The Hotel Poem was a great place to stay! <10 minutes walk from the Old City sights yet on a quiet street. Their Turkish breakfast was lavish and excellent. The staff were friendly and helpful with sightseeing and luggage. We appreciated the free bottled and soda water. The ability to book a van to the airport through the hotel made it easy. The house cat, Zümrüt (Emerald), was a cute bonus. The room was not large but clean and well laid out (incl. light switches and outlets above the nightstands). The bathroom was modern and in good condition. There were wine and water glasses (not plastic) as well as a coffee/tea center with cups and an electric teapot. I was glad to have bulk soap and shampoo containers to save waste. Bathrobes were a nice surprise. The bed was comfortable and had a lightweight duvet. Windows opened for fresh air. The few downsides are rather minor. The closet was an alcove without doors - but it worked in the smallish room. It had those unstealable hangars that are so hard to use. The rooms are named and decorated after famous people, which was a bit kitchy, as were the books and suitcases on the outside wall of the hotel, but the decor made the hotel easy to spot and remember. There was a small lounge next to the reception with cookies and tea - and often the cat. It was a good place to relax and read their Istanbul guidebooks. Based on the location, amenities, staff and the reasonable price, Hotel Poem provided us a great home base in Istanbul!
The Hotel Poem was a great place to stay! <10 minutes walk from the Old City sights yet on a quiet street. Their Turkish breakfast was lavish and excellent. The staff were friendly and helpful with sightseeing and luggage. We appreciated the free bottled and soda water. The ability to book a van to the airport through the hotel made it easy. The house cat, Zümrüt (Emerald), was a cute bonus. The room was not large but clean and well laid out (incl. light switches and outlets above the nightstands). The bathroom was modern and in good condition. There were wine and water glasses (not plastic) as well as a coffee/tea center with cups and an electric teapot. I was glad to have bulk soap and shampoo containers to save waste. Bathrobes were a nice surprise. The bed was comfortable and had a lightweight duvet. Windows opened for fresh air. The few downsides are rather minor. The closet was an alcove without doors - but it worked in the smallish room. It had those unstealable hangars that are so hard to use. The rooms are named and decorated after famous people, which was a bit kitchy, as were the books and suitcases on the outside wall of the hotel, but the decor made the hotel easy to spot and remember. There was a small lounge next to the reception with cookies and tea - and often the cat. It was a good place to relax and read their Istanbul guidebooks. Based on the location, amenities, staff and the reasonable price, Hotel Poem provided us a great home base in Istanbul!