Hotel Spectra

If you want to visit the historic mosques and sites of Istanbul, you cannot do better than stay in the Hotel Spectra. Sited on a corner of the Sultanahmet district, this is so convenient and safe. The hotel, though part of the Best Western group, has the feel of a family run hotel and the atmosphere of a converted Ottoman house. Clean, efficient and very friendly, it only has 20 rooms. The receptionist Ersin speaks excellent English and is very courteous and helpful - service with a smile. And the view from the breakfast terrace is... more

We just returned from a six night stay at the Hotel Spectra in Istanbul. Let me start with the positives - the location is superb, the beds were comfortable, and there was plenty of hot water and water pressure in the shower. The hotel is in the center of everything - the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and the underground cistern. It was so convenient to be able to swing by the hotel, grab a sweater, new camera batteries, etc. The breakfast at the hotel was more than adequate and the views from the restaurant were... more

We stayed at this hotel because of all the glowing reviews on Trip Advisor. We were very disappointed. The location is outstanding. The breakfast room has a wonderful view. The breakfast was good and the rose jam was delicious, but the room is very small and you can't drink the tap water...It is the only hotel in Turkey where they told us the tap water was non-potable. The front desk tried to rip us off by offering to charge 200 lira for the airport transfer. If you go around the corner to the Optimist Cafe, you can get a shuttle van for 10... more

My husband and I just stayed 6 nights at the Hotel Spectra. We had a corner room (ask if one is available) and looked right out at the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome. From the rooftop breakfast room one could see the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, ships coming in and out of port, islands in the disance - it was just beautiful. Our room was very clean and maintained well. The staff were very helpful and really tried to assist us as we made our way through the city. I really enjoyed watching school children walk home from school. The hotel... more

We (my wife and I) booked the hotel somehow blindly, but he information in the Webpage was correct. When we arrived, after seeing many of the hotels posted in the same webpage placed in narrow alleys with no view at all, we felt really lucky. Our window faced the Sultanahmet Plaza and had a beautiful view of The Blue Mosque, fully lighted at night, shining at the sun in the day. The facilities were fine, cleanliness was correct and the personnel as a whole was extraordinarily friendly and helpful. The breakfast was tipically turkish,... more

This hotel is a million miles away from your cookie cutter/formulaic hotels. It’s full of character/it’s quirky and it has that old world feeling to it. My room was charming and cosy at the same time and also came with a wonderful view. The bathrooms are modern in the ways that counted, clean and are stocked with nice toiletries.The hotel is within minutes of all the top tourist sites which meant I could go back to the hotel easily in the middle of the day for a rest/get an umbrella/get an extra sweater/or drop off my many purchases!... more

Best Hotel stay I have ever had. This was due to the very friendly and helpful staff starting Hatice the manager and ending with the maids who assisted me in getting to various locations in Istanbul. Great breakfast and couldn,t ask for a better location Bill H.

Based in the good reviews, I chose Spectra as my hotel in Istanbul for Easter and I was quite pleased with my choice. I didn´t have the kind of interaction with the staff that some other reviews have talked about, so I cannot really comment of that aspect. Some of them were quite nice, others just did their job, neither rude nor friendly. The room was alright, it was a twin with no view and smallish. We had quite a good shower (no bathtub but I don't really mind), a safe and a fridge-minibar. There was satellite tv with quite a few channels... more

My boyfriend and I stayed at this little hotel over Easter 2008. We have nothing but nice things to say. Not only was the location superb (literally a stone's throw from the Blue Mosque) but the staff were super friendly and eager to assist in any way possible. The rooms were tidy and very kept clean by two very friendly cleaning ladies. The breakfast spread was gorgeous - a variety of fresh cheese, fruit, muesli, salad, toast, jam, tea coffee etc. The view from the breakfast dining room took our breathes away. We had a... more

We booked this hotel on the advice of a friend who has stayed here often as she when she has researched her books about Istanbul. As it is a small, independent hotel, it is not one that we would have booked except on such a recommendation. The moment we arrived we were delighted with everything: the service, the fabulous location and views of Sultanahmet Square from our rooms, the genuine warmth and hospitality of all the staff, the quality of the rooms, the wonderful breakfasts on the roof garden. We could... more