Ertugrul was very nice and welcoming, and went above and beyond what I expect from most hosts. I was in Istambul for a short time and he took the time to list all the must-see attractions in Istambul. Ertugrul went so far as to show me exactly how to get from one attraction the the next and showed me around on google street view. He also provided an Istambul card which allows you to go on public transit. It had some money on it but I reloaded it for him after I used it. It made taking the trams and metro lines around Istambul a lot easier.

The room was what I was expecting from the pictures. It's quite large and has a closet for clothes, along with a TV, a couch and a small coffee table. The location is great for people flying into Istambul, it's located at the end of the M1 metro line, which goes directly to the airport, and the T1 tram line which takes you to all the tourist destinations. The area around the apartment appears to be a safe working class neighborhood with plenty of places to eat. I felt safe walking back to the apartment late at night. Ertugrul lives with a couple roommates, one of which that I had a chance to meet and they were also very nice.

The apartment is located on the 7th floor of building, which was great because it kept the noise down from the street below. However, the elevator was broken when I visited so you might want to contact Ertugrul if you are carrying a lot of bags and heavy luggage.

Overall it was a great experience and I recommend it to anyone visiting Istambul. When I left Ertugrul was kind enough to give me a short ride to the metro stop on his way to work. It's just around the corner from his apartment but he made sure I wouldn't get lost.