"Perfectly acceptable and excellently located." Kaftan Hotel Tip by leics

I deliberately chose a hotel in Sultanahmet for my short visit; I wanted to be able to walk to all the main sites.

The Kaftan hotel (booked through www.booking.com) seemed well-located, and its reviews acceptable.

And so it turned out.

The hotel is newly-built, but in an old, quiet street on the edge of Sultanahmet (about 5 minutes uphill walk to Topkapi) with minimal traffic. It is clean and pleasant, with friendly and helpful staff who speak good English.

Three narrow steep steps to the front door and the spiral staircases to other floors, and to the fourth floor breakfast room (superb views of the Bosphorus) mean this hotel is not suitable for those with walking difficulties.

My room was on the ground floor, a double. No view to speak of, and i think my ear-plugs were very useful (potential for noise from reception a few metres away). Rooms on the floor above would, I think, be better...and those high up on the Bosphorus side would have stunning views.

Clean heets and towels, hot water, a fridge, sufficient storage space. Keycard system means the electricity only works when you are in the room.....thr fridge socket stayed on all the time, so I could charge my camera battery when I was out, but it would be a problem if you wanted the fridge working too.

Flatscreen satellite television and digibox, but I could find no non-Turkish channels (although they must exist because the large TV in the breakfast room displayed CNN).

Breakfast was satisfactory: juices, coffee, tea, bread and rolls, cheese, cold meats, preserves, olives, yoghurt, dried fruits. Yoghurt and raisins drizzled with honey is an excellent start to the day.

There is a small outdoor seating area (tables, cushions etc) for smoking, reading, relaxing, whatever.

The hotel itself is non-smoking.

Rates are pretty standard for Sultanahmet.

If you want somewhere ultra-convenient for sights and (touristy) eating places without spending a fortune then this hotel is ideal.

Address: Akbiyik HamamI Amiral Tafdil Sok No:45, Eminonu, Istanbul, 34394, Turkey
Comparison: about average
Directions: Far too complicated to explain....ask someone for directions if you arrive by tram. Hotel is about 10/15 minutes walk from the nearest tram stop but only about 5 minutes from Canturkaran station.
Phone: 02124587785
Price: US$80-120
Theme: Hotel
Website: http://www.kaftanhotel.com/