We planned this vacation 9 months ago as a stopover break on Turkish Airlines - but the situation in Turkey made us reconsider more than once. Given the lack of ticket availability, we had to stay to plan and we are glad we did. Hikmet was a wonderful host - welcoming, professional, funny and a great source of local information. He prepared a good breakfast - a mini Kahvalti - omlettes, honey, cheese, salami, olives, cheeses, juice, Turkish tea, bread. Arranged an excellent pick up and drop off in a large Mercedes van that had plenty of room for our 8 pieces of luggage. The apartment looks a little worn down from the outside but don't let that fool you - the inside is excellent with granite stairs, great beds, a full kitchen, an excellent bathroom - the location is in the shoe district - but there is plenty of grocery stores, restaurants and a fantastic Turkish Hamam a minute away. Be ready to walk in Istanbul and the Grand Bazaar is less than a 5 minute walk but climbing up the hills in Istanbul can be exhausting so it feels a lot more.