The Lumina Hotel

The hotel is right in the middle of the European side of Istanbul. There are a lot of tourist sights within walking (around 20 min) distance (The Topkapi Palace, Gülhane Park, some great dining options and about four mosques among which the Hagia Sophia). If you don't mind the traffic noise at night or in the morning, this is a great option. The hotel staff is very attentative. Towards the end of our stay we pointed out that the airconditioning didn't seem to work. The staff told us that is was actually the remote that didn't work, but that we could use the button on the airconditioning itself to turn it on. Fine by us. When we came back to our room that night, there was a new remote control in the room that did work. We didn't ask for a new remote nor did he mention this, but it was a nice surprise, and shows they care about their customers' comfort.

The thing is that the staff said this hotel was full and they were going to take me to another hotel nearby, we were arriving at midnight and the surroundings were very odd, specially for the second property. I think they would have to inform in advance so that you don’t think they are going to kidnap you or something… or simply don’t accept check in at those hours

The hotel itself is located in a very strategic location: near the crossing from the old European side (south) towards the newer European side (north). Thus, public transportation is available within walking distance. Staff (doorman) spoke some English, but not very fluently. Offered a WahstApp number to communicate for any issues, which was convenient. Also responded quickly to a request for a third set of towels. But that is the full extent of it. Although the room was reserved for three, only two sets of towels was ready in the room. Additionally, the beds had no sheets, but only matress covers and comforters. So the only thing to cover yourself at night during sleep was the comforter itself. These, which were stored inside the wardrobe, were not very clean, displaying some older stains (some dark brown, suggesting either food stains or blood). A safety issue erupted only minutes after entering the room when one of my friends went to the bathroom and cut a finder with the metal slat which is supposed to cover the toilet paper roll. The ends of this metal slat were not only visibly rusted but also sharp as hell. Perhaps the most serious issue was the unbearable sewage smell that filled the room after 6 pm. We quickly discovered this came from the pipe drain located on the bathroom floor near the toilet bowl seat. It was so strong that we had to cover it with some toilet paper and secure it with the small trash bin on top.

The person at the reception desk (Lokman) was very nice. He recommended us some sightseeing places and outside-breakfast places cause we didn’t book the breakfast in the hotel. We really enjoyed our first stay in Istanbul thanks to him. The room looked the same as saw on the pictures when booking. There was a nice terrace on the rooftop.

Staff was very nice