Seref Hotel - Istanbul

The room, mattress, pillows all smelt of stale smoke. The hotel itself stank of stale smoke, including reception area, elevator and breakfast room. The sheets felt slimey The rooms were small, however no air conditioning and with the window open we were unable to talk to each other without shouting to be heard. It is in the red light district of Beyoglu and felt unsafe to walk around. Not value for money. The staff were helpful and the breakfast was adequate with a great view.

Needs some renovation and decoration

Looks like a place where locals stay? Tiny rooms with moldy cealings. Bath has a shower but no divider so when you take a shower, the water runs the length of the bathroom into the drain behind the toilet (at least it is a western toilet). Next to a major road with no aire conditioning so very noisy. Really, not bad for a single, adventurous traveler, but this is a dive hotel. Staff did a good job with the interior and rooms were cleaned everyday by hard working people. Location was actually great and OK to get to, but working class.

The room was noisy and although centrally located, I did not feel safe. The staff was sketchy. Only the breakfast was good, if you spoke turkish.

The hotel is simple ,clean , very central ,and a little bit noisy.Very friendly helpful and kind people.Free internet access .I totally recommend it.

Clean room and bathroom, large and comfortable bed, very good breakfast, breakfast room has a great view. Service staff was great, reception staff was not utterly professional and competent. As this hotel is situated on a sixlane thoroughfare, there is a considerable noise problem. On the other hand its location is unbeatable for nightlife and Beyoglu in general.

The guys at the reception desk were very nice and helpful. Breakfast was lovely. The room was clean but moldy and despite the "no smoking" signs everywhere people were smoking all over the place, including employees and the manager (or owner) with his friends. There was no escaping the cigarette smoke, even in my fifth floor room. And if you open the windows, the noise from the street is overwhelming.

I found a friendly atmosphere and a total dısponıbılıty of the staff to sutısfy our request. İ really thınk thıs place offers the best balance quolıty price.

You will either love or loathe this hotel. When I first arrived and saw the room, I was rather disappointed by the fusty smell and the rather trafficated road the hotel was lying on. But I am a good sleeper, and when you walk around in Istanbul you sleep particularly well, so I was not disturbed by the traffic noise even if sleeping with an open window. If you are like me, you will appreciate the low prizes of the hotel, its good location, its cleanliness - thorough cleaning every day - and the very nice and knowledgeable staff.

Hello, the hotel area was not in a good location, it was a bad and old area of the town, breakfast was not good, was very cold, they served very little on plate, the room we were stayed in, was sometimes a noise, so we couldnt sleep at night.., no one in the hotel speaks English which was very frustrating to ask questions, there was only 2 people spoken Ok English & the only positive thing was, restaurants, shoppings was 10 min walk from the hotel, so you can enjoy a great day/night... Overall, the price of hotel was affordable, bathroom was big, included shower.. Thanks!!!

Enjoyed my stay very much. The hotel was fine and the staff were very polite and helpful.

If you want to be quiet, it's not the good place but if you want a good relationship between price and quality of room and a good situation in the town, it's the place to be !

Good value and recommended. Very friendly and helpful staff especially Ferhat who has good English language skills. Absolutely no hassle from anyone. Small but very fast lift to floors. Breakfast was very good in the excellent roof top restaurant with great views. Room very clean and powerful showers with plenty of hot water. Room cleaned very well and daily. I will stay again next time i'm in Istanbul. Only things to watch out for are it's in a rather busy, central area and noise from the restaurants and bars can be annoying so use ear plugs or get a room high up (4th floor). But it's a great location for Taksim Square and the bus station there. Also good to walk to The Dolma Palace etc. Free Wi-Fi in all rooms! Turkish terrestrial T.V (not satellite) in all rooms too.

Really nice, welcoming hotel. We arrived early and they made our room up especially so we were not inconvenienced. In the meantime, they gave us drinks and chatted with us about our trip. Great location, just round the corner from Taksim and the commercial heart of Istanbul. At the time, there were clashes between police and Kurdish protesters nearby, but we always felt safe. Great stuff.

I was looking for a hotel to sleep in and take a shower so this was perfect. Nice and very helpfull staff, I felt completely safe. The location was excellent, near the big shopingstreet and Taksim Square. I used plugs to my ear because of the traffic on Tarlabasi Bulv but there were a great view from the 4th floor and I took lovely pictures from there. I will stay there again when I go to Istanbul and I will certainly recommend it to others.

I was pleasantly surprised by finding this wonderful hotel. I'm a 25 year veteran of travelling in Turkey. The monetary changes in the last few years have greatly changed the landscape for the traveller looking for a cheap venue. The Hotel Seref offers great value for the money. The location is outstanding and the rooms were just like in the photographs. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. Wireless Internet worked very well and was a big help for me. The days of cheap youth hostels are over in Turkey and the Hotel Seref is a welcome alternative. Definitely check this place out.

Location is really great, only 2 minutes to Istiklal street. That also means it's pretty loud during the night, as music from the cafes nearby don't stop till 5-6 am. Rooms seem clean but they don't get cleaned during your stay and you don't get clean towels during your stay. Bathroom is without doors, only curtains, which can be somehow uncomfortable if you are staying with someone. In the bathroom there is no shower cabin, so all the water goes directly to the tiles, meaning the whole bathroom gets wet during the shower... I can't believe this is so expensive to fix and could improve the image of the hotel drastically.

Hotel definitely costs its cost. Good room, very nice staff, and perfect surroundings. The only bad side - relatively noisy in the room. But not a big problem with the closed window. But again I've never been to such Cost/Quality effective place!

