My stay in Istanbul was excelent, and most of it was due to how kind and helpful Erhan was with us.
We went in a group of four people and everything worked perfectly in this apartment.
First of all, before we flight to our destination, Erhan called me and explained me (in a very good and clear English) everything I need to know about the new airport, the taxis services of the city, the rates of our currencies and so many other things. Always so gentle and respectful. Thanks to him, I had information about the underground metro, restaurants, museum cards and public transport cards before taking my flight! These information helped me a lot to organize my trip.
At the apartment, he was always available to explain me everything I need to know about the wash-machine, dishwasher, boiler, gas, temperature and everything. Having the luck of being in contact with a such nice host helps a lot, especially in a country whose language I don’t speak.
Talking about the apartment, it’s important to highlight that it’s placed in a hill street, but you can easily access the underground metro with a shortcut with stairs. Despite this fact, everything is very close to the apartment: so many little markets (groceries store), one Carrefour SA near by, one hospital, many fancy hotels with nice rooftop views, and, the most important, close to the most important street of the city in Taksim Square. (There’s a futebol stadium in front of the apartment, what was very useful for explaining to taxis drivers who don’t speak English where our apartment was.)
The interior space of the apartment was really nice, with two bedrooms with very comfortable beds. (There are two wardrobes and a nice hall where you can leave your luggages for keeping everything organized.) All the household items worked perfectly. The only caveat I could make is the fact that a bad smell sometimes comes from the bathroom drain, but I’m sure it’s not a problem of this apartment or of this built, I think is a problem of the old sewer system of the city. This bad smell can perfectly be fixed by the solutions gave to us by the host.
I don’t know what else I can say about how satisfied I am with the stay I had at Erhan’s apartment. As himself said, it was like visiting an old friend! Probably this is the greatest thing about airbnb.