Hotel Ilkay - Istanbul

Very friendly staff. We book for a simple room and when they see that we have an infant with us they give us an suite at same price. The area was a little beat noisy but you are very close of some main attraction.

Having seen excellent reports on various websites, we were dismayed when we arrived in Istanbul to find the hotel was in a poor state of repair. The staff were very welcoming, but the decor was dated and in places threadbare, which enhanced the feeling that the room was not clean. We found far better accomodation within walking distance for only three Euros more per night. The staff were let down by the premises, which fell short of the expectations set.

Excelente hotel. Lo mas destacado, la atención de sus empleados, siempre dispuestos a brindar solución con amabilidad y profesionalismo. Las habitaciones y el baño son limpias y con buen espacio. El desayuno correcto y su ubicación muy apropiada. Sin duda me alojaré en este hotel cuando regrese a Estambul.

Very friendly atmosphere.

Funny surroundings, excellent breakfast. Tiny breakfast room, did not accommodate all guests. Friendly service.

The staff is really kind and helpful. The hotel looks new, clean and comfortable. With breakfast and internet. It's located near Nevsky street and you can do everything walking. Totally recommended!

We stayed one night on our way to a cruise ship. The hotel is located on a winding street in the old town, lots of touristy shops - and friendly places to buy something for a quick supper. The building seems to have been under renovation - the hallways, stairs and breakfast room were very nice - but this renovation had not yet reached the little room we were assigned. It had bad cracks in the walls and showed signs of serious wear. However the beds were comfortable, the staff helpful (we left our suitcases the next morning while we wandered the city), and the breakfast spectacular! It does have an elevator - nice.

Hotel position is good, close to tourist sites, taxi station and tram stations. Rooms are big and breakfast good. The aircon did not work and in spite of several requests to fix, was not. As a result we had to sleep with the windows open and it was very noisy. The wifi internet does not work in the rooms, despite claims on website. No visitors in rooms are allowed. Hotel needs a renovation, furniture and linen is a bit old. Bathroom is old but clean. Area around hotel is great, nice restaurants etc.

Muy bien ubicado, cerca de los principales sitios a visitar, se puede ir a todos caminando. Las habitaciones son amplias, limpias, correctas.El personal muy amigable y colaborador

Everything about Hotel Ilkay,from the room,staff and service was excellent.I was fortunate to have been upgraded to the Hotel Konak for my 1st.2 nights stay in Istanbul.Everything at the Konak was superior.After reading the restaurant's menus,I was tempted to have my dinners there.Unfortunately for personal health reasons I was not able to but will definitely recommend the restaurant (and hotels} to "foodie" friends who visit Istanbul.At check out at both hotels, the bellboys were especially nice-one asking if I had breakfast and the other asking about my stay in Turkey.I told him about visiting Cappodocia and how much I enjoyed Istanbul.He kindly gave me a copy of Rick Steven's Istanbul and made sure the taxi driver would take me to the correct terminal at Atatuck

Excellent location, near the famous buildings and near the boats. Very friendly staff. Good price. The breakfast is also very good.

Not the best place to stay in istanbul, but a reasonable price/quality choice...

Not bad location, kinda hard to find. Very helpful staff, one even guided us to the travel agent just down the street. Nice breakfast buffet.

An excellent location near all the key sites in Sultanhament. Staff were extremely helpful.

The hotel is within walking distance of the major sights in Istanbul. Excellent value for money. The service and willingness to please is second to none. The tramway runs outside the hotel, very handy.

We stayed there for the first time. Generally speaking, positive experience. Except: smell of fried food in the bathroom and a bit of noise at night from other rooms.

My reservation of a non-smoking room was confirmed on the web site, but it was not available when I arrived. The room I got was noisy, not very clean, and old. The water from bath tap was rusty. But the second day they gave me a non-smoking room, and that was so much better. It smells good, clean, and comfortable. The staff was friendly, willing to help, and polite. I was also amazed at the good quality and variety that their buffet breakfast provided.

Habitacion pequeña pero todo muy limpio. Perfectamente situado, a 5 min caminando del bran bazar y de santa sofia y mezquita azul.

For our short stay of four nights the location was ideal, major sights, beautiful bookshops and public transport(streetcar, trains, ferry) in walking distance, polite and helpful employees, restaurants and cafés around the corner. Even for low season the quoted price on the Venere website was excellent compared to the good quality (especially the breakfast buffet and heating!). An advice: the announced free transport from the airport is only available if you do your room-booking directly on the hotel website and NOT via Venere and it is only valid for the Atatürk airport. All in all: the Ilkay Hotel can be highly recommended!

I was moved to Hotel Orient Express a few metres down the road from Ilkay. I had a terrific stay there and really enjoyed myself. The staff were excellent, really polite and helpful. Thanks again!

The only problem is that if you are situated in a room adjacent to the street since the windows are not double glazed you can hear all night and day the sound of trams and other public vehicles. Otherwise its a great hotel with good staff and fabulous breakfast.

