I had an excellent time in the Lotus Hotel. The equipment may be simple (like no lift and wallpapers have seen their days) but it´s enough (and beds are good). What´s good in particular: The staff is exceedingly friendly and helpful. I felt very much at home. The location is great, 3 metro stations or 10 minutes from Eminönü, the Hotel 5 minutes from Fener station. Or 2 minutes more, if you choose to go through the Ayakapi, which i liked to do. The neighbourhood itself is great - so many little shops and restaurants serving the locals, so that price and quality are the best deal. I should have followed the hotel managers advice and eaten more often there, Hadziocoglu Cafe recommended. There are even some hip (Yolo Cafe) or chic Cafes (at the Ayakapi). Try them all out.

They are very kind and work hard to make sure you’re comfortable. It’s in a convenient location for quickly using public transportation (including to and from IST airport), particularly the tram. The surrounding area is a relaxed non-touristy neighborhood with affordable shops and some good restaurants. Great portion size and quality breakfast for the price (€2 or equivalent).

The neighborhood is full of small, narrow streets, with many local shops that work pretty much 24/7. Also the position the hotel is great. All of the main turistic attractions are relatively near while the hotel surrounding is quiet and peacefull and not overcrowded with tourists. On top of that there are not any annoying restaurant & shop staff pushing you into their place as can not be told for the rest of Istanbul. In this great, domestic area, everybody mind their business, so we enjoyed it. We came at 2 am due to airplane delay, but Mr. Vural organized airport transport, waited for us, and even bought us a bottle of fresh water. Regarding the accommodation itself do not expect luxury and service level as provided in west europe. Hotel is oldish and we would like to have more towels at disposal but were told that we can grab additonal towels from the closet in the main hallway. Room was well supplied with fully working AC, hair dyer, TV, Tea kettle and some additional fresh bottle water in the fridge. Regarding our hosts we were amazed with their hospitality and warmth. Mr. Vural and Mrs. Elaheh speaks very good English, so each question / additional inquiry we had they solved asap. Bottom line is that we highly recommend this place to young people interested in exploring Istanbul. Thank you once more for making our trip pleasant and greetings from Croatia 🇭🇷.

Do not expect any luxury and glamour, but expect great hospitality and very nice, domestic neighborhood. Turkish people are very friendly, so even if the area is full of small, narrow streets, you couldn't feel any animosity. We have been in Istanbul for many times, but this is first time we felt relaxed. In many Istanbul areas sellers and owners bothers you to visit them, asking you to sit at their restaurants or trying to sell you something, we were kind of tired rejecting it. In this great, domestic area, everybody mind their business, so we enjoyed it. Not overcrowded with tourists, but close enough to all sightseeing's. We came at midnight due to airplane delay, but Mr. Vural waited for us, and even borrow us a Turkish money for tasty quick dinner in the vicinity! We are in Istanbul for medical treatments, and our room was booked at third flor without elevator, but tomorrow we got room at first floor after we asked for something lower. Mr. Vural and Mrs. Elaheh speaks very good English, so each question we had they solved asap. Hotel is old, but for this price, you could not find better options in the Istanbul center. Sea is far 1 minutes from hotel, (with wonderful walking area) and expect some loud Seagulls in the morning. Breakfast was fresh and tasty. We will be back again, cause we found best bye option to be in Istanbul. (At earlier visits we use to pay double price for almost same room and not even close hospitality and relaxing atmosphere). Thank you Mr. Vural and Mrs. Elaheh!

The hotel is located in the central part, you can walk to all the main attractions, there are many shops (Sok, etc.), cafes and restaurants nearby. Trams and buses stop nearby, the metro is also within walking distance. Convenient to get from the airport, both from the new and from Sabiha. The room has a stable Internet signal, everything is clean, it works and is quite comfortable, there is a kettle, tea, sugar, etc. Very friendly staff, they will help you with everything. Photos correspond to reality.

The Staff is Friendly and Very Very helpful The street while its seems old it is very secured and very close to tram and bus station

Lotus hôtel is much more than that - you are greeted and helped like family. Vural and Elahe go above and beyond to make your stay pleasurable, safe, hassle-free and convenient. They are simply amazing. The building itself is located in a wonderful neighborhood, calm and safe - where you can relax after being out in the crowded city center all day - it's close to the water and a beautiful promenade, but doesn't feel hectic. Breakfast is good and fresh - the bread is bought locally every morning and eggs are cooked when you come down to eat. We really loved our stay!

Only problem was we didn't stay long enough...

I stayed there for almost two weeks and it was amazing for the price. The owners are so kind and welcoming and very understanding! They texted me at the airport advising me to avoid the airports horrible currency exchange rates and pointed me to a different currency exchange that offered market value exchanges! They also helped me find a taxi (the owner literally walked me to the street and called the taxi in Turkish for me), and offered my uncle free tea and coffee when he came to visit. The room was super clean and phenomenal for the price. They also provided free laundry services and were overall just great! I didn’t stay in the dorms/hostels but got a private room with a private bathroom and it was great. I have absolutely no complaints. The hosts were gems and my whole stay had a homey feel.

the property was perfect for the price

Vural, the owner, did a great job helping with questions I had. The place was cozy and relaxed. Breakfast is available when you need it, they have the facilities one could need. When I wanted information or assistance Vural was always ready to help. You do need to take the bus to the city center attractions but for longer stays this is a great place and great value for money in an authentic neighborhood. We enjoyed our stay there and would stay there again if we came back to Istanbul.

First of all I really like the staff and administration, they are kind and hospitable people, and there is a very friendly atmosphere inside a hotel. Location is quite nice: a peaceful place, close to Balat neighborhood and aside from a noisy areas but still not so far away from the city center. Breakfasts were amazing, very nice option to choose! A hotel suite is also quite good, I liked the most a quality of the new mattress in a bed, and air conditioners are very powerful, so it was easy to get comfortable temperature inside a room. I appreciate that.

Some of the furniture and appliances in the suite are probably should be repaired or renovated, but nothing was really critical for me.