The location
We were a group of five friends and all first timers in Istanbul. We made the right decision to stay in the Galata area, and this apartment is located on the trendy Serdar-I Ekrem st; a short walk to the Galata Tower and also walking distance to tram, metro, Tünel stations (Doruk has kindly shared a travel card for our use during the stay).There are plenty of nice cafes and trendy shops in the area and a lot less crowded and touristy than the nearby Taksim. There is a small grocer right opposite the apartment open till late, which came in handy. There are bigger grocer options nearby too. Those concerned with steep hills and cobbled street should reconsider, however, given that most times you're either climbing uphill or walking down another. We learnt that an option to avoid walking back uphill to the apartment after a long day is to take the underground Tünel funicular from Karakoy and then walk downhill to the apartment from Istiklal St.
The apartment
The apartment is tastefully decorated and is exactly as pictured. It housed us five friends for five nights very comfortably indeed. There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms, with two sofa beds available too. The kitchen is fully equipped and cooking was an ease. It came with a water dispenser which we fully appreciate too. Beds were comfortable; clean linens and bath towels were provided. Good television and sound system were available at the living room - with speakers covering the entire house - which made it nice to have music while we were home. Wifi connection was good too.
The host
Doruk has to be the best host I've encountered so far on Airbnb. He was very responsive and sent copious materials and recommendations of the area. He arranged for our airport transfers, came to greet us when we arrived and showed us around the flat. He lives nearby and extremely responsive thru whatsapp throughout our entire stay. Thankfully we didn't need him for anything beyond asking for recommendations for places nearby and verifying our shortlist. His attention to detail is obvious in our interactions with him.