The Ilkay is in the town center and near to the most important monuments. If offers good rates, clean rooms and a huge morning buffet. We only complain about the service. A stupid example? At breakfast we asked for a cup of hot milk... it seemed we asked for Lobsters! We were able to get it only the fourth and last day, may be because we were seated near the hotel manager... Another example? We arrived late at night and there was no water nor telephone in the room. We had the water in about 15 minutes and the telephone ... never. Thus, each time we had to ask for something we had to go down at the desk. Most important: among other reasons we chosed the hotel for the fact that they were offering a free lift from or to the Airport, for those staying 3 nights or more. Well, it was untrue! When we claimed for it, they said the promotion was only valid for those reserving through their own web site! When we showed them the venere.com page stating the promise they simply said "oh sorry, it's a mistake!" . However, the mistake is still there, see: http://it.venere.com/hotel_istanbul/serraglio/hotel_ilkay.html?action=location At any rate: there's a shop near the hotel selling tikets for a bus service to the airport. At 4 Euro, they come and picked us up the hotel!

The Ilkay is in the most perfect position in Istanbul.It is near the main sights and walking distance to Bazaars.Also, walking distance to all transport.We had a great time there.The staff were so helpful and couteous,helping us with phone calls etc.The breakfast choice was superb.Excellent place to stay.I can thoroughly recommend it.I have just booked another stay there already for my daughter.

Ganz sympathisches Stadthotel direkt an einer Hauptstrasse, die aber nur fuer Taxis und Stassenbahn zugelassen ist. Zimmer nicht mehr ganz frisch, aber im Landesmassstab gut, im 1. Stock zur Straße hin etwas laut, unterm Dach im 5./6. Stock teilweise nerviger Dauerbrumm durch Trafo(?). Es gibt auch 2-Raum-Familienzimmer mit 5 Schlafgelegenheiten. Nettes Personal, zuvorkommend und hilfsbereit, auch wenn man wiederholt an sein Safe-Schliessfach will. Reichhaltiges Fruestuecksbuffet, PC mit Internetzugang im Foyer gegen geringes Entgeld. Verkehrsguenstig gelegen, 10 Minuten zu Fuss zur Hagia Sophia/Topkapi, 5 Minuten zum Sirkeci Bahnhof und Goldenen Horn (Faehranleger). Mit der Strassenbahn ist man schnell in Galata. Viele kleine Laeden, Supermarkt und div. Restaurants in unmittelbarer Nähe. Fazit: Empfehlenswert und gerne wieder!

Loved Istanbul, Hotel Iikay location etc. was every we expected.Hope to be back.

Perfect place to stay and visit Istanbul. close to Blue Mosquee, aya Sofia etc.. i loved to stay in this street as it is crowded of shops, pubs, restaurants, kebab house...

Reserved this hotel via Venere,well satisfied what I expected especially room rate, breakfast and location.Desk reception is helpful and friendly.Hotel is within walking range from Topkapi Palace, Sultanamet,Grand Bazaar and tram station. A shuttle van to airport ticket can be purchased at a shop opposite of the hotel, only 4 Eu one way and very punctual. Will stay at Ilkay (pronounce: Ill-kine)again next time.

The staff at Ilkay are true professionals. They are helpful, honest, and friendly. The rooms are clean and large in size. The hotel is within walking distance of all sights. For the price, this is the best hotel you can get in Istanbul. I highly recommend this hotel and will stay in it again when I go back to Istanbul. I thank every one at hotel Ilkay for their kindness, professionalism and cleanliness that all helped my trip to Turkey become a wonderful experience.

Una soluzione eccellente per un soggiorno ad Istanbul, camere spaziose e pulite (peccato non vi sia il frigobar), colazione abbondante e ottima posizione.

Great helpfull english speaking staff always willing to help and advise. Very good breakfast with a high level of hygien, hotel clean throughout with large rooms. Excellent value for money.

Great location to visit old Istanbul, staff very good andhelpful

Un assez bon rapport qualité prix. Bien placé, chambres spacieuses, petit-déjeuner copieux. Le personnel ne parle pas français et le bagagiste réclame avec insistance de forts pourboires.

Hotel Ilkay was a totally satisfactory hotel for the price. Nothing fancy, but the rooms were clean, the service was good, breakfast was typical Turkish fare, and the restaurant had good kebabs. Note that, as with most Turkish hotels, they'll give you an exchange rate that's about 6% less than the going rate so if your reservation is quoted in dollars or euros, it might not be a bad idea to bring some cash with you to pay -- I would have saved about 14 euros on a four day stay.

Hotel is very well located, 1 minute walk to train station; walking distance to historic places, several nice eating places around. Nice personnel, English speaking, willing to help. Our double room consists of two small rooms and this was very convenient. It is not 100% quiet because of train but this didn't disturb us too much and we didn't come to spend all day in the hotel. Breakfast was included, everything fresh. Free shuttle from airport is provided. Very good for this price. Will stay again.

I chose this hotel from Venere after checking the reviews of other travellers that stayed there. It's exactly as the reviews said. Very good location, very good quality vs price.

The hotel is extremely well situated near all the main points to see and which is the most important was near the tram. The best is that the tram goes to the metro and then to the airport. excellent. The breakfast is included and was very good with everything fresh

Perfect location to see Istanbul. Blue Mosque, Haggia Sophia, Topkapi Palace were within 10 minutes walk. Orient Express Station was just behind the hotel as were the boats to go up the Bosphoras. Breakfast was substantial in a large clean room. A very nice stay here.

The only unplesent surprise was that the hotel is NOT accepting Amex card, as stated on your page!!!! Other thing that you have to take care of is to pay upon arival and ask for the bill, since the prices change during your stay, and if you don't get the bill you may be asked to pay again (the prices for double room vary between 45-250 EUR)!

My room stank - I couldn't use my own bathroom!