The pros: Well-located and private flat, on a quiet street but very close to Istiklal and the Cihangir neighborhood. We really enjoyed walking in the area south-ish from the flat along the streets with antique shops and cafes. Check-in and communication with Ilayda was excellent; she gave detailed instructions for finding the apartment. Check-out was easy and flexible. Ilayda gave us AMAZING recs for the area; we especially liked Hayvore for a fast and tasty meal, and Sakarya Tatlıcısı for baklava. She was very responsive and helpful via messaging. The flat had a cool vibe, with art supplies, photography materials, and quirky decorations. There was pretty good light from the big windows despite them looking out onto other buildings. We appreciated having the washing machine. The bed was comfortable to sleep on.
The cons: The flat is quite old (as are the furnishings) and the kitchen and bathroom in need of repair and better cleaning. The lighting in those areas was not good; the bathroom overhead light is red and dim and it was not a good vibe. The kitchen only has one counter light and was quite cramped and dim. I wouldn't recommend it for someone wanting to do much more than very basic cooking. The toilet flush wasn't functional and we had to use a bucket to flush. There were some bad smells coming intermittently out of the bathroom drains--not the fault of our host, but just the reality of the building. In the end, these issues, though not disastrous, made our experience less comfortable than we would have liked and not a good value for us.