Barin Hotel, Istanbul

Advantages: Loads of things to see and do in the city.
Disadvantages: may not be much to do for children

...and Ottoman periods, inluding the Ahmet Mosque, the Suleiman Mosque, and the Hagia Sofia, originally the only Christian church in Istanbul, turned into a mosque in 1453, and a museum in 1935. The Asian side of Istanbul is not as interesting, but it was still enjoyable to wander around, and generally not as busy. Istanbul, although not the capital of Turkey, is the cultural and commercial centre, with the busiest airport, an advanced motorway network which is otherwise undeveloped in Turkey, and the biggest port. The hotel we stayed in was not brilliant, but there are some very good hotels in and around Istanbul, and overall I spent a very enjoyable week in Istanbul.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Great shopping, Interesting sites
Disadvantages: Very Busy

...My husband and I stayed in Istanbul for about 6 days last December on our way to Diyarbakir. We stayed in Hotel Devran, just off the main street in Taksim. It was small and probably not well known with tourists. It was very basic but clean and the staff were very friendly. It was only about 35ytl (around £14) for both of us per night. I loved Taksim, it was great for shopping and had some really nice restaurants and cafes. It was really easy to get around Istanbul on the metro system (which is a god send because the traffic is a nightmare!). We also went down to Sultenahmet a few times. There was a lovely garden area not far from the castle with a beautiful water fountain. We went to the castle aswell which was really interesting. There was also alot of places we never had time to visit like museums and The Blue Mosque... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: As cheap as you like
Disadvantages: Not well advertised

...Istanbul is a city break to be done. It is a place where there is lots of sightseeing, shopping, eating, exploring and discovering. I love Istanbul and find that everytime I go I learn something new about the old city. With so much to do I promise myself each time that my next stay will for a longer period but I have yet to stay long enough to satisfy my hunger for this city. I have stayed in two very different types of accomodation in Istanbul, on my first visit I stayed at the Pera Palace, once visited my Agatha Christie and Ataturk himself. An extraordinary hotel with all the original features in place, the hotel has a certain mysterious air to it. The rooms are like the rest of the hotel, quite charming. The Pera Place is situated in Beyoglu which is the British version of Soho or Leicester Square with lots of life... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful