Great location...right in the middle of the Old City. It is noisy at night & if they put you in an old, rundown room be sure to switch to the new building. Our first room was tiny, worn out & looked over broken down buildings & alleyways. The second room was an improvement. Bring your own soap, drinking water, shampoo & washcloths because there are none here. The air conditioning was not great either. read more

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If you are just looking for a functional abode and a place to rest your head at night, read on. I was in Istanbul in October 2011 and Hotel Ilkay is right on the main artery where the tram in Sultanahmet runs. As we arrived they sat us for a short info/city orientation session and a cup of famous apple tea in their adjoining restaurant/bar, which was a nice way to get started. Be sure to request a room in the new building. Our room was in the connected old building, which was more rundown, but the room was clean and the place was well run. I remember liking the Turkish linens we slept on -- very smooth. There is also free wifi throughout, which was great bc we relied on it to keep in touch with folks at home, get the weather forecast, etc. The included breakfast spread was pretty good too (sure beats continental breakfasts in the US) -- we really enjoyed it all, and especially the dark tan / brown MOLASSES WITH TAHINI sauce, which we put on everything! The American coffee runs out fast, so be sure to arrive early if you can't stomach the Turkish grinds. When we told reception that we had a 5am departure flight, they did their best to pack us a mini breakfast to-go, which was very helpful. They also quickly helped us arrange a taxi when our original airport transportation plan fell through. Hotel Ilkay was part of a trip package deal, but I am pretty sure the usual price is reasonable. It's the budget hotel within a group, so if you prefer something with more amenities, check out the "Sirkeci Group" links on their website. Generally, we were very happy with the service, especially for a budget hotel. read more

I was very privileged to meet, through Yelp no less, some employees at the chain of Ilkay hotels (I guess Turkey's versions of Hampton Inns to Embassy Suites with the Ilkay being a well apportioned Hampton Inns in the tourist zone of Sultanhamet) who gave me a great deal on a room for my overstay in Istanbul both coming and going to France. They were very generous with information on how to get a personal driver to take me to and from the airport (a good distance from the city), or how to use the up-to-date subway transit system Istanbul has. In fact, one of the stops is in front of the hotel - convenient! With give or take ten blocks in one direction to the magnificent Hagia Sophia and in the other direction Istanbul's Grand Bazaar I couldn't hope for a better location! The stay also includes a magnificent Turkish breakfast (which rivals the traditional English for the amount of fresh and abundant goodies to choose from; how can one not partake of Turkish coffee, Turkish tea, Turkish cheeses or their fresh fruits and vegetables?!). Unlike earlier Yelpers, my room had great little soaps, shampoos and bottled water so I was not left bereft of the usual simple amenities a hotel provides. Unfortunately I had over-calculated on just what tourist attractions I could actually enjoy, given that each of them needs several hours to peruse; but I was not disappointed; the area around the hotel is chock full of enjoyable shops and amiable English speaking shopkeepers selling everything from fresh baklava to scarves of pashmina silk. But what impressed me the most was the Hotel's young and vibrant employees who truly take pride in their jobs and in representing the tourism arm of their nation - I was very lucky to have the attention of Arson (? That's how he told me his name is pronounced) who gave me great directions to explore at least a more titillating area of Istanbul at night; the youthful crowds and vendors at Taksim Square. Frankly, I can't wait to return! read more

I stayed at this hotel for five days and had a wonderful experience. Everybody working the front desk was incredibly friendly and accommodating. One of the employees even helped me bargain with the a local shop to give me the best price for a necklace I bought. The rooms are very cozy. And the hotel itself is 15-30 minute walk from everything! The Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) was a 15 minute walk, Grand Bazaar about 30 minutes, Galata bridge 20 minutes, Spice Market, Galata Tower, etc. I walked to all of these places or had the option of taking the metro, which there are two stations right next to the hotel. I recommend this hotel to anybody that wants to be in the middle of all the action of the city, without breaking your bank! There are restaurants and shops all around and the prices of the rooms are unbeatable. read more