We stayed here (husband, wife and two 17 year olds) June 2019 for about eight nights. Location: perfect for exploring the Sultanahmet district, which is the main historic zone in Istanbul (Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Cisterns, Grand Bazaar, Topaki Palace, etc.). A short walk to the tram station which will take you most anywhere else. Lots of cafes and restaurants nearby, from very inexpensive to the Four Seasons Hotel. Rooms: clean. small but very comfortable, with AC. Not ok if you have physical disability preventing you from using stairs. But staff is extremely helpful with luggage (they carried it all to our room). Staff: very friendly and accommodating. Concierge staff helped us book tours and restaurants, called taxis, and generally advised us in a sincere and friendly manner. Excellent English too. Breakfast: delicious buffet style, fresh Turkish style with breads, fruits, yoghurt, eggs, jams, coffee, juice, tea, etc. eating at the garden tables was fantastic. We will be back! read more

Hotel Empress Zoe - Hotels Near Me - Istanbul, 34

This is a cool small European-style hotel with one of the most unique locations in Istanbul. The lobby literally shares a wall with the old palace hamam (baths) ruin and the garden is bordered by its walls and domes. From the garden you can look through the windows into the ancient unrestored baths built in 1483. There are a variety of room types including a very romantic penthouse apartment. My mid-floor room was decorated in traditional Turkish style and had an able heating and air conditioning system. The bathroom and shower was made of full sheets of marble and the hotel makes its own olive oil soap. Every morning was a stunning Turkish-style breakfast buffet of house-made apricot preserve, yoghurt, simple bread, fruit, fresh tomato, feta, olives and more. You can carry your breakfast to a few tables adjacent or outside to an overgrown Mediterranean garden. This hotel has a peerless staff. They are full of advice, interesting, and when I stayed, someone was available, speaking English, 24x7. I enjoyed hours exchanging insights on our respective cultures with the desk staff. That exchange one-on-one is the finest of travel experiences. The hotel is part of a network of small independent hotels throughout Turkey. They can and did suggest and arrange booking for me at one those beautiful small hotels. There is no elevator and the stairs are very narrow. I carry my own bags, but their staff is glad to help with that. The hotel is adjacent to Istanbul's backpacker district and to the Four Seasons, so you have a variety of possibilities for dining and socializing nearby. I like to walk. From the Empress Zoe location, you can walk over the hill and across the bridge to Istanbul's Brooklyn- and Aoyama-like neighborhoods. If you are looking for an American-style business hotel, newly constructed, standard room setup, standard services, this is not the hotel for you. There are plenty of those available in Istanbul. This is a European-style hotel we need more of in America, bigger than a B&B, which America does well, and smaller than an Ace-Standard, also well done in the States. The Empress Zoe is a beautiful small romantic hotel with a peerless staff representing the finest Turkish hospitality and culture in a great Istanbul location. read more

Poor service. Not helpful at all for simple things. Many nicer hotels in area I wish we had known about. Cats are running all over the hotel including through the breakfast area. read more

We had such a fantastic time during our 6-night stay at Hotel Empress Zoe! I've never found a hotel where I felt so comfortable and at home as I did here. The staff is so warm and welcoming and helpful - we will miss them the most! And the hotel itself is gorgeous - antique 4-poster beds, lovely handmade drapery and fabulous artwork covering the walls. The garden is so peaceful and relaxing - we loved to enjoy the delicious breakfast in the garden everyday. And the views from the rooftop terrace at sunset are absolutely stunning! The location of the hotel is so perfect as well - we walked to all of the sights and were in close proximity to the pier and to the tram. We will most certainly be back to Hotel Empress Zoe in the future! Do not miss out on staying at this amazing hotel on your next visit to Istanbul! read more

Our travel agent suggested Empress Zoe to us and we are so happy we stayed here! It is really close to all the attractions in Sultahmet and the staff is very friendly! Rooms are all unique and the breakfast was great! We especially loved the view from our semi private terrace! My only complaint is that the first night we were there, there was some parade or soemthing and they had drumlines playing all night long which is rough when youve been on a long flight all day. Also wifi was spotty read more