All the comments that I have read before (check the dates) were accurate and true. If I wanna just put the matters into pros & cons, and add some of my own experience, I will write it this way:
Pros:
- No.1 is the Host, Übeydollah. If only one thing of this apartment shall shine out it is its host, Übeydollah. He is truly a super host, extremely kind and helpful well beyond what one expects from an Airbnb host; with matters even unrelated to the apartment. I believe he was the one who made our stay so memorable.
- It is located 5 min walk from the Taksim square area, which at least in the summertime has a very lively nightlife with many restaurants and bars as well as a very long and nice shopping street and shopping center located in the Istiklal street. I suggest visiting that street before taking the hassle of going to other distant shopping malls.
- It is a very nice and comfy apartment that can even accommodate a large family of 8 people. The bedrooms are separated from the living room with a corridor, so you can separate people who snore! from the rest by living them sleeping in the living room ;)
- Three fully function and string ACs makes the stay really convenient even in Istanbul's hot summer
- The washing machine and the strong tumble dryer is a big plus especially if you wanna stay for longer than few days, so you can wash and dry your laundry quite convenient and fast
- Lots of space for your luggage and clothes, as there is a walking closet that can be used also for the dressing room.
- Big TV with Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube connection. Also, you can cast from your mobile phone or tablet. That makes it easier to stay at home for those who don't really fill to go out, or when you wanna just chill out and drink at home.
- The sofa beds are firm and comfy. I slept on them for a week and even with a history of backache that I have, I did feel comfortable.
- Two French balconies make it easy for smokers to just go out and smoke without the need to go out of the building. Just be aware, the balconies are only French balconies.
Cons:
- The apartment is located on the 5th floor, which gives a very nice view of the city, but unfortunately, it does not have an elevator. This, of course, is common for most of the apartments located in that area as it is Istanbul central area with the old urban context, but this may make it hard for people with painful knees and feet (like my parents ) or with heavy luggage. Nevertheless, Übeydollah was extremely helpful with our luggage, and although my parents had 3 pieces of extremely heavy luggage of ca. 30kg, he did not let them or me pick even one of them.
- The 2nd bathroom currently is not a fully functional bathroom as it does not have a washing basin. However, as just toilet and shower, it is OK and it can help a large family not having a long queue in the morning for bathroom or shower or when they wanna get ready to go out for a party night! But that may be a bit hard for a group of people who are not comfortable with each other, as the main bathroom is located in the master bedroom, where there is a washing basin that can be used for brushing teeth or shaving or washing hands. So, people who stay in the master bedroom shall be ok with other people jumping into their room to shave or brush their teeth or even washing their hands, although you can wash your hands in the kitchen washing basin as there was also a liquid soap there.
- I did not see Ski-in/Out possibilities, the safe, the crib, baby safety gates, dedicated workspace, and the pocket wifi. So if any of those are important for you, you may wanna double confirm it with the host beforehand. I also did not have a car so no need to check the parking spaces, but the neighborhood streets were very tight in terms of parking space. So if you are planning to come by car make sure you double confirm with the host where you are going to park, as I guess you probably need indoor parking somewhere, otherwise street parking seems extremely hard to find.