The staff here is amazing. So kind and helpful. Yes, some common Turkish phrases are conducive to better conversations and cooperation. Based on staff alone: 5 stars
I've now stayed here twice and can speak to various aspects of. Breakfast is good, lots of fruit, a usually a serving of vegetables, fried of grilled. Lots of breads. I luv simit and they have this Turkish classic but today's was hard a dry - but a chocolate spread similar to Nutella makes up for a lot. No hot chocolate tho.
The rooms are cozy. Not too tight but for 2 persons who don't pack lightly, it can be a bit constricted.
Depending on which side of the hotel you're assigned, you can be on the "quieter" side which faces the pedestrian front or the street side, over the hotel bar, which can be considerably noisier. You realize this is on Taksim Square which is a very busy place for locals; lotsa stores are open till midnight! And the crowds of hip ppl hanging around at bars and outdoor lounges is not to be dismissed. But even on the quieter side, we had 4 polis cars congregated outside, sirens going off in the distance, motorbikes vrooming past, and bands of friends just laughing and strolling along at all hours of the day. A word of advice: the windows seal nicely.
The housekeeping staff does a fantastic job. I' want to highlight two: N and S. Two of the sweetest, most generous and accommodating young ladies. They go about their duties in a gentle manner and a smile on their face. They're so industrious and they Get It Done.
Ethem who helps with the bags and overall does what needs done kinda guy is to be commended as well.
And the front desk staff: Atakhan Turk helped me make my way from the airport to the hotel at 0430 am when I got my wires crossed and he's been a steady presence - such that I miss him when he's not on duty, but there's also Yakoub, Atahan, Merve.
The shower is great, especially if you can figure out how to unstick it so that it moves from the handheld to the fixed overhead shower head. I'm sure they'd have come to address it had we called, but it wasn't essential for us. Water pressure was so good!
And location: central to Taksim Square which and a good walk to the Galata Tower. And a Starbucks (if that's your thing) read more