Istanbul Hotels

[Takyla]

We cruised with "O" last November and stayed in the very charming Sari Konak hotel for a couple of nights. We have friends cruising with a different line this September and they have a couple of nights in Istanbul. We recommended Sari Konak, however they are completely booked when our friends will be there. Can anyone recommend a similar type hotel that I can pass along and also a good tour guide.

 

Elfi who worked the front desk and made those wonderful cakes is no longer working for S.K.

[Charliesmom]

We just stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel in Istanbul which is lovely, but on the expensive side. It was in a great location - close to the Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, The Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern, and within walking distance of the Grand Bazaar.

 

Roberta

[Obiwon]

Hi Ray and Carole, we were on the same cruise with you :) This is Kevin. We stayed at the Nena Hotel. We loved it. It's a beautiful boutique hotel, very close to everything. The staff were great. We had a deluxe room #401. Nice balcony with a view of the Blue Mosque. The view from the restaurant one floor above was fabulous.

[tak2]

Ray,

I'll e-mail you the details of our guide, Nejat, who covered Istanbul AND Ephesus. Shortly after our tour with him, he went on a transatlantic cruise to NY. He's very familiar with the cruise industry, and is a great storyteller.

[Takyla]

Thanks Tak and Kevin, I passed on the info to our friends and then we left for the summer in beautiful Lac La Hache, BC...since then, I received a note from these friends inquiring about tour guides in Athens. Apparently they have been put in contact with a guide who wanted $375 per person each day!!!! Wow!

Does anyone out there have a good recommendation, we used the son of the taxi driver guide back in 2004, but I can't locate him today.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I always recommend the Dersaadet. We had a very pleasant stay there, and it's very close to the Blue Mosque and around the corner from the Arrasta Bazaar, which is a really nice street full of shops, kind of min-grand bazaar.

 

The site http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com is touting Mavi Ev right now, right across from the Blue Mosque.

[Liv4cruzin]

I second the suggestion for Hotel Nena. We were in #402; & loved our view of the Blue Mosque & the Bosphorus. Location is perfect. Located sort of on top of the hills, so you're not constantly walking up hill to the sites. Excellent meal in their restaurant. Half block off the main street (Divan Yolu); 2 blocks from the tram stop. Those deluxe rooms are very large; the balcony large enough for a square dining table & chairs; the modern bathroom is huge; & they have an elevator. I thought it was a very good value for the money.

[Off Shore]

We stayed at the Ciragan Palace several years ago. They arranged to have a Limo pick us up at thairport after an exhausting flight from Newark by way of Rome. Waking up the next morning with a view of the Bosphorus from our balcony was worth every penny! Dinner was superb, and I still dream about the unusual Turkish Style breakfast. We also arranged for guides thru the hotel. Immaculate with fantastic service. A great place to splurge.

Danny Weitz

[Acrusa]

We stayed at the Ciragan Palace several years ago. They arranged to have a Limo pick us up at thairport after an exhausting flight from Newark by way of Rome. Waking up the next morning with a view of the Bosphorus from our balcony was worth every penny! Dinner was superb, and I still dream about the unusual Turkish Style breakfast. We also arranged for guides thru the hotel. Immaculate with fantastic service. A great place to splurge.

Danny Weitz

 

We booked the Swissotel for this comming July. We are thinking of having dinner one nite in either the new Four Seasond Bosphorus or the Ciragan Palace,

Was the views from the Ciragan fantastic and would you reccomend dinner there?,or lunch.

[kathy16]

Stayed at the Ada Hotel in Istanbul- nice view of the sea of Marmara from room and upper deck, which was also used for included breakfast. Located in Sultanahmet- owner very nice, plus free internet, and special plus- jacuzzi bathtub in room (very romantic). Also full bathroom and shower.

[Liv4cruzin]

FYI: Hotel Nena (as does a lot of boutique hotels in Sultanahmet) offers several perks for stays of 3+ nights, including free p/u & d/o at the hotel/airport/ship. They also offered free internet, one free dinner in their restaurant & of course, the free breakfast buffet in the rooftop restaurant.

[Penzance]

We stayed for two nights at the Hotel Nena last month, and can echo Liv4cruzin's remarks. We loved having a drink in the cool, tiled patio bar and breakfast in their restaurant with a magnificent view over Istanbul. It was an added pleasure to be met at the airport and to have a discount on dinner and all for a most reasonable rate.

[gnu2cruisin']

We stayed at the Ottoman Hotel Imperial in a "premium sultan" room which was quite satisfactory at 170 Euros a night. We were there for 4 nights and received breakfast, transport from the airport, and free internet. They hand you a laptop! Friendly, helpful English speaking staff. Location is perfect and can't be beat for a first time visitor. Hagia Sofia abuts the property. The only downside was walking "home" after a long day of sightseeing on the cobblestone road and sidewalk leading to the hotel. As for tour guides--we can't recommend Kagan Kosagan highly enough! He was our guide for 3 wonderful days in Istanbul and then met us (along with Penzance and another couple) for a fabulous tour of Ephesus.

