to the hostel no issues.
I walked in and was greeted by Volkan, who sat me down and drew on a map a bunch of places of interest. His English is great and the advice is helpful, he'll tell you about more than just the touristy traps. He's also a great guy to talk to and go out with at night, he'll show you around.
I stayed in a 6-bed room. It was spacious enough. You get a locker, fit all my stuff. First night I had it to myself, which was handy to recover from an LA to Istanbul flight. The next few nights were with a few Americans who had also just graduated college (and have since become good friends), and two Italians. No problems there, or with the noise from elsewhere. The room is keyed, not card, which is kind of annoying but fine.
I never had a problem with the shared bathroom being dirty or busy. No noise issues either. Didn't use the kitchen but looked fine. The rooftop bar is great fun. It's 10 lira for an Efes ($4 at the time), which is kind of steep but alcohol is expensive everywhere in Turkey so it's whatever. There's an indoor and outdoor area where everyone meets up before going out. Met people from all over the world doing all kinds of things and had some great conversations.
This was a great first stop on my trip. Would highly recommend to new or old travelers alike. read more