Sultanahmet Suites

If you want to see Istanbul from the cossetted confines of a tourist hotel - like tourist hotels everywhere else in the world - this is not the place for you. If you travel because you want to experience the culture and flavor and people who live in a place that is unique and different from your home and everyday experiences -- you've found your Istanbul home. My group of traveling friends (4 -8 women who have traveled together to over 50 different cities in 20 different countries) stayed only one night this time when we went through Istanbul on our way back to the US. (this being my 8th trip to Turkey -- yes, I love it!) My friends and I had met Joy (one of the owners) on a previous trip, and fell in love....he is truly representative of the Turkish people -- very hardworking, yet generous with his time and knowledge and possessions, and a pleasure to spend time with. When we arrived at the just remodeled, authentic,old Turkish house, we were greeted by Joy and his wife Ilene. We carried our lighter bags and Joy carried our heavier ones to our second and third floor suites. Just to tease us, he showed us the top floor room which has its own small breakfast balconony overlooking the old neighborhood -- next time we will book that one! As it was nearing dinner time, Joy armed us with a map and started us up the narrow winding roads of a neighborhood that has not yet felt the homoginizing influence of the almighty tourist dollar. Yet our oasis was only 10 minutes from the Four Seasons and all the creature comforts of English speaking sightseeing and eating. Wandering back to the hotel, we were appreciative of the fact that Joy had taken special care to select the beds and bedding -- luxury! We woke the next morning and wandered through the little streets foraging for our final Turkish breakfast before our plane left. English being less useful here, it took an amusing few minutes of smiling and pointing and hand signals to get us enough feta and fruit and bread to take back to our little kitchen and enjoy our final repast in the living and dining room of our suite. ( I must add it is a treat after you've traveled for a couple of weeks to be able to be in a room separate from your suitcase!) We just had time to run to the Grand Baazar to fly through the last remaining credit on our exhausted credit cards before jumping into the car Joy arranged to take us to the airport. I very highly reccommend this hotel and experience to anyone who wants to discover a more authentic, (less tourist) Turkey!

We stayed at the Suites two separate nights as we traveled through Istanbul. We loved our experience. It was amazing to stay in the center of the old city and be immersed in the Turkish culture. The windows look out on local shops supported by Turks not tourists, historic buildings in various stages of renovation, narrow cobble streets, and historic artifacts. From the outside, the Suites look like just another old building in the hood. But on the inside they have been beautifully renovated with great style, detail, and all the luxuries of a fancy hotel. Each suite is situated on its own floor of the building with large windows at the front living/kitchen space, and more windows again in the back bedroom/bathroom area. The décor is comfortable yet contemporary, with marble floors, mahogany wood work, and warm plaster walls. Joy (translation of his Turkish name that I can’t pronounce into English), one of the owners, met us upon our arrival and was very gracious. He got us situated in our apartment, gave us great information on things to do in the city, and even walked us to his favorite local cafe (which was very good). We liked having a bit of guidance but also enjoyed the autonomy of living in our own apartment within the city. We enjoyed walking around the neighborhood and interacting with the locals. I was touched by how warmly we were greeted by shop keepers, people on the sidewalks, and the kids playing in the streets. We had several fabulous meals at little nearby restaurants. The waiters did not speak a lick of English but could fortunately understand our version of charades. Of course we had to be tourists for part of our stay and took about a 10 minute walk to see the Grand Bazaar. Another 10 minute walk leads us to the Blue Mosque, Aya Sofia, and the Cistern. What a great way to experience the real Istanbul and work off all of the baklava. All in all, we totally recommend this unique and beautiful place to call home while you are in Istanbul.