[HawkeyeCruisr]

We were also at the Nena for a 4-night stay last month and LOVED it. We had a "triple" room on the 4th floor and it was quite spacious. Reserve early for a 5% discount and pay in cash for another 5% discount. I agree with all previous posts; it was just wonderful in all respects.

 

We used Kagan Kosagan for two days touring in Istanbul and also recommend him highly. We got a great sense of Turkish history and culture from him as we toured the city.

[john2003]

This would be yet another recommendation for the Nena. We found the location was great and the extra's were also good value (dinner discount, pick up and drop off)

[Acrusa]

We are doing a full day tour of the Topkapi and Blue Mosque.Would the Nena Hotel be a nice place for lunch? Does it have a view of the Bosphorus?Are there anyother places to eat in the area, that you could recomend? Mostly looking for a lunch with a view.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We had lunch in the cafe in Topkapi. It's got a nice view of the Bosporus, over to the Asian side. It was very nice--not fancy, cafeteria style, but pleasant.

[john2003]

While the restaurant in the Nena does have a view, I don't think I would recommend it for what you are seeking.

 

I think I might dispense with the view and find somewhere with a little more local character. One of the things about wanderng around is that they have menus outside so u can take a look. We had a nice dinner in a restaurant in the area that had a lot more atmosphere. I am sorry I don't have a clue what it was called. Just a thought.

 

Hopefully someone with more local knowledge can help you.

[Liv4cruzin]

We are doing a full day tour of the Topkapi and Blue Mosque.Would the Nena Hotel be a nice place for lunch? Does it have a view of the Bosphorus?Are there anyother places to eat in the area, that you could recomend? Mostly looking for a lunch with a view.

 

I agree w/ John2003. Their restaurant is on the ground floor, actually below street level. They do have the dining area w/ the great view of the Blue Mosque on the rooftop which is set up for the breakfast buffet; but they don't "normally" serve other meals up there. I say "normally".... When I was last there it was late April; & the place was nearly dead. They asked if we would like to have our "free" dinner up top; & we said yes. So, they brought it from the first floor. I'm not saying it's impossible that they would serve a lunch up there; but not typical.

[mn2ga]

I would love to get the name of your tour guide in Istanbul. We will be there for a few days before an Azamara cruise in July 2012.

[bw333]

Hotel Amira-At the moment it is #2 on Tripadvisor. I loved this Hotel, it was one of the best highlights of our stay in Istanbul. Roof top bar, and staff that went out of there way to make you happy. Check out their reviews on tripadvisor. Have a great trip!

[Toranut97]

I would add the Sirkeci Konak, was surprised it was not here already. We stayed three nights prior to the Black Sea Serenade last year.

 

With a three night stay they threw in a free airport transfer and dinner one night. We had a great fresh fish meal, but there were other options. That dinner was in a ground level restaurant --- there is also a beautiful rooftop restaurant that is not to be missed.

 

Very reasonable, great service and lovely. Check it out on Trip Advisor -- I am one of many who posted photos and reviews there.

[Mura]

We also enjoyed the Hotel Nena in Sultanahmet in early November. It's not fancy but I believe it is a 4 star. An excellent and helpful staff. A good breakfast and a half-price dinner in their restaurant (only on one evening, DH wanted to eat their all the time!). They also provide free transport to/from the airport. I wasn't aware of a time limitation for the free transport but for the record we were there for two nights.

 

Oops, I may have repeated myself or someone else! I inadvertently clicked on page 2 and assumed this was the beginning of the thread. I guess I should learn how to count.

 

Mura

[diane.in.ny]

.since then, I received a note from these friends inquiring about tour guides in Athens. Apparently they have been put in contact with a guide who wanted $375 per person each day!!!!

 

We used Paul Kalomiris, Athens by Taxi

 

Here is his web site: http://www.athenstaxi.org/

 

and here is my blog report: http://www.travelsnippetsandmore.com/2010/11/recommended-local-driver-for-athens.html

[Bruin Steve]

I hope everyone realizes that this was a FOUR YEAR OLD thread that someone resurrected a couple of days ago...I am guessing that the OP long ago made their trip to Istanbul...

 

Also, what a lot of folks missed originally was that the OP was specifically looking for a hotel SIMILAR to the Sari Konak...The Sari Konak is a great little reasonably priced hotel in the heart of the Sultanhamet District--just below the Blue Mosque...Those recommending places like the Swisshotel or Ciragan Palace were simply way off...The Four Seasons is close in location, but not in type of hotel or, especially, price range...

 

I have stayed at the Sari Konak and at the Conrad Istanbul...and would recommend either--but they are clearly NOT similar...

 

For those now on a tangent on Athens tour guides--as well as those looking for Istanbul hotel recommendations, I would highly recommend going to the Mediterranean Ports of Call board--where there are numerous, very complete threads on both of these subjects...and with far more current information...