My boyfriend (US) and I (UK) were meeting for 9 days in Istanbul and Hikmet's place seemed like a great spot to stay because it was within the old walls of Constantinople as well as was within short walking distance to very well known tourist spots such as the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Grant Bazaar to name just a few.
We arrived quite late and did not have any possible way to connect to the internet to let Hikmet know of our whereabouts, luckily he had given us a meeting point earlier and we managed to get there with no problems. The streets that will take you from the main street to the meeting point can be a bit chaotic especially when you have suitcases, so make sure you have good walking shoes and watch out for vehicles and people.
The meeting point was a hotel very close to the apartment, and the hotel owner knew Hikmet and helped us pass on the message that we were there. He also kindly allowed us to use the wifi from his hotel so I could also contact Hikmet. Hikmet was very understanding and arrived very shortly after I messaged and helped with suitcases up a small hill to the apartment. Hikmet is a very lovely, funny and helpful host, he will make sure you have everything you need. The apartment is up some steep spiral stairs but it was in great condition, very clean and had everything we needed such as simple cooker, pots and pans, kettle, fridge, towels etc. The cleaning lady comes every 3 days to change bed sheets, give new towels and replenish toilet paper. The terrace is always open and it is at the top of the building, it is shared and you can often find Hikmet smoking his shisha pipe in the evening. He will offer Turkish tea and is always very happy to give the best tips on where to eat, buy food and which tours to go on to see the best places.
Personally, I thought the location was great because it was slightly off the main touristy area, which meant that the shops and restaurants are cheaper, and there are many places to choose from, but it was all very close to big tourist spots too. I would recommend a small restaurant a 10 minute walk away called Ziya Baba, they offer fantastic Turkish food, their lentil soup is the best soup I had ever tasted, they are extremely cheap and there is a Jamaican shisha bar opposite it where you can buy alcohol and smoke different shisha flavours. The streets near the apartment can be a bit rough to walk through because there is so much going on in the day, but you will get the hang of it after a few days, and it was all a fun part of the Istanbul experience. I would happily return and stay in Hikmet's apartment again as we felt welcome and very comfortable there.