Stayed three nights at Ece's apartment; it's a cute place, on the second floor, which looks recently renovated. The appliances and furniture all looked new (except the TV, which is kinda useless for foreign travellers, if it's not a smart one) and comfortable.
The self check-in was pretty easy, and the location is also reasonable. Right next to the main road where you can catch a taxi from. There's also a coffee-book shop right next to it. The funicular connecting Galata (Karaköy) and Şişhane, is also next door, so Istiklal Street is literally a two minute tram away - this funicular however ends operations at 2045 hours, which can be a challenge sometimes.
The washroom, especially the shower area, is pretty small - and slightly different from the pictures. The picture showed a slightly bigger shower area with a rain shower as well as a handshower, however the actual place is smaller (restricted by a construction beam) and only has a hand-shower attached. Hot water was extremely sporadic and came through only when you are in luck, and that too didn't last too long. The bidet also felt pretty archaic, with pressure levels between Zero and Extreme only. The bathroom sink is smaller versus the faucet attached to it, resulting in water usually spilling/refracting out of the sink - a recommendation would be to attach a smaller faucet in the bathroom sink. The tiles finishings, although pretty clean, looked like a sloppy job.
No complains with the host, Ece was helpful and prompt. I inquired about a reliable lab for Covid testing and Ece recommended Cihangir labs, which were pretty good.