If you’re searching for a place to stay in Istanbul, it is essential to understand its geography. Of all the cities I have set foot in, it certainly has the most interesting layout. The city sits on two continents — a half in Europe, another in Asia — and separated by the Bosphorus Strait that connects the Black Sea to the north and the Sea of Marmara to the south. A major inlet called the golden Horn practically cuts across the European half.
Istanbul has a total of 39 districts. but for tourism purposes, let’s simplify this a bit. Let’s group these districts into four areas.
Asian side. mostly residential. because of the high cost of rent on the European side of the Bosphorus, numerous locals choose to stay here. While it is always a great idea to pay a visit, I do not recommend staying here to tourists because many places of interest are on the European half.
Sultanahmet. often referred to as Old City, this is in a district called Fatih, south of the golden Horn. numerous of the city’s renowned structures and landmarks are here: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar, among others. There are a number of hotels and hostels here.
Beyoğlu (Galata). opposite Fatih, on the other side of the golden Horn, is the district of Beyoğlu. like Sultanahmet, it harbors numerous of the city’s traveler attractions including Taksim Square, İstiklal Caddesi, and the Galata Tower, dominating the area’s skyline. This area has the greatest concentration of accommodations.
New Istanbul and the Bosphorus. even more north are four much more districts: Beşiktaş, Kağıthane, Şişli, and Sarıyer. This is where Istanbul gets modern and a little bit artsy. At the center of it is the city’s central company district, surrounded by some pretty bohemian neighborhoods. Although a bit far from the essential attractions, there are several hotels and hostels scattered across the area.
Where to stay depends on your itinerary. If you’re planning to spend much more time in the city’s historic core, then book a place in Fatih (Sultanahmet). If you dig the busyness of Galata, opt for Beyoğlu. Or if you want a much more modern vibe, stay in the new City.
We were in Istanbul mainly because we were invited to speak at the world tourism Forum. The venue was in Şişli, so were hosted by W hotel in nearby Beşiktaş. but because we wanted to maximize our stay, I chose to check in elsewhere while my blogging partner Yoshke stayed at W hotel for the entire duration of the event. here are some quick thoughts about them.
Puffin Hostel
Although Yoshke and I chose not to stay in the same hotel, I still picked a place within the vicinity for useful reasons. The nearest hostel to W is Puffin, just a block away.
On the way to the hostel, I was ushered by the delicious smell of kebabs coming from nearby stalls and restaurants. The brick building is a bit challenging to find and you can miss it easily if you’re not paying attention. The reception area is located on the 4th floor (something you might not be thrilled about if you’re carrying wheeled luggage).
Puffin Hostel’s private room Bed
Puffin Hostel’s private Bathroom
I booked a Deluxe double Bed private room for €16.25 ($18.14) each. The room was visually pleasant. (It’s pink, and it reminded me a little bit of my sister’s room back home.) It is spacious and equipped with a TV set and heater. restroom was clean, and they offer soap, shampoo, and towels. There was also a mini-balcony. The staff were all friendly and eager to help. My only grievance is connectivity. Wi-fi is limited to the common area only. (Thank heavens for globe Roam Surf).
Address: Sinanpaşa, Çelebi Oğlu Sk. No:11, Beşiktaş, Turkey
How to get to Puffin Hostel: An 8 minute walk from Besiktas bus stop. From the bus stop, you go to Alkım Bookstore across the Naval museum (Deniz Müzesi). then you have to turn left on the second street. The brick building on your left side houses Puffin Hostel.
Cost: USD 35-40 for a twin or double room, USD 8 for a dorm bed.
What we loved: clean room. lots of restaurants in the vicinity.
What we didn’t like so much: A bit far from essential traveler spots. Wi-fi limited to common area. No available receptionist when we had a look at at 6:30AM.
Check rates or book this now
Galata West Hostel
After exploring Istanbul, we flew to Cappadocia and stayed there for four days. Our next stop was Marrakech in Morocco, but we had to connect in Istanbul. because our flight would land in Istanbul in the morning and our flight to Morocco was in the early morning of the next day, we chose to spend one night at a hostel. We chose Galata West Hostel because of its proximity to Galata Tower, which we intended to visit that day.
We booked a standard twin room with Galata West prior to our arrival. We had a really difficult time locating it. (Our chauffeur didn’t know where it was.) When we arrived, we were greeted by a friendly member of their staff. chEcking i var raskt og greit. Vi fikk nøkkelen, og oppover gikk vi.
