Great place in a wonderful bit of Istanbul. The room was quiet and clean, with an excellent memory mattress bed. I slept fantastically.
The Turkish breakfast is superb - hard-boiled eggs, fresh tomatoes and olives, honey, yoghurt and warm bread.
The staff were charming and helpful. I would stay here again.
Also, the bar opposite is full of artsy young Istanbulites, and staff hand out sliced apple while they're collecting drinks.
I had requested airport pick-up, but I wasn't able to find a hotel representative upon arrival, so I ended up taking the bus. When I got to the hotel, I was greeted by a very grumpy old man on the reception who angrily told me they had sent a driver yesterday morning and I never showed up. I asked him to show me the email I sent him. It turns out he misunderstood the provider-set email header of my confirmation as a new time for my flight...
Not a good start for sure.
The room was impressively spotless, and for that alone, I'm willing to stay again. Their bedding, towels, and sheets were cleaner than most 5-star hotels I've stayed at.
The room though was very small, and needed serious maintenance, as the walls were white and cracked with old signs of mold. The heater was broken but they fixed it quickly. The toilet could use some maintenance as well.
The breakfast was absolutely disastrous... obviously not fresh at all. I couldn't eat, and opted for a quick breakfast from street vendors during my 5-night stay.
The Santa Ottoman is perfectly located in old town, just a 3 minutes walk from Taksim Square. The hotel is situated on a smaller street with a couple of bars, but really close to Istiklal - which is the big shopping street. The staff was very friendly and helpful, explaining everything from public transportation to the best sights. The rooms are clean and quiet, keeping the noise from the street out. I have seen some complaints about the noise, maybe it depends on which room you get. Very good breakfast buffet, lots to choose from. Breakfast can be had outside, on the small terrace - which is not the most serene place, but I liked watching the city waking up as I had my morning coffee. Great value overall!
The Santa Ottoman hotel is only a couple of minutes walk from Taksim Square which is ideal for tourists. However, be warned, Zambak Street is very busy up to about 4am not only with party goers but with taxis and bus taxis that are continuously plying for trade. I had earphones with me that usually work well, but, didn't stand a chance here. There is a small kitchen area in each room with a sink, tea/coffee facilities and a small fridge/minibar. Water bottles cost 2 Lire and other drinks, chocolates are priced fairly although directly opposite the hotel there is a small corner shop where the same products are cheaper.
The rooms are nice but beware of A LOT of mould in the bathrooms, particularly in the shower area. Also, when the air-conditioning is turned on, there is a musty, mouldy smell which wasn't appealing!
The rooms were cleaned to a high standard every day but breakfast is a disaster. It does not look like the photos but consists of very tired looking cheese and jam with sweetened fruit drinks and weak coffee. We only ate there once choosing to breakfast out for the rest of our stay. (If you enjoy eating mussels, every evening there are stalls around the area where the vendors will cut the fresh mussels open, squeeze lemon juice all over them and hand them to you for a very good price- 3 for 1Lira.)
Overall, this hotel is OK but with the vast choice of hotel accommodation available in the area I would not stay here again.
Lovely little hotel a real gem good service friendly staff comfortable rooms. Very good location with an individual style of its own.
Will certainly consider staying there again if in Istanbul. Its nice to find a place such as this as opposed to the standard commercial hotel chains
I stayed here in March with my partner and the location was ideal (bit noisy) - walking distance to Taksim Square and just off the very busy Istiklal Street. Hotel itself is quite nice clean rooms & a good sized bathroom. The staff are friendly and helpful. The buffet breakfast is good and lots of choice. Would definitely return if visiting Istanbul again.
