We stayed for a month, and it was fantastic! The staff were so lovely, really welcoming and knowledgeable, and always happy to make time for a cup of tea and a chat. The location of our stay was perfect, situated a short ten minute walk from Sultanahmet square (with lots of shops and restaurants on the way). We were right in the heart of the Old City, perfect for seeing the famous sights.
The room itself was lovely, and had been renovated in a modern style which breaks away from the usual "bland hotel room" look. As well as the limitless Instagram potential, the room was also really ergonomically laid out, which is very valuable for longer stays. There were armchairs to relax, and a well equipped kitchenette for cooking, with a full size fridge, plates, cutlery, pans, bottle opener (I found it in the bottom of the pot, I'm really sorry I made you run and get one Kuzey), and plenty of glasses and mugs. Most of the time we found ourselves eating out, but only because it's very reasonably priced to do so if you're used to paying UK rates. The kitchen was still really great for having breakfast, though.
We were also pleased to find that the room had a balcony to sit out, and if you look down the street from there it is also possible to see the sea. The balcony is laid out with a table and seating space, and looks out towards the blocks on the other side of the street. Whilst I wouldn't recommend sunbathing naked, I also wouldn't say that the balcony felt at all overlooked by those opposite. It made a really nice space to sit out with a glass of wine or two!
Needless to say, the room was also very clean, those ladies work so hard bringing things up and down the stairs! (a special thank you goes to them for understanding when we had to delay cleaning of the room whilst I had a job interview over the phone). As for the important stuff, no matter what time of day we showered there was always lots of hot water, and the shower was nice (lots of water pressure!), and the room and bathroom were cleaned every day to a high standard.
The only thing the room is without is a safe- however, after the first day we felt it was not required- for a month we left out two laptops, two cameras, cash, etc. and no harm came to them. The room door also locks securely. Having read our fair share of horror stories before travelling, we were reassured to find the reception desk manned 24/7. There is also a nice space downstairs to sit, which is a good thing since we found ourselves there often chatting to Kuzey and Erol, and to other guests.
For all that this place itself is really nice, it is the staff who make it great. Erol and Kuzey sat down with us when we arrived and imparted their knowledge about the best things to do in Istanbul- even if you knew nothing about the place you'd have a great time just doing the things they recommended. As the days went on we felt that they really took the time to get to know us (over hundreds of cups of turkish tea!), and it was clear that they were getting to know other guests too. By the end of our stay, we felt like family. Whilst it's easy to take things for granted when you're on holiday, we could tell that all the staff were working really hard to make everyone's stay in Istanbul exceptional. I really cannot say enough nice things about the staff here- you'll just have to go and see for yourself! Guys, thank you so much for an amazing stay!!!