Demiray Hotel & Spa

“Perfect Location and Spotless”

The Demiray is a lovely hotel in the heart of the old town (so the roads around are narrow and hilly - but so is most of Istanbul) The area is safe, bustling with life with many local shops in the winding streets. You are literally a 10 minute walk from all the famous sights in the old town so you … lisää

The Demiray is a lovely hotel in the heart of the old town (so the roads around are narrow and hilly - but so is most of Istanbul) The area is safe, bustling with life with many local shops in the winding streets. You are literally a 10 minute walk from all the famous sights in the old town so you have all that in easy reach. That includes the ferries and Bophorus cruise suppliers. The rooftop restaurant has exactly the views you see in the hotels website...its beautiful having breakfast in the morning and same with the evening meal, overlooking the roof tops tobthe vista of Istanbul. We used the spa at the hotel and you can use all the amenities including pool, sauna, steam room and hammam. Only the massage/turkish bath teatments are extra. We had a turkish massage/bath and it was devine. The guys who provided this were brilliant. So much more reasonable than in the dedicated hammams around the city. The room was spotless, the staff were brilliant and we also pre booked airport transfer through the hotel before we set off. Whilst there may be cheaper alternatives, the driver to the hotel was brilliant and wanted to show off his beautiful city and kept stopping for us to take photo's etc. It was like a mini private tour. Top tip...if you book the airport transfer...you need to pay in cash at the hote. (Cards can be used for everything else) All in all this was a perfect hotel in a perfect location for us and would heartily recommend.

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“A great hotel in a great location”

This was a really great find! The location could not be better if you are in Instanbul to see the historic sights. It is no more than a 7 minute walk from all the main sights. Ignore Google maps which tells you it is 19 minutes and takes you on a round about route - Just come out of the hotel, t… lisää

This was a really great find! The location could not be better if you are in Instanbul to see the historic sights. It is no more than a 7 minute walk from all the main sights. Ignore Google maps which tells you it is 19 minutes and takes you on a round about route - Just come out of the hotel, turn left and follow your nose. It is steeply uphill for a few minutes.... but most of the route is a gentle downhill walk. The hotel is in the middle of a wholesale clothing area so it is pretty quiet in the evening along its narrow streets (with mad drivers). Once you pass the Iranian Consulate, you will find many restaurants along the route down to the sights and many, many more in the general area of Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque. The Old Ottoman Restaurant is the first restaurant you'll meet and it is very good value and has excellent food. It does not front onto the street but you will meet its advertising sign. Check it out! The hotel has its own restaurant (Eva Bosphorus) on the roof and offers spectacular panoramic views of the city. Breakfast is excellent with a wide range of foods and evening dinner is also very good (no reservations needed) and you can look at the lights of the city! The rooms are a good size, comfortable with excellent wifi. There is plenty of storage space and a television (but who needs one?) Our bathroom had a walk-in shower - wet room style - and it was great! Air Co worked very well but we could also open a window. The bed was also very comfortable. We didn't have a view and most rooms don't but we weren't in the city to look out our hotel windows! The staff were also great - very friendly, very helpful, happy to please. It is a hotel that we would happily go back to.

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“Great view”

Well situated for the main attractions with a rooftop and restaurant offering a wonderful view of the city. Our room was comfortable with all amenities although the towels are small. Breakfast was buffet style with a focus on Turkish cuisine, the restaurant offered an international menu and the fo… lisää

Well situated for the main attractions with a rooftop and restaurant offering a wonderful view of the city. Our room was comfortable with all amenities although the towels are small. Breakfast was buffet style with a focus on Turkish cuisine, the restaurant offered an international menu and the food was generally good . My main criticism is that the service in the restaurant was inconsistent and at times brusque. Otherwise the hotel staff were friendly and helpful.

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“Mixed feelings”

The positives: - The reception staff are friendly, welcoming and very helpful. -The hotel is spotlessly clean! The woman working on the 2nd floor during my stay was hardworking, fast and always very greeted us with a big happy smile. She was a good start to my day. - The standard single room was a … lisää

The positives: - The reception staff are friendly, welcoming and very helpful. -The hotel is spotlessly clean! The woman working on the 2nd floor during my stay was hardworking, fast and always very greeted us with a big happy smile. She was a good start to my day. - The standard single room was a good size with a very comfortable bed and large bathroom. - The breakfast buffet was plentiful and changed everyday. -The view from the breakfast room is gorgeous! The not so positives - - the hotel feels like a sauna. The room temperature was too warm to sleep comfortably and could not be individually controlled. The warmth in the reception area felt like it was the middle of the summer. - the hotel is centrally located in Old Town. Old Town is made up of small winding streets and you can easily get lost - even Google Maps and MapMe struggled at times. And, as 2 women travelers, here were times in at dusk and in the evening when we did not feel completely safe wandering through those streets. - Old Town was built on (steep) hills - if you are not in great shape or have weak knees, walking back to the hotel will be challenging. - the single standard rooms do not have windows facing outside.

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