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Hotel Class: 
4 Stars - 1 Review and 932 Opinions
Caferiye Sokak No 6/1, Sultanahmet, Istanbul, 34400 , Turkey
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This hotel was a great find! All the historical sites were within walking distance, as were shops and restaurants. The tram was only a short walk away and you could take that quickly to the other side of the Golden Horn. The rooms were somewhat small but clean and comfortable. Many amenities were included, such as a mini bar. The hotel has a Turkish feel to it rather than that of a large chain hotel, which was wonderful. I did not go to Istanbul to swim or exercise in a workout room, so I did not miss these amenities. I got my exercise walking around the beautiful historic sites in Istanbul. The staff at the hotel were the greatest! I would certainly recommend this hotel to anyone.
Unique Quality: The breakfast buffet was plentiful and good and the outdoor terrace was wonderful for dinner. The staff was outstanding. They stored our luggage while we took a sidetrip to Cappodocia, and went out of their way to help us find what we were looking for as far as shops, entertainment, and restaurants. I cannot say enough good things about the staff! We were in room 406 which was a corner room with windows on two walls. It was bright and cheerful. I would much rather stay in the Sultanamet area than other areas of the city due to the feel of truly being in Istanbul rather than in an area of large, modern hotels like any other large city in Europe. We walked around at night with no worry and found everyone helpful and friendly. English was spoken and we were made to feel as though we were part of a family. Great hotel.
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This mosque is located at the western end of the Spice Bazaar and is one of Istanbul's hidden treasures. It was designed by Ottoman imperial architect Mimar Sinan for Grand Vizier Damat Rustem Pasha (husband of one of the daughters of Suleiman the Magnificent, Princess Mihrimah). It was built between 1561 and 1563 and features exquisite Iznik tiles that seem to be everywhere you look inside.
The Laleli Mosque was built by Sultan Mustafa III from 1760–1763, designed in the baroque style by Ottoman imperial architect Mehmet Tahir Aga. It's located along the busy Divan Yolu near the Laleli tram station.
The complex was destroyed by a fire in 1783 shortly after its completion and was immediately rebuilt. The dome is 12.50 meters in diameter and 24.50 meters high on an octagonal drum of eight arches, with semi-domes at the corner arches and larger semi-domes joining the arches above the mihrab and the central bay of the narthex.
This mosque is tucked away on the hill leading from Cemberlitas tram station to the Kucuk Hagia Sophia Mosque. It was designed by Ottoman imperial architect Mimar Sinan for Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmet Pasha (husband of one of the granddaughters of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, Princess Esmahan. It was built in 1572 and features large quantities of exquisite Iznik tiles, set in a very wide variety of blue and green floral designs, with panels of calligraphy in white letters on a blue field.
Dolmabahçe Palace on the Bosphorus shore in Istanbul is a fitting symbol of the magnificence and decadence of the 19th-century Ottoman Empire.
It's just as a sultan's palace should be: huge and sumptuous, with 285 rooms, 43 large salons, a 4000 kg Bohemian glass chandelier, and a Bosphorus-shore façade nearly a quarter mile (1/2 km) long. It's the grandest of Ottoman imperial palaces.
The palace was designed by Ottoman Armenian architects Karabet and Nikogos Balian for Sultan Abdulmecit (1839-61). When it was finished in 1856, the imperial family moved out of medieval Topkapi Palace to live in European-style opulence.
I have visited Istanbul several times. Each time I have looked for a hotel that is in Sultanahmet, near the Blue Mosque and Topkapi. I have wanted a quality hotel, modestly priced, with air conditioning, comfortable rooms, and management and staff that prove they care about the weary traveler. I found it.
Location: As you look at the front of the incredible Aya Sofia, the Ottoman Hotel Imperial is located on a small cobble-stoned street just to the left of it. You are near everything! The Blue Mosque, Topkapi and the Archeological Museum, the Hippodrome, the Grand Bazaar, wonderful restaurants, and views of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn that are incredible. Taksim is an easy tram ride away. The ferries to Asia and the Princess Islands are just down the hill.
Operation: The Ottoman Hotel Imperial occupies a building that used to be a hostel. It was extensively renovated and converted into an excellent, comfortable full-service hotel less than a year ago. The rooms feature all the amenities you want--they are comfortable, attractive, and functional. The staff is wonderfully engaging, without being invasive. Breakfast is served both in a cheery indoor dining room, or in the spacious and very attractive outdoor patio. The management can be relied upon for advice about sight-seeing, shopping, restaurants, and any other need that might come to mind. The price is very reasonable, given the level of comfort and service, and the incredible location.
My search is over. I have found my home in Istanbul.
I booked the Ottoman Imperial for a 2 night stay following a business trip to Turkey. I booked using the hotel website and received a confirmation after entering my credit card details. I then received an email (in the "junk mail" section of my hotmail account) that my credit card was being checked. I heard nothing more so assssumed all was well and arrived on Friday night to find that I did not have a reservation. The hotel was fully booked for the Saturday night so I could only have a room for the first night.
The manager provided me with a printed email showing that the hotel had contacted me to say the hotel was full. However as a business traveller I am very careful regarding emails and checked a number of times during the week. Hence I believe the email was not sent or went to the wrong address. The manager agreed to book me in at the same price (89 euro), at a comparable hotel in the area.
