Armada Istanbul Old City Hotel

“Nice and comfortable”

Location is excellent. While it's in Sultanahmet, it's a bit further away from the busiest intersections. There is a train stop nearby that brings you straight to Sirkeci station. Also, you can take a Bosphorus tour from a station across the street. I don't know if it was our luck, but we observed … more

Location is excellent. While it's in Sultanahmet, it's a bit further away from the busiest intersections. There is a train stop nearby that brings you straight to Sirkeci station. Also, you can take a Bosphorus tour from a station across the street. I don't know if it was our luck, but we observed dolphins from the rooftop of the hotel--for some reason, they like the spot near the hotel. Breakfast is fantastic. No omelette station, but scrambled and hard-boiled eggs. Potatoes, beans. It's a real Turkish breakfast, with emphasis on Turkish - many varieties, of cheese, different kinds of honey, breads, plenty of olives, herbs, two types of tomatoes. But if you must have cereal --they have it too! Coffee is machine-made but great, but my favorite part was Turkish tea from a samovar. Rooms are spacious, even basic rooms (considering, it's Europe). I found the bathroom comfortable but don't expect fancy toiletries, it's very basic. I don't remember if there was any lotion, actually. But there is plenty of counter space, so one can spread out. The decor is beautiful if you like the Ottoman style. Painted flowers on walls, lace curtains. Charming! A bit tired, but in the end, I found it's part of the charm. Also, very clean. The best thing about this hotel is the atmosphere. A bit old-fashioned but not "stale." It's very charming, and unique. It starts in the lobby, that includes a fountain with a live turtle, and an interesting collection of old-Istanbul items (old photos of the neighborhood, samovars, sowing machines, and other trinkets, complete with a shoe shining station). There is an amazing bar in Art Deco style with original furniture and radios. Unfortunately, nothing is served but it's a beautiful place to relax. Also in the lobby and by the restaurant, there are cages with birds. A sign explains that these are inside-only birds. I can attest that they are well taken care of - we saw a person tending to the birds every day. Bottom line. If you don't need a gym/sauna/hamam in your hotel and your needs are more on a basic side; if you like nice breakfast and can live without ordering from the menu/having an omelette; if you appreciate Ottoman charm and prefer it to modern design and minimalism - I recommend Armada.

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