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Istanbul's Best
Western Saint Sophia Hotel is
aptly named, as it is right across
the street from Ayasofya (Saint
Sophia, Haghia Sophia)—and I
mean right across the street.
There
is no hotel closer to the 1500-year-old
Byzantine monument.
Talk about being close to
all the major sights! The
Sunken
Palace Cistern is right across
the street, the Hippodrome a few
steps away, Topkapi
Palace three
minutes' walk, the Blue
Mosque the
same.
The hotel, rated three stars by the
Turkish Ministry of Tourism, is in
a restored historic
building that
had been here for over a century
and a half, built originally as the konak (mansion)
of Ahmet Pasha in 1845, and rebuilt
in the 1990s as a hotel. (In the
lobby you can see a historic photo
of the sultan passing by in splendid
procession on his way to Friday prayers.)
The lobby and public
spaces are decorated
in Ottoman style
were
renovated in 2006 and 2007, as were
many of the guest rooms. Renovations
continue; some rooms are not yet renovated.
The staff were friendly and helpful
to me during my stay.
The General Manager,
Cenap Bey, is usually seated at a small
desk to the right of the Reception
desk, should you need anything.
A small elevator/lift serves
the 22 rooms on three floors.
The guest
rooms are
smallish but comfortable,
with Ottoman-inspired decoration and
modern conveniences: free Wifi Internet
connection, direct-dial telephones,
individual room safe for your valuables,
clothing iron and ironing board,
and an electric kettle and
supplies for tea and coffee, all included.
Minibars are stocked
with drinks and snacks, including beer
and wine. Bottled drinking
water is
yours at no charge, and soft
drinks are complimentary if you reserve your
room online.
Perhaps the most unusual amenity is
the satellite decoder attached
to every room television set: you can
choose from hundreds of TV
channels—literally—from
around the world in a variety of languages,
including English.
The private bathrooms have bathtubs (some
of them 3/4 size) for a nice hot soak
after a day full of walking and sightseeing,
hair dryers, thick
terrycloth bathrobes, and
nice little touches among the
amenities such as a shaving
set,
all complimentary.
The three top floor rooms are " junior
suites" (ie, larger rooms),
several with jacuzzis and balconies.
Two balconies look out on Ayasofya,
the other looks over Alemdar Caddesi,
where the sultan's procession used
to pass.
There is some traffic noise
on the Alemdar Caddesi side, but double
glazing mutes it, the tram does not
run from midnight to about 06:00 am,
and vehicular traffic decreases
late at night. (In December 2007 I
stayed in Room 404 overlooking Alemdar
Caddesi and was not bothered by the
traffic noise, even though I am sensitive
to noise.)
On the ground floor, the hotel's Theodora restaurant
has a glassed-in portion and an open-air
seating area so you can catch the sun.
(The restaurant's eastern wall,
of rough stone, is part of the original
Byzantine construction of Hagia
Sophia.)
There's
also a street-side
terrace cafe with a view
of the activity on busy Alemdar Caddesi.
Several years ago, when the hotel
was under different management, there
were some problems, but the new management
assured me that those are in the past.
If you read any online reviews, be
sure to check the date of the review.
When you contact the hotel, please mention
TTP. Here's why.
Best Western Saint Sophia Hotel
Alemdar Caddesi No. 2
34400 Sultanahmet
Istanbul, Turkey
Tel +90 (212) 528-0973, -0974
Fax +90 (212) 511-5491
contact@saintsophiahotel.com
info@saintsophiahotel.com
www.saintsophiahotel.com
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