This past June, my wife and I stayed at this charming boutique hotel and we we're extremely pleased with the accomodations and even more so by the courtesy of the owner, Joy. We are seasoned travelers, frequently staying in 5 star big name hotels, but this trip we opted for something smaller, more quaint and charming. Upon arriving, we were warmly greeted by the owner, almost as if we were family. We were escorted to our room and given a tour of our apartment and shown the amenities. We were shocked at how large the accomodations were and how clean it was. Rather than being jammed into a single bedroom and tight bathroom at one of the 'big hotels', we were literally provided our own apartment with a huge living room flooded with natural light and windows, large hallway with generous storage, a very comfortable bedroom and nice sized bathroom. This apartment easily could accomodate a full family. The apartment features a full kitchen with a stove, a refrigerator, a full sink, and all utensils. Although we chose to dine out and enjoy the local restaurants, one could easily prepare their own meals in the apartment by simply stopping at the market conveniently located right around the corner. I mention above that we dined out for all our meals. The owner, Joy, volunteered to assist us with selecting restaurants and we were never disappointed. We expressed what our taste preferences were and he nailed our desires perfectly. We were directed to some of Istanbul's most delicious locations, all reasonably priced and not 'touristy'. Since we were new to Istanbul, and didn't know our way around, Joy even went so far as to take his own personal vehicle, and drive us to our dinner destinations. Never before has someone shown such care and concern for our happiness on a vacation. The hotel's location is exceptional. The hotel is a very pleasant 5 minute walk from Instanbul's premier attractions - the Grand Bazaar, San Sophia, and the Blue Mosque. You would be hard pressed to find a closer hotel that boasts similar qualities as Sultanahmet Suites. All in all, we were somewhat wary of staying in a smaller boutique hotel without a reputation that we knew of. What we got was a beautiful surprise and we are eager to return to stay at the Sultanahmet Suites. We HIGHLY recommned this hotel.

Having never been to Istanbul, we did a considerable amount of research to find accommodations which would place us close to the center of the city's sight-seeing district yet still be on the fringes to experience every-day life in the city. Sultanahmet Suites offered us the location we wanted at the right price. We stayed here for ten days and loved it! The room was even larger than we expected (based on the photos from their web site) - with a nice kitchenette (range-top, fridge, plates & utensils, cookware, microwave and electric water kettle). There was air conditioning for each room, though the weather was almost perfect and we hardly used it. The community around Sultanahmet Suites is a nice working-class area with small shops that cater to the locals more than tourists. A short walk further in that area brought us to a nice town center with restaurants and cafe's (these were geared more for tourists but priced sensibly). As a few reviews mention, a short walk north towards the Blue Mosque brings you to the heart of historic Istanbul - with easy access to all things touristy as well as transportation and shopping. We felt quite secure with our accommodations - there are CCD cameras at the entrance ways - as well as walking through the local back streets to the attractions, regardless of the hour. The people in the community were very friendly and are definitely no strangers to tourists wandering around asking for directions! There is a police station literally two blocks from the building - which added a little reassurance too. I did not have a negative experience with the proprietor, Joy, as a couple of reviews seemed to ramble on about. I found Joy to be very informative and helpful regarding any of our needs, courteous and respectful when addressing any questions concerning our accommodations and very accessible (whether in person at the office of by phone) when we needed him during our stay. We have already recommended Sultanahmed Suites to our friends and family who were curious in visiting Istanbul. I really feel that the location, the price and the management of this facility will more satisfy most people with normal expectations.

We chose to book Sultan Ahmet Suites with a specific purpose in mind: to be close enough to the monumental center of Istanbul to allow reasonable access to most sites on foot, while at the same time being able to experience typical residential neighborhood daily life. A little advance investigation showed that the Kadirga/Kumkapi location would offer both advantages. Anyone knowing Istanbul knows that the historic Ottoman center is on the top of a hilly terrain, so choosing the Kadirga neighborhood implies a willingness to climb hilly streets. As others have stated, the immediate locale around Sultan Ahmet Suites has all the characteristics we hoped for: grocers, bakers, and grouplets of chatting neighbors and children playing. Once checked into a very roomy and extremely well decorated suite--with all amenities in perfect condition--we only had to ask for a few minor items to be added for the type of cooking we had in mind or extra hangers, etc. Every request for such items was met graciously and without delay. We were impressed by the owner's offer to help us arrange several travel or Istanbul visit-related matters: placing telephone calls to contacts we needed to make in Ankara, giving tips on money saving ways to use the ferry system, and even offering to pick up bus travel tickets that would have involved extra effort and energy on our part. Since the owners of Sultan Ahmet Suites are still in the process of installing their (completely new) accomodations, they seemed anxious to receive constructive suggestions, and are probably aware that what could be bothersome issues like (9 to 5?) presence of responsible personnel should be addressed, this to meet the expectations of so many travellers who are not used to relying on their own independent judgment--gaining in the process real living exeriences. Obviously a standard hotel would be better for those who are hesitant or unable to "shift for themselves." Negative impressions posted by other visitors to Sultan Ahmet Suites strike me as highly exaggerated--possibly the product of irrational escalation in the process of personality incompatibilty that is inevitable in a wide variety of settings anywhere. I suspect that most travelers taking advantage of the unique setting offered by Sultan Ahmet Suites can adjust to minor "disappointments" and obstacles. It is sad to see that some let such issues poison their existence.

