Extremely great Airbnb experience!
My girlfriend and I actually stayed an entire month here, so I believe I can write a very thorough and honest review that might be helpful for anyone considering booking.
Simply put: I can’t think of a better place to stay in Istanbul! Lets go over the details:
The host: Dodo is an incredibly kind, helpful man who actually became our friend during our stay (going out for drinks, inviting us to a party, etc). He met us at check in, even though we didn’t arrive until after 1 in the morning. He gave us our privacy, but he was ALWAYS there to answer any questions or address any issues (that said, we didn’t have any issues). We had never been to Turkey before, and it provided a real peace of mind to have Dodo as a resource, friend and ally throughout our stay. Just read the reviews and you will see similar sentiments from all his guests. He is a very good host who sincerely wants his guests to have a nice stay.
The property: Two very large bedrooms with comfortable beds. One small bathroom, another very large bathroom with huge shower. A kitchen with literally everything you could possibly need to cook your own meals. Dishwasher. Clothes washer. A very comfortable living area including a TV with Netflix, etc. Dining table with cool view up the cobblestone street. Two brand new WIFI routers throughout the large apartment, meaning the WIFI is very fast at any location in the property (these new routers were installed during our stay).
The location is perfect!!! The best part is that the street is extremely quiet even though you are so close to all the the main attractions of the neighborhood! It is an “oasis of calm” and the nights were very quiet even though you are living in such a lively and energetic part of the city. Walk one minute, and you are the Metro station that will take you anywhere in Istanbul. Another minute and you are on Istiklal, the main shopping street full of tons of shops and restaurants. There are a ridiculous amount of great coffee shops and restaurants within a 5 minute walking radius.
I can’t really think of anything negative to say about our experience, as well as the flat itself. Definitely don’t hesitate to stay here. Dodo is the best. We were slightly “nervous” about visiting Istanbul for the first time because to us (as Americans) it was more of an unknown and “foreign” destination than we’d been before (perhaps that was ignorance on our part). But our impressions after a month is that it is an extremely beautiful, fun, SAFE city full of great people. And Dodo’s flat gives one the perfect home-base to explore such a great city.
Thanks for everything Dodo and hopefully we can return one day!