Before deciding on a hotel, you must first decide where in Istanbul you want 

to stay.  You have two options:  you can stay in the old area of the city where the major

tourist sights are located, known as Sultanahmet, or in the newer part of Istanbul

located on the other side of the Golden Horn, such as in Taksım.  Some people prefer

the convenience of staying in Sultanahmet.  If you are going to Istanbul as a tourist, I

would recommend staying in the Sultanahmet area since you can walk or take a tram to

most of the major sights.  Istanbul was planned long before cars were invented and

traffic is a major problem.  If you are interested in avoiding tourists and getting a feel for

today’s Turkey you should stay in the Taksım area and travel to the old city during the

day to see the sights.  You can enjoy the nightlife of Taksım (as noted below, the main

street is Istiklal Caddesi.  This street is closed to traffic and is the heart of modern

Istanbul).

Taksim Area

I have stayed at many different hotels during my frequent trips to Istanbul.  In

the general area of Taksım I have often stayed at the Swissotel, located above the

Dolmabaçe palace in the Beşiktas area.  The Swissotel is a good business hotel, but is

very isolated and is not conducive to walking to restaurants or other sights.  I have also

stayed many times at the Hyatt Regency Istanbul, which is extremely nice and only a

short walk to Taksım.  The Hyatt has a beautiful bar called the Polo Lounge and an

excellent Italian restaurant called Spasso.  I prefer the Hyatt over any of the other hotels

in the Taksim areas. The Istanbul Hilton, built in the 1950s, was the first upscale hotel

in Turkey.  While the Hilton’s lobby and rooms were recently renovated, I do not

recommend the Hilton as it is a bit out of the way and the walls are paper thin.  I have

also stayed at the Marmara Hotel, located on Taksım square.  The Marmara is host to

numerous tourist groups and the lobby is usually crowded.  The best part about the

Marmara is the coffee and pastry shop on the first level which is a nice place to escape

the hustle and bustle of central Istanbul and is open late.  I have also been told that the

Richmond Hotel, located on Istiklal Caddesi in the Beyoğlu area of Taksım, is a good

lower priced alternative.  It is said to be quiet and very Turkish and the only hotel on the

pedestrian-only street.  It is only a 10-15 minute walk to the old city.

Another interesting and unique place to stay is the Pera Palas Hotel, which is

a beautiful old hotel where guests traveling to Istanbul on the Orient Express stayed

(the Orient Express traveled from Paris to Istanbul).  The Pera Palas hotel, located near

Istiklal Caddesi, was frequented by many famous people, including Agatha Christie and

Atatürk.  I recommend visiting the Pera Palas in the evening and having a drink in the

Orient Bar, rather than staying there, as the rooms are old and the hotel has become

overpriced.  Make sure to check out the hotel's unique elevator.  The restaurant, while

located in a beautiful room, has mediocre food.  However, the highlight of the Pera

Palas is Atatürk’s room (room No. 101) (Atatürkun odası), which has been converted

into a museum..  There is very nice gentlemen that is the caretaker for Atatürk’s room.

If you can find him, he will show you Atatürk's room.  He may be able to show you other

rooms, such as the room where famous celebrities, such as Greta Garbo, once stayed.

Don’t forget to tip the person that shows you the room.

If you are traveling on business and want to avoid the large hotels, I

recommend the Mega Residence (tel. 212-231-3161 or fax 212-231-4461).  Despite its

unusual name, the Mega Residence is a new, small (30 rooms), reasonably priced that

is very well situated in the upscale Nisantaşı area (it is next door to the Maçka Hotel --

pronounced Machka Oteli).  For a list of other Istanbul hotels, check out the following

Web site:  www.istanbulhotels.com.

While the well-known and highly rated Kempinski Çirağan Palace Hotel

(pronounced Cheeron) is excellent and has great views of the Bosphorus, getting to and

from the hotel can be a nightmare since the narrow road in front of the hotel is a main

thoroughfare (the traffic is particularly bad during rush hour and on Friday night).

The Ritz Carlton-Istanbul opened in October 2001.  It is located just below

the Hyatt and has fantastic views of the Bosphorus (and one of Istanbul' main soccer

stadiums).

Sultanahmet Area

If you want to stay in Sulthanahmet and money is no object then you must

stay at the Istanbul Four Seasons Hotel, which is one of the world's finest boutique

hotels.  The Four Seasons is located a short walk from the Aya Sophia and Topkapi

Palace.  The Four Seasons is very unique in that it was formerly a prison.  The rooms

are spectacular and so is the service.  The hotel has an excellent, albeit expensive,

restaurant.  If you can't afford to stay at the Four Seasons be sure to stop by for a drink

or coffee in their beautiful bar located immediately on your right upon entering the hotel.

If you can't stay at the Four Seasons then I recommend the Seven Hills

Hotel (Yeditepe Oteli in Turkish), which is located right across the street from the Four

Seasons.  The Seven Hills Hotel is a small hotel, with only 14 rooms and reasonable

rates.  The rooms are very nicely appointed and have a European look and feel.  Not

only does the Seven Hills Hotel have a great location, but the hotel has a spectacular

roof top bar/terrace with the finest view in all of Sultanahmet.  From the terrace you will

have stunning views of the Aya Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Marmara Sea.  I

assure you that you won't be disappointed with the view.  For more information on the

hotel see their Web site at www.hotelsevenhills.com.  You can reach them by e-mail at

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Mr. Bulent Sayan, the hotel's general manager will take good

care of you during your stay.

If you are on a budget and want to stay in a decent, but not very pricey, hotel I

recommend the Sude Konak Hotel in Sultanahmet.  The Sude Konak hotel is located a

short walk down the hill from the Aya Sophia and the rest of the sights in Sultanahmet.

The rooms, while small, are new and clean.  The room rate is approximately US $50 to

US $60 per night, depending on the season.  The room rates include a buffet-style

Turkish breakfast.

There are many other pensions and small hotels in the Sultanahmet area,

such as the Yeşil Ev (Green House) hotel.  If you are traveling to Istanbul during the

summer, make sure your hotel has a good air conditioning system.

(djacobsonlaw.com)