Faros Hotel Old City - Special Category

If you are planning to stay in Istanbul and want to be located within close proximity (walking distance) to literally every major sites, shops and restaurants, this is in the heart of it all (10/10): - Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are 4-5 minutes' walk away. - Grand Bazar is approximately 6 minutes' walk away (a bit longer with our 3-year old child). - Sultanahmet Tram Station is 1 minute away. - Its a pleasant 10 minute' walk to Sirkeci Railway Station if you take back route - this then leads you to vendors offering the Bosphorus Cruise for which we paid (£5 each) for a 90 minute tour (well worth it). There are longer durations offering lunch but we weren't too keen on that with little one who's a fussy eater. - Whilst in Sirkeci Railway Station, its worth going to visit Çamlıca Mosque (Turkey's largest Mosque). Location-wise we can't fault it however the only thing is that when you do get dropped off by taxi, it'll have to stop on the side of the building. If the hotel staff are aware of your arrival, they will bring in your luggage for you or you'll have to wheel it in through the busy high street for about 20 meters. Rooms are a bit dated and according to London/UK standards, it would be more of a 3/3.5-stared rated. Lift into room is the tiniest one you'll encounter. Complimentary breakfast is basic to say the least but food in restaurant (paid for lunch/dinner) on ground floor is pretty good. Staff here are very friendly and very knowledgeable - some of the most hospitable ones we've encountered. They are the best guys to approach for any advice and recommendations. One of them was kind enough to point us out to the aquarium (largest in Turkey with a vast array of species and views) and marked out the exact routes which we followed easily. It was one of the highlights of our 8 day trip to Turkey. Our little one loved it, as did I and my wife.

location and staff were great

Location is perfect to explore Istanbul and all it has to offer. Professional friendly knowledgeable staff. Room size. Amenities. Nearby café, you can watch the world go by. Transport links with the tram stop nearby. My stay was November 4-8 2024. Room 201 second floor corner suite with side and front facing floor to ceiling window balcony. Great facilities with TV, fridge, A/C, large bed, wardrobe and bathroom. Plenty of room for a comfortable stay. Wi-Fi is free in the hotel, but it does occasionally drop out. Not the most important thing in my life. If it is for you I would recommend you get a Sim card on arrival. Reception can sort that out for you. The property offers a lift, so no problem with stairs. The reception is excellent and offers assistance in any way they can. Taxis, excursions, SIM cards, tram tickets and much more. My room was cleaned daily to an excellent standard. All the staff are very professional, friendly and speak very good English. The hotel is situated in a wonderful position in the old town just 5/10 minute walk up to the grand bizarre And 15/20 minutes down to the waterfront. Plenty of parks Cafes and shops surrounding the hotel. You will never go hungry in this neighbourhood. The tram which is very useful passes the front of the hotel and operates daily between 6 am and just gone midnight. Thought it would be noisy but the hotel room is quite well soundproofed. The breakfast is very nice and has available between 7 am and 10 am. Plenty of choice of hot and cold food buffet style. The restaurant is open all day and resident get 20% discount which makes it very appealing. I will definitely return to this hotel and can honestly recommend it to others. I did a lot of research before booking this property and I’m glad I did.

Everything was outstanding. The hotel was close to the tram station and literally walking distance from the blue mosque. The bedroom was spacious and clean. We were given an upgrade and also provided with the free WiFi. The breakfast was great, a lovey selection of fruits and hot food and tea and coffee!! The staff treated us like royalty ! For my husbands birthday the hotel staff brought to our room a cheesecake with a lovely note! They organised our hotel transfer and helped us with anything we needed. A big thank you to the reception team and also the chef for preparing hot delicious breakfast for us!! We will be back. Thank you

We were greeted by Gunash from reception and his colleagues (unfortunately I forgot his name). Both were welcoming and friendly. Gunash were attentive to all the guests and provided us very useful and informative information that helped our stay in the city enjoyable. Having said that the location is very stratified you want to visit most of the tourist attractions about5-10 minutes walk to Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Basilica cistern, 14 minutes walk to grand bazaar and less than 5 minutes walk to tram station. Plenty of restaurants to choose from. Our room though it is facing main road, I was able to have a good rest. Spacious room and clean. Variety of foods were served for breakfast.