Although I personally did not end up staying at the apartment, my three friends who traveled with me to Istanbul stayed at the apartment and really enjoyed it. The apartment was clean, centrally located just 5 minutes away from Taksim Square, and the host, Ekim was extremely responsive at all times. We called him a few times to help us give directions to taxi drivers and he was very helpful. My friends were greeted with some fresh fruits and then later with a gift from Ekim's mother. Overall, the apartment and host were very welcoming.

Thanks Ekim; my friends would definitely recommend staying at this apartment.