Sultanahmet Palace HotelvsSide Hotel
Both hotels are highly recommended by travel writers. Overall, Side Hotel and Pension scores marginally higher than Sultanahmet Palace Hotel. Side Hotel and Pension comes in at 72 with approval from 4 publications like Frommer's, Lonely Planet and Rough Guide.
Sultanahmet Palace Hotel
Otel Sultanahmet Sarayi Torun Sokak, No:19, 34122 Fatih, Istanbul 34400, Turkey
From $56/night
- Free Internet
- Free Breakfast
- Laundry Service
- Concierge
- Restaurant
- Business Center
Frommer's
"You either love this one or hate it. That's because in all of the deluxe rooms, each small bathroom doubles as a marble-clad mini-hamam." Full review
Fodor's
"Grand marble stairways, columns, Greek statues, and fountains grace the public spaces, and rooms have touches like ornate ceiling mouldings... and cushioned divans for reclining." Full review
DK Eyewitness
"This is the ideal place to spoil yourself. Less authentically refurbished than some other establishments, it is, nevertheless, a refined hotel that deserves its palace title."
Star Service
"This low-lying reddish-pink boutique-hotel in the heart of Old Istanbul was designed to look old in a faux-Classical style that some will like while leaving others cold." Full review
i
Staffers are friendly although a bit distant and not quick on their feet to respond to guest requests.
Oyster
Mid-Range
"The Sultanahmet Palace Hotel is a solid three-pearl option for travelers who want to be in the historic quarter as close to the Blue Mosque as possible." Full review
Side Hotel
Utangac Sok. No 20, Istanbul 34400, Turkey
From $108/night
- Bar/Lounge
- Free Internet
- Free Breakfast
- Smoking Rooms
- Air Conditioning
- Breakfast included
Rough Guide
"Owned by three charismatic brothers, this place is bright, spacious and friendly and resists the pressure to go all modern or faux-Ottoman."
Lonely Planet
"A sprawling place that has a long-standing reputation for cheap, clean and comfortable accommodation, the Side has overpriced hotel rooms with TV, air-con and en suite."
DK Eyewitness
"This family run establishment combines a pension for budget-conscious guests and also a ritzier hotel. Pension prices are cheaper and facilities are fewer, with no air conditioning in rooms."
Frommer's
"This place has been offering good-value, spotlessly clean, well-managed accommodation in the heart of the old city since 1989." Full review
The Telegraph
8.0
"Superbly located within a few minutes' walk of the old city's top sights, the Side is understandably the budget travellers' accommodation of choice in central Istanbul." Full review
U.S. News & World Report
94.0
"Travelers looking for somewhere to stay in Istanbul on a budget can't go wrong with the Side Hotel and Pension." Full review