My family and I had a terrific stay at Julia and Tarkan's place! We are a family of four with two teenage daughters and the flat was a good size for us. First, the communication and support we received from them were wonderful and they were always easy to contact. There were several times they went above and beyond to provide us with a wonderful experience. My family celebrates Christmas and they did some research to find a few holiday activities for us. Additionally, they had a cute little Christmas tree in the apartment, which was a sweet touch. They were also very supportive once we were in Istanbul as well. Check in was easy and efficient and they responded to all inquiries immediately. At one point we had a question about the heat and someone was at the house inside of 5 minutes. It was truly amazing!
The space is just as it is shown in pictures, and the bathroom is impressively large. Everything in the place is clean, easy to find, and in good condition. We found the pillows and comforters to be particularly comfortable and it was nice and warm inside, even with freezing temperatures outside. The apartment is in a very old building (it's so cool!) so we were pleased to find such hot water in the shower (along with great water pressure!) and efficient heat in the unit. It is in a wonderful location - truly. There are terrific restaurants, cafes, shops (and more!) within walking distance. We had so much fun walking everywhere and getting to know the neighborhood. While the area is lively, the street is quite quiet. That said, you will still hear outside sounds from inside the apartment (cars, convos, call to prayer), but that is all part of staying in such a great area. Like others, we highly recommend the breakfast at Cafe Privato and any other spot recommended by Necla (local guide). Doing the neighborhood walk with her helped to orient us and she gave some great food recs!
We are grateful to Julia and Tarkan for their hospitality and kindness. We will suggest this apartment to others and it is a great value for the price. If you are lucky enough to come to this incredible city, you should certainly stay at one of Julia and Tarkan's places!