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The Sari Konak Hotel ('Yellow
Mansion') is a fine, comfortable, moderately-priced
small Ottoman-style
inn on a relatively quiet street less
than five minutes' walk from the Blue
Mosque and Hippodrome.
Best of all, it's run by one of the friendliest
families in Istanbul,
making it a good choice for female
travelers, single or traveling
with others.
The materfamilias of the Okan
family supervised the decoration
of the guest rooms. Their muted tones
and understated patterns add to the quiet
comfort of the rooms. It's
really tasteful four- or even five-star
decoration, at a reasonable price.
The public rooms are pleasantly uncluttered
and decorated tastefully with Ottoman
antiques and Turkish
crafts.
For a small inn with only 17 rooms
on three floors, it's a welcome surprise
that the Sari Konak has an elevator (lift)
serving most of its rooms.
Manager Ümit Okan has
a good sense of what it's like to travel
as a tourist in Turkey. "I wanted
to make a hotel that was better than
all the ones I stayed in," he
says. "So we included all the
normal comforts and conveniences such
as TV and air conditioning, but we
also installed double-glazed windows
for quiet. The little refrigerators
in the rooms are not filled with overpriced
drinks. You can fill them with whatever
you like."
When it was still Constantinople, this
part of the city was covered by the Byzantine Great
Palace. The Okans discovered
part of a wall from the palace behind
the hotel, preserved it, and made it
the backdrop for their small open-air
garden terrace. With its tinkling marble
fountain, it's a great place
for a quiet breakfast (the only meal
served) or contemplative afternoon
cup of tea or a drink.
If you're feeling expansive, ascend
to the roof terrace,
from which there are fine views of
the Sea
of Marmara and the minarets of
the Blue
Mosque, not to mention bar service.
The Sari Konak also has
three very comfortable
apartments
in the hotel. More...
Walk up the gentle slope of Mimar
Mehmet Aga Caddesi from the Sari
Konak for a few minutes
and you're right in Sultanahmet,
the sightseeing center of Old
Istanbul.
All in all, one of the best
hotel choices in the district—indeed, in
the whole city.
When you
contact the hotel, please
mention
TTP. Here's why.
Sari
Konak Hotel
Mimar
Mehmet Aga Caddesi No. 42-46
34400 Sultanahmet, Istanbul,
Turkey
Tel +90 (212) 638 6258
Fax +90 (212) 517 8635
sarikonak@superonline.com
www.istanbulhotelsarikonak.com
Sari
Konak Apartments
4-Star
Hotels in Sultanahmet
4-Star
Hotels in Beyoglu
Istanbul
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