It is a good hotel and very centric. You can not ask more for this cheap price.

The hotel was clean and the staff really kind and useful. Internet free, no restaurant service (neither breakfast). Really close to nightlife (many restaurants, pubs, cafe, clubs) and a lot of shops (Beyoglu, Taksim) Near to the Galatasaray Lisesi and Galata Tower. Never cross the street of the hotel (Tarlabasi Blv doesn't look safe), better turn immediately to Istiklal caddesi. The noise of the clubs (rooms on the backside of the building) could be a problem for people looking for silent places. The street is also overtraded but the windows provide a good insulation. There aren't shutters, only two curtains.

Excellent value for money (especially for solo traveller). Hotel is close to shopping on Istikal Caddesi and to Taksim Square, with easy access to Sultanahmet. Hotel is on a noisy main artery, with loud music from nearby bars/restaurants on the weekends. Ask for a room on an upper floor (e.g. 3rd floor or above) as this is quieter. With closed windows the street noise is blocked out. No air conditioning. Free computer/internet use in lobby. Daytime staff helpful. Night staff less able to help due to limited English. I would stay here again.

You get what you pay for, but for the value it can't be beat with an amazing location. If you spend time in your room, this is not the place for you. If you want a cheap room, that satisfies the basic needs in a wonderful location, it is perfect.

It's a right place only to sleep, very close to istikal/taksim.

Nice location near lively area. Rooms were smallish and sheets clean but with holes. Hotel staff was unhelpful: when asked for restaurant recomendation they tried to send us to a tourist trap for which they had the brochure!!

Staff is excellent, room was smallish but clean. Wireless internet, to me the most important frill, was perfectly reliable. Great proximity to Istiklal St., easy bus ride to Sultanahmet. In a perfect world, morning caffeine would have been more accessible, but I would stay here again.

From research prior to booking I expected this would be a cheap, basic hotel in a lively area where transport was easily available and there were plenty of places to eat nearby. I was not disppointed, and the staff were extremely helpful.

I have to pay the hotel as soon as I came. The staff seemed to be bored by the customer and not at all welcoming

The Seref hotel was very good value for money and has just been renovated two months ago. Located extremely centrally in a busy areas close to bars and clubs. Also accesable to all major sights in Istanbul easily. The room was basic, but clean with a satelite TV. I would recommend this hotel and will stay there again.

Not a 5 stars hotel but well located, very nice and friendly employees. Quite noisy (ask for a room on the backside) excellent relatuionship between price/quality

J'ai choisi cet hotel pour le quartier et pour le prix.j' ai ete tres decu par le coin douche-sanitaire...

The room is minimal, but clean Personal it's very nice (10) But the walls are very thing and some girls come in hotel every morning at 3am and make a lot of noise for at least one hour. Probably this will never happened in future, but still you will hear every movement of the others rooms

It was very good hotel with good price in this area.

Nice people. Unfortunately a bit noisy. sometimes no electricity

Well position for shopping, dining, etc. Reasonable distant for the underground.

Very nice and helpful service. The rooms are basic but nice furnished and were cleaned every day with fresh towels, good bed, good shower with permanent hot water, very central situated to restaurants, shops and public traffic. Just the street of the hotel is very busy. Not nice, but they have good noise-isolated windows. So it was not really a problem.

Hotel Seref is great as a base for exploring Istanbul's night life and restaurant/shopping scene around Istiklal street and Beyoglu. Rooms were clean although there didn't seem to be breakfast or non-smoking single rooms available at the time - no big problem, quality vs. price is otherwise very good, also there are plenty of places within a few minutes walk to get a bite to eat. Staff were helpful and good free wireless Internet connection was available.

The hotel is very central, sited at the lower end of Balik Pasar (Fish Market, just in front of Lyceum), far only few hundred metres from Istiklal Caddesi, Taksim area. This is my third travel to Istanbul and the second time that I lodge in this hotel. Bus stop in front of the hotel. They seem quite gay friendly. For a large/twin bed (Italian "matrimoniale", if a couple) ask them, otherwise they'll give you a double (two beds) room. Some room suffers of bad smell of mould/humidity. Internet connection and tea for free. Perfect for single and couples with no specific needs of luxury.

Hotel is clean, witth friendly personal.

Little but clean hotel, very kind employees. Incredible location, close to the main footway "Istikal Caddesi". Very comfortable for buses to Sultanamet and the center of the old town.

If you are single no problem,but If you are two person you will face problem regarding the size of the bed.besides you cannot find a hotel in that area for this price.

Hi, very good hotels

This hotel is located just two blocks from the main nightlife street in Taksim (Istiklal Cad.) and is within 10 minutes walking distance of Taksim Square. Its location on one of the main traffic arteries of Istanbul makes it extremely convenient for public transport, buses stop just outside the door for Sultanahmet and it is equally easy to return back. The same traffic artery just outside your hotel room window generates a bit of noise, to me it was no major problem but this is not a hotel serene romantic evenings. Also my room was not cleaned once in the 4 days I stayed there. I didn't mind too much but I suppose they could have done. CONCLUSION: I paid 23 euros per night for this hotel which was fantastic value for a place to sleep while exploring the city!! Its not fancy but its relatively clean, and there is FREE WI-FI for all guests!

The place is all new and clean. the bed was small (1/2 place, not a wedding bed)

The Hotel's location is excellent, Staff are very good, and very helpful. The room service was not on a daily bases. Money wise, I think it was much better than I expected.