We stayed at this guest house for one week. All the rooms are different but they are all beautiful…read more The place is very well located, at the heart of the district the most "lively" of Istanbul. People are so nice and treat us really like guests and not customers. This place benefits of a good value for money and I only can advise it to you !

Small cosy hotel in Istanbul. Great location, within walking distance to museums. Also, there are…read moremany restaurants of any kind, just a couple of minutes walk away. Views to the sea. I was lucky to witness snow in Istanbul earlier this year. Really enjoyed the views from the top floor of the hotel. Friendly staff. Cards accepted. Not very expensive. I would stay here again. Totally recommended.

We had a lovely stay at the Marmara Guesthouse for three nights in January. This was my first visit…read moreto Istanbul; my husband had been there decades ago. LOCATION (5/5). Given that our stay would be short, we wanted easy access to the major sites in the Sultanahmet district, or "Old Town." This location put us in walking distance (some uphill on cobblestone streets) of the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and more. Many restaurants and shops were also nearby and, with a longer walk, we were able to walk down to the Golden Horn and to the Galata Bridge. GUESTHOUSE (overall, 4/5). GUEST ROOM (4/5). We had a nice clean room (standard, double) on the 2nd floor with a double bed with attached private bathroom. The room had everything we needed, including a comfortable bed and pillows, desk, large wardrobe with safe, and bedside tables. It was tastefully decorated with Turkish cloth on a canopy bed. We would've rated higher had there been more space in the room. While there was a stand for one piece of luggage, we didn't use it because space was too tight. Our view was of a neighboring guest house, which allowed others to see into our room when the curtains weren't pulled. The bathroom was clean, well-maintained, and newish, and had a small shower, sink, and toilet but again relatively little space. COMMON AREAS, except terrace (see later). (3/5). Again, very tight. Upon entering, there is a small reception area, really only a desk and some file cabinets, where a staff member sits 24/7. There is a small room off this with some small couches, and reading materials (including tour and other books that can be borrowed and tourist brochures. Nice touch!). This also serves as a luggage storage area for guests who arrive early or late. Stairs up to many of the rooms and the terrace where breakfast is served are narrow and have low ceilings. My 6' husband bumped his head on his first trip up. BREAKFAST on the terrace. (5+/5). This was included in the price of our room, but was also available for 5 Euro for guests. Both the food and the view were amazing! There was a wide selection of traditional Turkish and other foods to choose from, including homemade jams, and a nice selection of juices. During breakfast, one could watch the sun rise over the Marmara Sea (which connects to the Bosphorus). Note that free self-serve coffee and tea were available all day, so we also visited the terrace to see the water view at other times of day. PRICE (Jan, 2023). (4/5). Our total bill was euros 156 (about $170) for our 3-night stay in a standard double room at this 2-star guesthouse through Hotels.com. The same room is available at a cheaper rate if you're okay with a non-refundable reservation. Note that Turkey was experiencing very high rates of inflation during our visit. TRANSPORTATION/PARKING (3/5). With reservations, the hotel can arrange for transportation to/from Istanbul airport at 40 Euros per vehicle each way. We used the service for our return trip as we had an early morning flight. The vehicle could have easily accommodated 8 passengers, so it was bigger (and more expensive) than we needed but we were happy that the option was available to us. Parking seems difficult on the side street where the guesthouse is located. STAFF. (4/5). Staff were helpful when asked specific questions but no one stands out as truly extraordinary. All front desk staff spoke a sufficient amount of English to answer our questions. There were visitors from many other countries during our stay. Staff handled our luggage on the narrow staircase. Staff also booked a morning cruise for us on the Bosphorus. SECURITY. 5/5). The neighborhood and the guesthouse felt safe. Access to the property was through a front door that was locked most of the time, and guests needed to pass a close-quarters desk that was manned 24/7.

