We are soooo happy we cancelled our booking at the Intercontinental hotel up the main street and stayed here instead. We were supposed to stay at the top suite which had a terrace but it only had an armchair in the living room and not a sofa ;) So we requested one floor down which was the 4th floor, suite 6 ;) The design and furniture is very Scandinavian (clean lines, wood, pop of colour here and there) so we instantly felt at home;) One of our worries was that the insulation of this boutique hotel was not that good but we slept like babies and heard nothing...surprisingly not even the minaret nearby!

We felt like a local by staying in this area that it was very rare we bumped into tourists which we ADORE :) The grocery, hamami (check out tip below), the locals' fave seafood restaurant (packed EVERY single day, thanks for the tip Karen), även en Svensk kafe (hahaha!), the strip of antique shops, galleries, a mini theater for book readings and small performances; even the hip area for the best barbers (B just had to have a haircut!) and cocktail bars are just a short walk away;) On top of that, Arek and his team are so welcoming, speak great English, gave us all the tips we needed (away from touristy crowds) and provided Thera the best pillows to support her back pain :) We are already planning our next trip back to Istanbul next year and won't hesitate booking here again :) Thank you Arek and team, for a wonderful stay!

TRAVELLER'S TIP:
**Don't forget to take with you Arek's phone number just in case. The cab drivers often found it hard to find this place.
**The historic hamam closeby is NOT worth the visit. If you'd like to know which one it is, send us a message! Thera had to wait for her attendant for twenty minutes who was eating and smoking. The 'treatment' was supposed to be 1 hour but she only got 15 minutes for 80USD! Not one of them speaks English either