My room for the one night was modern and overlooked the Hagia Sophia Church, which is a great location. The room was not that big and the bathroom was small. I experienced problems with water overflowing the shower. All other aspects of the room were good. I had a drink in the hotel bar/restaurant garden area which was pleasant. The staff speak good english and are friendly.
Next day, the manager drove me to my new hotel a block away, and was apologetic about the mix up. I was booked into another boutique hotel in the area. Hence I was not really inconveninced by the mix up.
My conclusion is that the Ottoman Imperial is a nice hotel in a fantastic location for sightseeing but be sure when booking through the website that you have a confirmed reservation!
P.S. I met another guest at breakfast at my new hotel who had the exact same thing happen to him. Guess what....he was shown a printed email but also did not receive it!
Just returned and my wife from Istanbul after a week stay at the Ottoman Imperial. Well, I do not know from where to start. After reading all the previous reviews about this hotel, I do not want to repeat the same things as every positive point is 100% accurate. Unfortunately no scoring system will allow more than 100%, as otherwise I would have scored this hotel more than 5/5.
I think the essence of why this hotel is so successful, is because they do not treat their customers as guests, but more as friends.
There seems to be a good team spirit in this hotel. Headed by Serdar (The Manager, or you can call him Mr Balta if you want, but after the first day you can not resist calling him by his first name), all the staff are extremely friendly and professional. Any problems or requests are quickly attended to. You will see Serdar every day having his morning coffee with the guests at breakfast and he is always attentive to anything or query from the residents. By the way breakfast is from 7:30 to 10:30 so you do not have to wake up early to catch your breakfast.
The rooms are of different sizes, locations and prices. although we were given options, we opted for the standard room with no view at all (facing a wall) as it was extremely quite, that why I was last coming to breakfast. If you are not happy with your room for any reason just ask and the staff will do their best to accommodate your needs. One last advice, always ask the staff if you are not sure about places you want to go to, we learned from our bad experience we decide to adventure and went to the Turkish bath place (hammam) opposite Sultanahmet tram station and our experience was not good at all.
If you are going to Istanbul I would highly recommend this hotel, If you are not happy about anything the staff will do their best to help out. The location is THE BEST in the city. Thanks to all the staff at the Ottoman Imperial for making our holiday a memorable one. We will be back.
We just returned to the U.S. from Istanbul and stayed 5 nights at the Hotel Ottoman Imperial. For the first time visitor to Istanbul, you simply can't beat the location, which is directly across the street from the Hagia Sophia and literally a few minutes walk to the other major sites in Sultanahmet.
The hotel sits on a very quiet cobblestoned street and close by is the tram to the ferries or to Beyoglu. Also close by is a grouping of major bank ATM's, which was also extremely convenient.
The hotel itself is very new, spotless, and comfortable. The beds may be a little too hard for some, but having said that, we all (two adults, two teenagers) slept perfectly well. The air conditioning once we figured out how it worked was a life saver. The dual paned windows also helped to tone down the volume of the early morning call to prayer.
The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. We were warned about a staff member that was less than friendly by some travelers we met in Cappadocia, but we did not have the same experience and were hard pressed to figure out which staff member they were talking about. Each hotel employee we came in contact with wore big smiles and were eager to greet us.
On arrival they do try to push some tours and restaurants, but it's not obnoxious and once you politely indicate no interest, that's the last you'll hear about it. As an aside, I also witnessed the same routine at the 5 star Marmara Pera with the same brochures so perhaps this is common in Istanbul.
The outdoor courtyard was a nice gathering place for a glass of wine before retiring and speaking with fellow travelers. There was also a "marbling demonstration" between 9 and 11 PM (!) with an artist in the courtyard. Our daughter enjoyed participating in the activity as did others.
In all, it was a great stay and I would highly recommend this hotel.
This is an exceptional hotel especially if you are interested in visiting all the tourist spots. You're literally right behind Hagia Sohpia so even if it's raining you're not stuck. I booked the Premium Double and it's definitely the size you want for 2 people. I saw the Double and it's a little on the small side. This is not your grand luxury hotel but it's nice and pretty and the staff is super friendly and nice. It gets a little quiet at night because most of the nightlife is across the Golden Horn but it's only 10YTL to get there and taxis are plentiful so it's not really a problem. This is the hotel you want to be in to enjoy the city without throwing out too much money.
The breakfast buffet was plentiful and good and the outdoor terrace was wonderful for dinner. The staff was outstanding. They stored our luggage while we took a sidetrip to Cappodocia, and went out of their way to help us find what we were looking for as far as shops, entertainment, and restaurants. I cannot say enough good things about the staff! We were in room 406 which was a corner room with windows on two walls. It was bright and cheerful. I would much rather stay in the Sultanamet area than other areas of the city due to the feel of truly being in Istanbul rather than in an area of large, modern hotels like any other large city in Europe. We walked around at night with no worry and found everyone helpful and friendly. English was spoken and we were made to feel as though we were part of a family. Great hotel.
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Address: Caferiye Sokak No 6/1, Sultanahmet, Istanbul, 34400 , Turkey
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