Seven Hills Palace Hotel in Istanbul

If you’ve booked this hotel, I apologize; you’ve fallen for a scam. I’d highly suggest getting a refund as soon as possible if available.

I’ll start with the sole positive: the proximity of the hotel was convenient to the historic district. The staff was kind; they tried very hard to provide a luxurious experience that the rest of the property couldn’t offer. If you’re merely looking for closeness and customer service, however, there are far cheaper options that you can choose.

Now, onto the negatives: when entering the hotel, it was more akin to the Circus Circus than the Ritz Carlton (the latter I recommend if you’re looking for everything this hotel promises to be for only a hundred more). The wallpaper was peeling off, there were strange stains on the carpeting, and the *shower drain was constantly flooding itself, all pictured below. Every footstep and loud noise is heard through the thin walls of the property, as seen in my video, so unless you’re on the top floor, expect to be going to bed at midnight and waking up at eight due to other visitors. There is a second property as well, which is used in advertising for this hotel. It is a tower closer to the sights of the historic district in which the palace offers an electric car to get there; otherwise, it’s a ten-minute walk. The driver is often conveniently unavailable if you don’t plan on eating at their overpriced, bland restaurant. If you solely want to go there to see the view, you are able to ascend their terrace for free to feed the seagulls and take photos. There are also photos offered here, which are not part of the hotel experience, that I would not honestly recommend over the cheapest package available if you really want to do it. As though the view and costumes are beautiful, the photographer made minimal effort and even sent photos of other people in the transfer of files to us, which is incredibly unprofessional. The thing this hotel does best is its marketing.

You’ll find this frequently in Turkish reviews, TripAdvisor, and even the Michelin review — I am in amazement at how establishments are able to scam upon this scale. Frankly, if you are in my position, I’d recommend vacationing elsewhere entirely.