With so many accommodations available in Istanbul, Akif's place makes choosing the right one easy.
He has a genuine care for his guests and is an excellent host. We traveled as a family of 5 and arrived quite late. Akif arranged for his cousin to wait for us to check in at 2 am.
The place has plenty of amenities including laundry and is a great home base. Galata Tower is minutes walk and has many cafes, restaurants. Lavender Cafe right next door to Akif was one of our favourite places for breakfast. A convenience store was also 2 minutes away and was ideal for stocking on water, milk, produce, etc.
The place itself is as pictured and quite roomy. If you can manage stairs, I highly recommend the rooftop terrace with 360 views of Istanbul including the Blue Mosque. Akif's area was quiet and safe. The bus/tram stop is close but do need to manage Istanbul's hilly terrain which can be difficult for those with accessibility issues. Uber was great and affordable for travel.
Akif also helped us with keeping some of our luggage in Istanbul while we toured other parts of Turkey. This was such a huge favour and we're truly appreciative of this.
I recommend Akif's place for small groups of travelers looking for a home base to explore out of.