Best value for money in Istanbul! We came with our two girls (age 9 and 12). Since we didn’t see any photos of the apartments we didn’t know what to expect. It was certainly a great surprise. The apartment was very cozy, nicely furnished and very clean. The kitchen is a fully-equipped and we could buy all the local ingredients for breakfast just around the corner- the local people were hospitable and friendly. We also ate lovely dinner in one of the local (very near by) restaurant that the friendly owner recommended us. Joy, the owner, let as feel at home and help us whenever we asked for. The location is great, only few minutes walk to most of the attractions in the old city. We would certainly come again.

We stayed at the Sultanahmetsuites hotel between the 24th and 27th of September 2007, the apartments are brand new, clean, equiped with a living room plus a kitchen and a fridge - very spacy, it's located 15 minutes walk from the blue mosque and other places of interest, we ate at the local restuarants near the hotel which were great, there are 2 little grocery shops, and a bakery. Joy is a great person which helped us in feeling comfertable. i strongly recomman. Enjoy Meirav Vizer

We were travelling with two kids (1 and 3 years old) and were looking for a convenient place in Sultanahmet. We found a perfect one. We arrived in Istanbul one day earlier than anticipated, so I called the owner to ask if the apartment was available already by any chance. It was not, but the owners were kind enough to make arrangements with some other guests so that we could move into the flat anyway. The flat is spacious, tidy and very nicely furnished. Absolutely nothing to complain about. There is a fully-equipped kitchen with fridge and electric kettle. There is no lift (no problem for us). The neighbourhood is pleasant and not very touristy. It's a ten-minute walk to the Blue Mosque (uphill). Don't miss İmren Lokantası if you are looking for great Turkish food and extremely nice waiters. I think the apartment is normally cleaned every day, but apparently the cleaning lady could not open our door because we always locked all available locks when we left. If you stay at this place, be sure to check in advance which locks you should use. At the time of booking (by e-mail) we had arranged with the owners that our transfer back to the airport would be included in the rate. The day before we left we were told that we would be charged anyway, but after the owners re-checked their mail they organised a shuttle as agreed upon. I would sincerely recommend Sultanahmetsuites to everyone.

The apartment was very spacious, very clean and very comfortable. The area was most interesting and the local people were hospitable and friendly, especially the shopkeepers and cafe owners. We were very well looked after by Aylin and Joy (owners) who advised us on many things and were always pleased to help us. We really enjoyed our stay in what became our 'home from home'.

I discovered this wonderful place via an agent at Istanbulrentals.com. We stayed in the Sultanahmet Suites in unit no. 1 and LOVED it. It was a very comfortable 1 bedroom with a comfy sofa bed for a 3rd person in the lounge. The location couldn't have been better for seeing all the major tourist sties. We were a 5 min walk from the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar. It really gives you a feel for day to day life in Istanbul. The best part was our host, Joy. He was very helpful and knowlegable with recommendations of restuarants not in our guidebooks that were amazing. They arranged for airport transfers for us and were there every time we needed anything. My next trip to Istanbul will definitely be with them. They have a website at www.sultanahmetsuites.com Enjoy!