Hali Hotel in Istanbul

I have visited Istanbul over 90 times in the past 27 years. I have always stayed at the Hali hotel and have never had any reason to be unhappy. I simply do not understand the small number of very negative reviews that have been previously posted. To me the comments seem to apply to a different hotel! On this trip (March 2026) my wife and I brought 8 friends for a special, one week Istanbul trip. We would not have booked the Hali had we been uncertain of what to expect. In fact, everyone thoroughly enjoyed their stay. This is not offering itself as a 'luxury hotel'. It offers a clean, safe, and very convenient place to stay when visiting the historic city. Each of our friends felt that it offered good value for money and was comfortable and clean. The staff are helpful and the manager is a delight to relate to. There are free safe deposit boxes for visitors to use for valuables etc. The rooms are not large, but perfectly adequate. There are various bed-configurations available. Each room has a fridge - super useful for keeping milk cool - but no kettle. So if you want a cuppa in the morning, bring a travel kettle! Also, you can watch the sun rise over the western hills from your room - magical! The terrace dining room is brightly lit and welcoming. It has a great view of the Bosphorus, the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque, as well as south to the Marmara. There is also an outside terrace and when the weather is warm enough, they put some tables there as well. They offer a good range of breakfast buffet foods; yoghurt, meats, cheeses,fruit, jams, bread, eggs cooked in different ways, juices, tea, coffee etc. It's worth understanding that they have rooms at the front (facing the west - Bosphorus etc) and at the back (which have uninteresting views of buildings close by). Which you get will materially affect your experience. You can always ask for a front room before you book and see if they are available. Most of the front rooms on the first three floors have an (admittedly tiny) balcony. But you can go out and watch life below in the Binbirderek square. Also do realise that the Blue Mosque is very close, so the calls to prayer will be loud unless you shut your double glazed window doors! The rooms have heaters and air conditioning. When I first arrived the room was like an oven (outside temp ~ 7 degrees). But turning the heating off and the aircon on was the perfect solution. I have never had any anxieties about security - nothing ever taken from my room etc. On one occasion I left my passport at the hotel and only discovered at the airport - nightmare! But the hotel found another guest just leaving for the airport and sent it to me with him. I have recommended this hotel to numerous friends through the years and each has been pleased with their stay. I look forward to going back!

The historical Istanbul area has plenty of hotels, Hali has the best view, a decent breakfast and it is extremely well located. The price is right and the location has no equal, it is rightly priced.

The flexible traveler – who is willing to work with a front desk that doesn’t speak much English, consider cash rather than credit cards, and is tolerant of older buildings – will enjoy the affordability of the view from the sea view rooms of the little park across the street and the Sultanahmet and Blue Mosques, as well as the Bosporus. The view from the breakfast terrace is also stunning, and we enjoyed the breakfast tea, yogurt, eggs, olives, cheese, toast and rolls. The location is unbeatable- easy walk through the park to the tourist sites, avoiding the hawkers on Divan Yolu. A drink at the next door tavern, the Eagle, was always nice to top off a night. Plenty of storage space in the room for our gear as well. A bargain for the price.

After a long break (we were there in 2013) we settled in the hotel again. The hotel left a good impression: we took a family room on the 2nd floor, there is enough space for 3 people - 4 beds, one was used as a place for clothes. The beds are comfortable, the bed linen is white, cleaning is every day. The breakfast is not bad, we were not hungry, as everywhere in Istanbul: boiled eggs, several types of cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, 3 types of olives, yogurt, jam and marmalade in assortment. What I did not like about the breakfast is the juice and coffee. We practically did not come into contact with the staff, the administrator at the counter was always dissatisfied, did not say hello, did not prompt and ignored us. But the advantages outweigh, first of all the location 2 minutes from the tram and from the main attractions.

I have stayed at Hali Hotel and had no hesitation in staying there again recently. The location is good being narthex tram line and major sights such as the Blue Mosque. The rooms are comfortable and the breakfast reasonable.