Hotel Ibrahim Pasha

“Perfectly boutique in a fabulous location”

Hotel We liked everything about this hotel - it's location is excellent; its boutique so not to big; fantastic staff and service; lovely decor and seating areas; decent breakfasts and bar (rooftop) and lounge areas. We also liked Istanbul and the Turkish are so friendly & welcoming so we will be … more

Hotel We liked everything about this hotel - it's location is excellent; its boutique so not to big; fantastic staff and service; lovely decor and seating areas; decent breakfasts and bar (rooftop) and lounge areas. We also liked Istanbul and the Turkish are so friendly & welcoming so we will be returning. Location Located in a quiet street to the side of the Islamic Art Museum where the the Blue Mosque is at the end of the street (5mins door to door if no queue!). Hagia Sophia & Tok Palace a lovely stroll of no more than 10mins further down the grassed, pedestrian Hippodrome. The whole area was clean and felt very safe (helped by the constant presence of Tourist Police) so we were able to wonder round at night comfortably in the Sultanmet areas around the hotel. Lots of eateries and restaurants also within easy walking distance. The location means it's super easy to get a head of the mass of tourists that descend so we did most of the main sights early in the morning when it's relatively quiet. The trek to the hotel from IST airport was over an hour and the whole transit process at IST was a slow, frustrating process was over 90mins for us! However this was Monday night at 5-6pm ish so peak rush hour for a city of 18m people 🤦🏻‍♀️....Traffic is a nightmare in Istanbul! But once there a lot of things were within walking distance- Including to nearest modern trams which are super clean and efficient (cashless so I used tap & go as I would on the London Underground). At 10:30 on a Friday morning it was a very smooth and efficient 40mins to SAW airport. Boutique Felt like a proper authentic 'boutique'. Although almost fully booked during our 4 night stay it never ever felt busy and its size & atmosphere means it's easy and pleasant to connect with other guests if you wanted to. The decor is exactly as shown : comfortable, clubhouse style - Turkish but not in a cliche way and all clean and well maintained. The rooms are just a tad smaller than you imagine from the pictures but we had friends staying in other hotels and they had similar sized rooms: it's the price you pay for the location!! We had a room with a seating area over to the side. The bathrooms are tiny - but perfectly functional! Overall it felt like you were staying in a friend's house and the book collection is fabulous. This ambience is helped by the 'Reception' is also being friendly and comfortable - a low table, comfortable chairs for guests and the computer kit to the size so staff never 'hid' behind and above you (which I personally dislike in most hotels!). Staff & Service Over 5 days we met lots of staff: - Main reception team who spoke excellent English and were friendly and nothing was too much trouble. So provided lots of help and advice on itinerary, restaurants etc. They also remembered your name welcomed you and said goodbye you off every time you came & went. - the breakfast restaurant and bar staff. Again nothing was too much trouble and although their English wasn't as good, their friendly smiles and desire to provide a high service shone through! - Rest of team - maintenance and cleaning staff! Literally everyone was friendly & smiley and we got a real sense they work as a team for example when leaving the breakfast team jump to assist with your bags to taxis. Breakfast & Bars There is a small c20seat breakfast restaurant area and a buffet style continental/ hot breakfast selection. I'm not a big breakfast eater but I found lots of choice of fresh, tasty food and I loved that it was open from 7:30 to 11. Which meant hubbie & friends could eat early so we could go out and then we'd come back for coffee's and I'd have 'brunch' from the buffet 10:30. Also, tea and coffees are available at any time of day, at any location (your room, lounge, rooftop bar). Bottled water in a fridge in your room is free and regularly topped up. The small rooftop bar was a highlight! We spent a fair bit of time there and you look over to the left the Blue Mosque dome & minarets that catch the rays of sunset (over to your right). Especially lovely at night. So, all in all! Fabulous and we think great value for money all round for such a city centre boutique. We will return! Note: when we arrived there was a group of 8 who had booked via Experian and there was an error in that system so they were not actually booked and had to move on. We were fine (booked via Booking.com) but also I had been in direct contact with the team about airport transfers & recommendations. Note to self though was always make direct contact beforehand because that would show up any issues - before you show up!

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