When I was looking for a nice place to spend the night on the Princes Islands, I ran across this…read moresmall guest house on Heybeliada - primarily because it got astonishingly high ratings on another website, actually the best rating on the whole island. So I decided against Büyükada, for Heybeliada. Which was a great decision, because Büyükada was massively overrun by tourists on this Easter weekend. And - as I found out later - Heybeliada is a real gem, completely underrated. It's quiet, nice, beautiful, less spoiled. L'Isola, in that matter, is just like the island. Small, enjoyable, no big fuss, all real. The place is run by Arsen, a young guy that lives on the island as well, and he does all the work himself. Four rooms, all nicely furnished, spacious, and clean, with nice views of either the garden or the Marmara Sea. It's conveniently located in the middle of the island - not too far away from the ferry, and a good starting point for walks across the island. It's super quiet - unless the seagulls are having a fight on one of the neighboring roofs. Arsen is also preparing the breakfast - and it's actually a class affair for a small guest house like this. We were monstrously lucky with the weather, 25 degrees and sunny, we had wisely chosen Room No. 1, which has direct access to a really spacious roof terrace, and he was serving our breakfast right up there on that terrace. You might have to defend your food against one or the other cat, but this only adds to the charm of the place. He serves cucumber and tomatos, olives and süzme peynir (soft white feta cheese), cherry preserve, a delicious omelette, and he can brew a decent cup of filter coffee. Add bread and butter, and the morning is yours. Simply lovely. Restaurants on the island are not really expensive (if you go to the right ones, like Mavi) - but if you want to save some money anyway, or feel like cooking yourself, Arsen will gladly let you use the kitchen and have your meal sitting in the small courtyard of the guest house. You feel like spending the day of your check-out on the island walking or biking or eating and take a late ferry home? If no one is booked in your room for the following night, you can leave your stuff in the room until departure. Otherwise, Arsen will always keep your stuff at the house until you pick it up on your way to the ferry. He is a really nice and endlessly helpful guy that will be glad to tell you what to enjoy on the island, and what to avoid. His tips are always great, trust him. And reserve a little time for a chat and a coffee with him. We were lucky to have plenty of time, and to meet his sister and his mother as well, so we had nice talks at the house, sitting in the sun, having coffee, petting the cats. For a guest house, the five stars are well deserved. Yes, you can stay at a fancier place on Heybeliada. But I bet you won't find a friendlier one.

We stopped by here for dinner when first arriving to Istanbul. The wait staff was very prompt and…read morefriendly. They have a lovely heated patio area for dining. They also have a couple of TVs out there with sports games playing. The food was very good and it had a lovely ambience. Can be dressy or casual. Will be to sure to stop by here before we head home.

Service is friendly. Rooms are cozy but clean. Free breakfast with a wonderful spread! Close to…read moreTaksim Square, but not too close to the night life. Knocked down a star because of poor wifi - very slow. I'd come by again.

Can't say enough about this wonderful little hotel. On a…read morequiet street in great location to restaurants and shops. Staff so helpful in making suggestions as to where to eat and NOT to shop. Rooms spacious and clean. Good Wi-Fi. Fridge in room. Good a/c. Pretty rooftop terrace available 24/7. Daily full breakfast with large assortment of cheeses, fruit, vegetables, eggs, bread. I cried when I had to say goodbye to my new friends, hosts Ali and Jacob!

Little hotel with big heart. They treat you like family. Ideal location steps away from the…read morehighlights but on a lowkey side street. Beautiful views of the coast from the rooftop. Comfortable and clean.

I loved this hostel. Probably one of the top 3 hostel experiences of my life. Great social…read moreatmosphere, roof, people. I formed many friendships. The staff is so helpful and provided me a lot of tips on where to go around Istanbul. They made sure I had help with my super heavy luggage. They go out of their way to create a friendly, homey atmosphere here.

Great little backpackers hostel with 24 hour access. The hostel has a fun rooftop bar and free…read morebreakfast with the most amazing tomatoes ever. Great location, just a few blocks from the Blue Mosque. The hostel is adjacent to a street with touristy (spendy) restaurants, but inexpensive food isn't particularly difficult to locate. I shared a private room and found the accommodations comfortable. This is a party hostel, with organized trips to the hammam, pub crawls, and some other cities in western Turkey, so it's a great place for late nights and new friends. I'm a heavy sleeper and was traveling in the off-season, but my impression is that things really get going after midnight, especially in the summer. Most of the guests at the hostel were students in their early to mid 20s.