Galata West Hostel Private Room Beds
Galata West Hostel Private Room
Rommet de ga hadde en køyeseng, noe som var bra med oss. Den var liten og hadde ikke mye i den bortsett fra et lite skap. Det var ingen elektriske stikkontakter (ikke engang en eneste!), Så vi måtte forlate batteriladeren vår i resepsjonen for å lade. Jeg måtte bo i fellesområdet i 6. etasje for å gjøre online arbeid (belaste den bærbare datamaskinen min og få internettilgang). Varmeapparatet fungerte ikke riktig, så vi måtte også fortelle mottakelsen om det. På toppen av det hele var den delte toalettet ekkelt.
Jeg vet at det er veldig billig, men kom igjen. Bra at de ansatte var hyggelige, hjelpsomme og vennlige. Jeg håper de betaler resepsjonisten godt fordi han var den eneste reddende nåden her. Det og det faktum at det bare er en fire minutters spasertur fra Galata Tower.
Adresse: Bereketzade, Savcı Bey çk. Nei: 3, 34420, Tyrkia
Kostnad: Standardrom, € 13,00 ($ 15,15).
Hva vi elsket: nærhet til Galata Tower og andre viktige attraksjoner. vennlig personale.
Det vi ikke likte så mye: varmeapparatet fungerte ikke, bratt og smal trapp, skittent bad, ingen elektriske utsalgssteder.
Sjekk priser eller bestill dette nå
W Istanbul Hotel (Splurge -alternativet)
Jeg visste at det skulle bli bra så snart jeg la øynene på fasaden. W Istanbul er satt i et restaurert radhouse fra 1800-tallet, ikke så langt fra Bosphorus. Jeg fikk tildelt en studiosuite, et super-romslig hjørnerom med sin egen private uteplass og hage. Store vinduer slapp rikelig med naturlig lys i. Men fordi jeg alltid hadde ønsket meg at arbeidsmiljøet mitt var litt svakt, tegnet jeg gardinene og slo på en av deres lysinnstillinger. Rommet hadde en bred seng, kjøleskap og mini-bar.
En av de mest fremragende fasilitetene på dette hotellet var reisetelefonen som følger med hver telefon. Det tillater ubegrensede lokale og internasjonale samtaler, og ubegrenset tilgang til visse reisesider og apper (dvs. TripAdvisor, Google Maps, etc.). Du kan ta den og bruke den utenfor. (Du kan ikke ta det med hjem. Du.) Wi-Fi på rommet er også uber-rask.
Mitt rom. En studiosuite.
Privat uteplass
En telefon som tillater totalt gratis lokale og internasjonale samtaler, og tilgang til reiseapper.
Bufféfrokost er også inkludert i hver bestilling. Mange alternativer inkludert tyrkisk og kontinental.
Min eneste klage er toalettet og badekaret. Mens den er utstyrt med en regnskogdusj og et rikt sett med toalettsaker, var toalettet og toalettet for lite. Hver gang jeg dusjet, skapte sprutene en sølepytt utenfor. Og jeg er ikke en slik boltdusj (er det til og med et ord?).
Annet enn det var oppholdet mitt praktisk talt feilfritt. Personalet var høflige og utrolig nyttige at når jeg trengte noe, ville jeg ganske enkelt ringe resepsjonen, og noen ville banke på døren min på kort tid.
Adresse: Süleyman Seba Cad. Nei: 22, 34357 İstanbul, Tyrkia.
Kostnad: Rom (inkludert Studio Suite) varierer fra 128 til 208 EUR. Suiter er i tusenvis.
Det jeg elsket: stort rom. Mange gjennomtenkte fasiliteter (en reisetelefon, velkommen snacks, belysningsalternativer, hjemmeunderholdningssystem med surroundlyd). Rask Wi-Fi på rommet!
Det jeg ikke likte så mye: lite bad. Og hotellet er litt langt fra de essensielle attraksjonene.
Sjekk hastigheter og tilgjengelighet
…
Avsløring: W Hotel er en sponsor for World Tourism Forum, et arrangement der vi ble invitert til å snakke. Vi tok ikke på oss kostnadene for oppholdet, da det var noe som ble arrangert for oss av arrangørene av arrangementet. Hotellet eller arrangørene ba oss imidlertid heller ikke om å blogge om oppholdet.
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