Ahmet Efendi Konagi

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!

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.

This hotel is a great option as long as you are aware of the location. Everything about the hotel itself is great - the staff are friendly and responsive to all of our requests, the rooms are functional and clean, they are serviced and restocked daily, it is surrounded by good restaurants and a lively square, it offers quiet at night, and they offer a free breakfast with a nice view of the sea from an upper floor cafe. Hence the hotel itself deserves 5 stars.

However, tourists should be aware that the hotel is about 15 minutes from the primary tourist area - a very short walk in the daytime, but a sometimes isolated walk at night. I didn't see anything unsafe during this time, but tourists should be aware that the area is disconnected from the main, heavily trafficked parts of the city center.

That being said, we enjoyed our stay and enjoyed being away from the crowds in this pleasant hotel.

Excellent place for it's price. Clean rooms, functional bathrooms and good breakfast. Polite workers.

Strongy recomend this hotel to stay!! Very clean rooms in good condition. Every day room cleaning with towels change. great breakfast included in the hotel restaurant with sea view. Very welcoming reception.
Great location of the hotel.
The hotel offering transfer from airport on minivan for 55 Euro; however, regular yellow taxi will be around $35-40 USD. Uber wors as well.

This hotel is a good choice! The room are clean and quiet, even with the windows open at night. Despite being located near a lively area with many restaurants, there's minimal noise. The breakfast buffet offers not bad variety of options, and the staff is incredibly welcoming and friendly. Everyone interacted with was helpful and made me feel right at home.

I have been there for around 4 nights and absolutely one of the best hotels i have been in comparing to the other prices in area, friendly personel and very helpfull if you ask them for any thing. You get more than you paind for

An overall all-round very good experience staying at this hotel. Staff were very helpful, friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming. The rooms were spacious and clean with all facilities available. Nicely situated and close range to all commuting facilities including tram and metro. Walking distance to sight seeing places like Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar.would recommend 💯

Staff was very welcoming and accommodating. We had a room close to reception and they had zero issues with me requesting to move to a more private room. Location was great. Short walk to touristy stuff but in a more residential area so it was quiet at night

I must say that everything in this hotel exceeded our expectations during the week we stayed there. The Grand Bazaar is about a 10-minute walk from the hotel, and the area is very busy and hospitable yet not being noisy. In fact, we believed that this atmosphere was the nicest in the neighborhood. The hotel rooms (we requested more than one) are spotless, incredibly roomy, pleasant, have cozy beds, and have clean, modern bathrooms. Also I am not exaggerating when I say that ALL staff is wonderfully welcoming and helpful, especially the reception team! I'd also want to highlight our new friend Muhammed, the night receptionist, who was really friendly and kind and with whom we talked almost every night when we returned to the hotel. Breakfast was delicious, and they had a broad variety of foods (many of which were Turkish). We will undoubtedly return to this fantastic hotel on our future trip to Istanbul! BIG thank you, Ahmet Efendi Konagi!