Sultanahmetsuites Istanbul Turkey - Holiday Vacation Rentals

DanaChicago_IL
Chicago, ILNov 1, 2007

My husband and I traveled to Istanbul this past June. I had never traveled there before and had no idea what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised upon arriving to Sultanahmet Suites. Our accomadations were extremely large, the decor was very warm and modern, and very clean. The owner, Joy, was very friendly helping us with our bags and tending to our every need, including driving us to dinner, which he personally recommended. To say the least, he is very gracious. The location of the hotel is extremely convenient and just a five minute walk to the Bazaar and Blue Mosque. We had a fabulous time and really felt like we were treated like family. We will definitely be back to Turkey and will certainly stay at the Sultanahmet Suites.

happyfeetAspen
aspenOct 30, 2007

If you want to see Istanbul from the cossetted confines of a tourist hotel - like tourist hotels everywhere else in the world - this is not the place for you. If you travel because you want to experience the culture and flavor and people who live in a place that is unique and different from your home and everyday experiences -- you've found your Istanbul home. My group of traveling friends (4 -8 women who have traveled together to over 50 different cities in 20 different countries) stayed only one night this time when we went through Istanbul on our way back to the US. (this being my 8th trip to Turkey -- yes, I love it!) My friends and I had met Joy (one of the owners) on a previous trip, and fell in love....he is truly representative of the Turkish people -- very hardworking, yet generous with his time and knowledge and possessions, and a pleasure to spend time with. When we arrived at the just remodeled, authentic,old Turkish house, we were greeted by Joy and his wife Ilene. We carried our lighter bags and Joy carried our heavier ones to our second and third floor suites. Just to tease us, he showed us the top floor room which has its own small breakfast balconony overlooking the old neighborhood -- next time we will book that one! As it was nearing dinner time, Joy armed us with a map and started us up the narrow winding roads of a neighborhood that has not yet felt the homoginizing influence of the almighty tourist dollar. Yet our oasis was only 10 minutes from the Four Seasons and all the creature comforts of English speaking sightseeing and eating. Wandering back to the hotel, we were appreciative of the fact that Joy had taken special care to select the beds and bedding -- luxury!
We woke the next morning and wandered through the little streets foraging for our final Turkish breakfast before our plane left. English being less useful here, it took an amusing few minutes of smiling and pointing and hand signals to get us enough feta and fruit and bread to take back to our little kitchen and enjoy our final repast in the living and dining room of our suite. ( I must add it is a treat after you've traveled for a couple of weeks to be able to be in a room separate from your suitcase!) We just had time to run to the Grand Baazar to fly through the last remaining credit on our exhausted credit cards before jumping into the car Joy arranged to take us to the airport. I very highly reccommend this hotel and experience to anyone who wants to discover a more authentic, (less tourist) Turkey!

traveler1chicago
chicagoOct 23, 2007

DavidSackar
Chicago, Illinois, USAOct 22, 2007

This past June, my wife and I stayed at this charming boutique hotel and we we're extremely pleased with the accomodations and even more so by the courtesy of the owner, Joy. We are seasoned travelers, frequently staying in 5 star big name hotels, but this trip we opted for something smaller, more quaint and charming.

Upon arriving, we were warmly greeted by the owner, almost as if we were family. We were escorted to our room and given a tour of our apartment and shown the amenities. We were shocked at how large the accomodations were and how clean it was. Rather than being jammed into a single bedroom and tight bathroom at one of the 'big hotels', we were literally provided our own apartment with a huge living room flooded with natural light and windows, large hallway with generous storage, a very comfortable bedroom and nice sized bathroom. This apartment easily could accomodate a full family.

The apartment features a full kitchen with a stove, a refrigerator, a full sink, and all utensils. Although we chose to dine out and enjoy the local restaurants, one could easily prepare their own meals in the apartment by simply stopping at the market conveniently located right around the corner. I mention above that we dined out for all our meals. The owner, Joy, volunteered to assist us with selecting restaurants and we were never disappointed. We expressed what our taste preferences were and he nailed our desires perfectly. We were directed to some of Istanbul's most delicious locations, all reasonably priced and not 'touristy'. Since we were new to Istanbul, and didn't know our way around, Joy even went so far as to take his own personal vehicle, and drive us to our dinner destinations. Never before has someone shown such care and concern for our happiness on a vacation.

The hotel's location is exceptional. The hotel is a very pleasant 5 minute walk from Instanbul's premier attractions - the Grand Bazaar, San Sophia, and the Blue Mosque. You would be hard pressed to find a closer hotel that boasts similar qualities as Sultanahmet Suites.

All in all, we were somewhat wary of staying in a smaller boutique hotel without a reputation that we knew of. What we got was a beautiful surprise and we are eager to return to stay at the Sultanahmet Suites. We HIGHLY recommned this hotel.

Our family trip to Istanbul
I visited Turkey with my family this past summer, and we couldn't have been happier with our choice of accomodations. I would definitely recommend it to travelers looking to stay in Istanbul.

To begin with, discard any notions of hotel "rooms, " as these are legitimate "suites," with a bedroom, bathroom, and living room with kitchenette/dining table. More importantly, the suites are modern and CLEAN! All of them take up the entire floor of the building so they really are quite spacious. However, note that the lofted suite on the top floor (where I stayed) is a little bit smaller than the other suites, but it has a fantastic, huge outdoor patio that I actually preferred to the separate living room in the other suites. It was a great spot for happy hour, and I enjoyed that every evening of our stay.

The location of the hotel is perfectly situated about a brisk 5 minute walk to the Blue Mosque, with San Sofia Mosque, and the underground cisterns immediately adjacent to that (the Bazar is about a 10-15 minute walk from the Hotel). Be sure to ask Joy (the owner of the hotel -- with his wife) for places to shop also. He referred us to the BEST spots for rugs, ceramics, and leather, and since Joy grew up in Istanbul, he knew where to go for good/fair prices, and quality merchandise. Note, I say that only after doing lots of comparison shopping.

Right around the corner from the hotel were at least two small cafe's, which were perfect for a true local's breakfast (I ate at one at least 2x), and ten steps further was a market to pick up water, drinks, food, and other necessities. Be sure to ask Joy, or his wife, for some recommendations on places to eat (or anything else for that matter). Each restaurant they referred us to was an outstanding local spot with excellent food.

Finally, I must mention how hospitable the owners of the hotel were. They are very personable, and accomodated our every request. Staying at their hotel was like having my own apartment in Istanbul, with them as our guides.