Essen is the ideal host! We arrived in Istanbul after a long adventure in the States and were completely exhausted. Essen made us feel right at home and even though guests had just left, he managed to get the room ready and the house spotless for our arrival. He was interesting and friendly and an impeccable host. He gave us advice on what to do each day, made us an incredible breakfast each morning and just generally went out of his way o ensure we had everything we needed and felt at home. We left having made a great friend, and look forward to his trip to South Africa! Highly recommend him for other guests, and won't even consider staying anywhere else if we ever come back to Istanbul!