Ahmet Efendi Konağı Hotel

This Hotel is in a great location being in the centre of the Faith district. It is easy working distance to the Blue Mosque or Grand Bazaar. The staff are very friendly and speak good English. The rooms are very clean, but somewhat small for a family of 3, as we had the family room. Breakfast was good with both hot and cold food. We had a balcony, from where we good see the Blue Mosque. It was only a 5-minute walk to the busy restaurant square.

service gd room clean

The service is great, with a clean room and linen. Breakfast is nice. Staff is very accommodating.

The hotel is clean and neat. The workers are also friendly. Great breakfast with a view. Downside is the location.

A bit old, but best service. The location is a bit far from public transportations, but close to the famous landmarks.

Amazing rooms and gives you the feeling of a posh hotel. The breakfast option was good, hotel is conveniently located in Kumkapi area of Istanbul, close to Grand Bazar (15 mints walk).
The night live here is just amazing!

Clean and neat hotel, location is a walk from the Metro, not recommended if you have lots of luggage. Rooms are adequate, with typical hotel comfort. Bed is on the soft side, so are the pillows.

Breakfast was included, continental, and buffet style. Staff were friendly and attentive.

Check-in counter is 24hour manned, as opposed to listing.

The view from the restaurant window is beautiful, with view of the Straits.

I travel a great deal and recently I’ve started using one-off, local hotels, as opposed to big brand hotels. This place was straight forward and perfect. It’s tucked away towards the end of a business street so it wasn’t too noisy at night, despite being within close proximity to all the attractions that I wanted to see in Istanbul. The air conditioning worked perfectly, the room was always clean, the towels were always new and clean, too. There was nothing that didn’t fit purpose or did not work. I was there with my young son and disabled mother so everything being safe and working was essential - and it was all perfect for us. The room was spacious enough for all 3 of us stay there comfortably with all of our things for 7 nights. The laundrette was a 30 second walk away. We dropped off our laundry every morning and picked it up on our way back to the hotel at night. No clothing was ever discoloured, unclean, damaged or had any residue on it (I had a bad experience of a laundrette in another city last year). The staff looked after my mother’s walking aids in a secure storage office, rather than her having to take them to her room each day. The staff all spoke perfect English and were always willing to help. They weren’t nosey, which is good, because nosey and over-talkative staff annoy me. They left us totally alone unless we asked them a question, then they’d answer that question only. It was perfect! The breakfast was delicious every day, changing a little each time. The service at breakfast was fast and always very polite. I actually miss those breakfasts and wish I could buy those cheeses and breads in my country! The beds had thick, clean mattress protectors on them and the pillows were covered with two pillow cases. Nothing smelled bad or looked dusty. The bathroom was impeccably clean every day. The window opened - thank God because I can’t survive without fresh air! We could see the sea from our room, which was lovely. The hotel is right next to it. Overall, I felt comfortable and safe. I took a gamble but it paid off. My only advice is to get taxis too and from the main road where Migros is and not try to get the taxi to come to your hotel if you stay here, because we used taxis every day and the majority of drivers either complained profusely about the narrow street of the hotel, or point blank refused to enter the street. So a little 5/6 minute walk (might be less if you don’t have a disabled person with you) to the main road and your problem’s solved.

Unrelated Istanbul advice:
Istanbul is magic. You’ll miss it every day. But…

Don’t eat anywhere that doesn’t have the prices clearly written on the menu and don’t take any extras without confirming the price of the extra, even if it’s a pinch of salt. Judge the quality of food by how many local Turkish women and children are sat there eating. Don’t be fooled by men sat in a prominent position pretending to eat and drink, because that’s the owners trying to make the place look busy. Haggle unashamedly. Better yet - plan where you’ll eat based on online guides and the area you’ll be in that day. Trust Google for everything, including walking directions. Use Google Translate. Get the Airalo app and get data, rather than begging for wifi. Dominos is phenomenal in Istanbul (I was so pleasantly surprised as a fast food hater) and if you’re staying at this place, then it’s exactly 1 minute walk up the street. Istanbul is very expensive. It’s the most expensive place I’ve ever been on holiday (even though I live in the U.K) so if you think going there is going to be like Antalya or Dalaman, think again. It wasn’t that bad when I went in 2016, but every year it gets worse. That’s not to say that I didn’t love it, I did, but I only loved it because I took ample cash with me! Plan out every single day right down to your transport options in the area you’ll be in or else you’ll waste half your holiday asking people using Google translate what to do and how. Ask me nicely and I can tell you more.