The apartment was superbly located for sightseeing by foot in the Sultanahmet district. A bridge over the railway line (only used by a few trains at night when we were there) took us directly to eateries, grocery shops, tourist sites etc, and within easy reach of the tram system for journeys further afield. The district is quiet with no road noise.

Tansel's family was very welcoming, with phone, Istanbul card, food already in the fridge etc. and available on the phone for any queries.

We chose the family apartment for a family reunion and it did us very well. Two of the party arrived by car from Scotland (en route to Mongolia) and us oldies arrived by 'plane, metro, tram, walking ... The apartment was tricky to find, however, with many one-way streets etc and no clear number on the door, street name etc - do take up Tansel's offer to provide directions!

The parking was secure; we were rather surprised that the washing machine was not plumbed in (having loaded it up overnight!) but Tansel quickly directed us to a nearby laundry, which was efficient but a bit expensive. The facility had been removed from the list since I first booked some months ago and I hadn't thought to check again.

The family apartment is upstairs - I hadn't realised that when I booked. The main bedroom had to double up as a sitting room - the kitchen/dining area is rather small to use for a larger group but the garden terrace on the city walls was a good substitute - it was not just outside the kitchen door, however, but a bit of a trek downstairs with food and plates etc. If the other apartments are also full, there may be some competition for outside facilities. There is no oven, but a hob.

We were sad to have to leave a day early. All in all, a very good base from which to explore Istanbul! Thanks, Tansel!