This is my third time staying in an Airbnb in Istanbul. I stayed at Kemal's for 8 days.
Pros:
• Kemal is a wonderful host and is quick to respond. He allowed me to check in early because I had an early flight. I appreciated that. The staff at the reception is also helpful and helped arrange the airport ride on the way back
• The place is perfectly located. It is a 5 minutes walk to Galata Tower and 5 minutes to Tophane tram line if you want to explore other parts of the city. It is also easy to find, which is not always the case in the historic parts of the city
• Daily cleaning service was adequate. Some earlier reviews said the shower gets blocked when turned on in full pressure. I did not face this problem
• The room has a good view and plenty of sun light
Cons:
• My biggest concern is that the place is incredibly overpriced for what it offers. For the same $50/ night value, one could find an entire apartment with bigger space and better amenities in the Galata area. For the Airbnb market, I found this listing to be overvalued. I'll explain more
• The listing is one room with a door to the bathroom. There is no kitchen as described. If you are looking for a spacious place, this is pretty compact
• The bathroom door is right next to the bed, which makes for little privacy if you are more than a person
• The heating is centralized. I stayed in November and the weather was surprisingly sunny and warm during the day. That meant the apartment was INCREDIBLY warm during the day, because the AC was set for winter and worked as a heater
• There is no storage or locker to save valuables
• The hanger area barley fits one person's clothes. If you are two people, it is not ideal
Overall:
Kemal is wonderful and the apartment's location is great. But I did not feel that I got good value for my money in this listing.