Dersaadet Hotel Istanbul

Dersaadet Oteli is a small inn located in the shadow of the Blue Mosque in Sultanahmet. The inn is a restored 19th century Ottoman wooden house and has a beautiful decor and a cozy ambiance about it that makes it a welcome place to come back to after a day of sightseeing. The inn is about a 5 minute walk from the Blue Mosque but is also located on a quiet little side street unlike most of the hotels in Sultanahmet which are located in clustered tourist areas. There are a few restaurants and local markets with reasonable prices within blocks of the inn.

We had only booked for two nights but ended up extending our stay two nights more because we were so happy with the accommodations. The first two nights we were in a sea view double and the second two nights we were in a standard double. The rooms are definitely on the small side, but in a cozy way, and also are very clean and have all the amenities one would need. The sea view is not worth the extra money so I would recommend just getting the standard double (though it is street level and much noisier). You can get plenty of the sea view at the free breakfast on the beautiful rooftop terrace.

The aspect that puts the Dersaadet over the top is the service. The front desk was extremely helpful and kind under all circumstances including booking us at their sister hotel, Hotel Niles, for a fifth night (we tried to extend again but they were full) and transporting us there for free. Also because we ended up staying more than three nights we became eligible for a free transfer to the airport and the staff at both hotels made it a point that we got that free transfer.

I would not hesitate to stay here again if traveling to Istanbul. You can read more about out visit to Istanbul on our travel blog- http://patrinadoestheglobe.blogspot.com/

In March of 2007 my husband and I stayed in the Sultan's room at the top of the hotel. It was beautifully furnished with gilded furniture that made us feel like royalty. The windows curved around giving us about a 70 degree view of the strait. As a bonus, my husband was really pleased to be able to keep up with his business by email using his laptop with the hotel's wi-fi that carried to our room. The staff graciously helped us with reservations at restaurants and other information. They were all delightful and helpful. The breakfast was fantastic both in the food and the view from the top of the hotel. The foods served included delicious local favorites which gave us a chance to try some new foods. We loved Istanbul and the hotel. The location was perfect as we were easily able to walk to the sites we wanted to see. It was a great home-away-from-home for a week. The only thing we had to get used to was the singing call to prayer at 6:00 a.m. from the nearby mosque, but it actually was more colorful than a serious problem. Book the Dersaadet no hesitation.