My boyfriend and I stayed at one of Mr. Firat’s flats in Istanbul for a 10 day span in August 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic. In retrospect, the trip to Istanbul was the best my boyfriend and I have ever taken, and we firmly believe that our flat was a major factor.
When we had arrived, unfortunately, we were given the wrong room, but Firat was quick to reaccomodate us in our dream flat in Turkey. Settling in, we found the place to be very clean and inviting. The place was well furnished, including but not limited to having: a stovetop, a mini fridge, silverware, glasses, china, a smart tv, fold-out couch, comfortable 2-person bed, toilet, 2 sinks, and a closed-in shower. Each flat is also speckled with cute decorations and pictures on the walls to give a more authentic feel. When we expressed our contentment with the look of the apartment, Firat humbly admitted that he designed each and every one of his flats himself.
The location of the apartment was perhaps it’s greatest attribute of all. Though we had to walk everyday up a straight kilometer of steep road to get to the Main Street in Beyoğlu, our daily walks had us finding hidden gems along our street in the little shops and cafes most people never find. Over the course of 10 days, we didn’t even get to visit all the little shops and cafes that were only a minute’s walk from our front door; we were never bored with the place. Every little alley stemming from our little street was always filled with these tiny, unique spots that were always a pleasure to discover. It was usually these small places that were more authentic than anything found on İstiklal.
As a host, Firat is deserving of all the praise we can give. Whenever we had a question, he would get back to us as quickly as he could with a solution. Firat provided us extra amenities such as towels and detergent when we ran out, gave excellent suggestions about places to visit in Istanbul, hailed a cab for us to get to the airport on time, and was always pleasant to talk with whenever he was around. For us, Firat went the extra mile in two ways. Firstly, he gave us a souvenir before leaving so we could always remember our time in Istanbul. Secondly, we said we’d like to see him before we departed for home. Firat personally came to the apartment in the dark of night just to see us off. Firat is a superhost for a reason, and I am sure he would treat you just as well as he treated us.
All in all, our experience in Istanbul was a blast. So if you are traveling there soon, be sure to give Firat a chance. If your trip ends up being anywhere near as magical as ours was, then you came to the right place.