Bilge was a great host and was very accommodating with taking my last minute booking and with flexibility with my check in and check out time. Her room is very new and very clean and is even better than the photos depict. It was a place where I really enjoyed and felt at home in.
You enter thru a key code door into her bookstore and walk to the rear, up one flight of stairs, and then there is a lift to bring you to the 6th floor where the room is. There are also good stairs if you want to walk up and down. To the rear is a marbled, clean, toilet with provided toiletries if needed and to the front is the bedroom with a sofa, water boiler, and a small, cold, refrigerator for drinks. In front of the bed is a very large balcony with a beautiful view of the Galata tower, the Horn the mosques, and the Bosporus. It was a great place to sit and soak up the city and have a drink. The place is clean and the bed was comfy and the aircon was quiet and strong.
There is no TV and very strong, fast, WIFI. There is no kitchen since why would you cook when there is so much great, cheep, Turkish food all over in the area. There is no washing machine since why do the wash when there is a nearby laundry mat that does a whole 5 kg washing machine load, dryer, and folds for 35 lira (about $4 USD) which is ready in 3-4 hours. So, Bilge's room is like a large, comfortable hotel room with a great big balcony which for me, a lone traveler was perfect. I much preferred it to a hotel experience since I really enjoyed key code entering by myself and passing thru the bookshop (with a very friendly resident cat). The place felt like home for 5 days and was just what I needed.
The building is one block off of crazy busy İstiklal shopping street but is on a quiet little street of its own and next to a famous hammam (which I did not use since it was hot summer days when I visited). It is 2 blocks from Taksim square and the Metro. The neighborhood is full of restaurants with great Turkish food and with pubs with cheap drinks. I found that the prices in the neighborhood to be inexpensive compared to some other parts of Istanbul and with a great variety. The area is noisy at night and from Bilge's balcony, I could hear music until late but her double pane balcony doors kept it out of the room and the street in front is quiet with no commotion. The neighborhood also appeared to be very safe. Here place is near to (maybe 3-4 blocks) the direct bus to and from Istanbul Airport (IST) and the paths are smooth for wheeling a suitcase (not cobble stoned). Bilge's was a perfect place for a solo (or for couples) traveler with a 5 day layover in Istanbul and a great base and location to explore the wonderful city of Istanbul.