Basileus Hotel

We booked this hotel through Expedia, but when we arrived, we were told that our reservation had been canceled. The staff said they did not know the reason. Later, Expedia confirmed that the hotel had canceled the reservation. However, we never received any notice in advance. As a result, we were left without a place to stay during the busy year-end season. The hotel staff insisted they were not responsible and did not try to help us find another hotel. Be careful if you actually want a room when you arrive.

The aircon broke during our stay, there seemed to be no rush to fix it. It made sleeping impossible. Slightly shabby rooms, but friendly staff. Its a shame, with a bit more attention to detail and better workmanship, this hotel could be amazing - its in a great location. Hopefully they will make improvements for future guests.

📍Very good location|🧺Cleaning to be improved||Hotel close by the city center and all relevant monuments like Sultanahmet, Hagia Sophia, Theodosius’ Obelisk and Basilica Cisterna. |However, room cleaning was poor

We booked this hotel after reading their reviews. Nothing like what we hoped for. The hotel is being renovated whilst you are there. Air cons are so noisy that you can barely get any sleep at night. Damaged fixtures all around. From lights that barely work to leaking shower head. The bathroom is mouldy and not fit for purpose. When you are having a shower, on the ground floor, there is no what pressure, TV is ancient and doesn't work at all, when we asked them to look at it we were informedthat there is no aeria, fridge in the room is cooler and you cant keep any food in it or have copd drinks in your room, during 8 days stay our bedding never got changed...... too many negative points to mention. We even got locked out of the hotel as the receptionist decided to go upstairs and lock the door and again, not even a doorbell to use. There is no free breakfast either. Regarding service, without naming anyone, you'll see 3 receptionists, and some are at least trying to help, and others couldn't care less.

Simple hotel, there blocks from the hippodrome. Walking distance from Sultanahmet team station. The Çemberlıtaş team station suggested by Google maps is only practical going to the hotel, but it is very steep, and the sideways too narrow.

Unfortunately, my stay at this hotel was quite disappointing. The room I was given felt more like a basement than a proper hotel room. It was located below the building, near the fuel storage area, warehouse, and laundry room, which raised serious health and safety concerns. There was no natural sunlight entering the room, making it feel dark and unpleasant. Several amenities were not functioning: the in-room telephone didn’t work, the refrigerator was completely out of order, and the air conditioning unit was highly unreliable—it would turn on and off randomly, with no way to control it, even after contacting the staff. Hot water was not consistently available, which made basic hygiene uncomfortable at times. On a positive note, the staff were polite and respectful, but unfortunately, the overall quality of service was well below expectations. I would not recommend this hotel based on my experience.

We stayed here for 4 nights during our visit to Istanbul, because my partner had stayed here for work on 2 occasions prior to Covid. My partner and I were quite disappointed, as the hotel was a bit run down since his last visit in 2018. Our room, ensuite and its furnishings were in need of some love, and a small breakfast was no longer provided. The location is quite good, shortish walk to sights. The building is beautiful. There appear to be alot of similar small family run hotels in this area. Hopefully soon they will have the means to give them the TLC they need and deserve.|Small note ; there is no elevator.

Quiet little hotel which was well located. Just 5-10 min walk to the Blue Mosque and other attractions. Room 301 overlooked the hamman ruins and was quite a nice room. The air con was dodgy but otherwise all was good. Lots of nearby restaurants and attractions to explore by foot. |Staff were friendly and room was clean. Thank you

The Basilius Hotel was my home away from home whilst in Istanbul. My mom and I had a wonderful trip to Istanbul, and the staff at the Basilius had a major hand in making it so great. The staff provide five-star service for an incredible value. We were here for about a week, so the hotel arranged a shuttle to pick us up from the hotel. I'm a little embarrassed (though I'll get over it) to say that I was filled with glee when we got to the entrance of the airport and there was someone holding a sign bearing my name! (I even kept it for a while, but it has been lost since we were in Istanbul in 2013.) I appreciated them setting this up since that took away one headache of trying to navigate our way into a city upon arrival. Coming to the Basilius was like arriving at a friend's house. We were a bit early for check-in, so we had a seat and chatted a bit, with my mom going to use a computer briefly to let folks know we'd arrived safely. We were checked into a room as soon as one was available, and it was a very comfortable. After we got our stuff put away we went to get some tips from the desk staff and they suggested we visit the Kucuk Ayasofya down the street, and we were off. The "little Hagia Sophia" was down the block, only one or two minutes away, and was a nice start to our time in the city! Breakfast was great. Omelets were on offer, as well as a generous spread of cheeses, yogurt, fruits, breads, olives, juices, coffee... it was unbelievable. I also had what I think was my first ever cup of coffee whilst at breakfast here... and yeah, I still don't like coffee. The breakfast room was never completely full while we were there, so it was nice not to feel pressed to leave quickly. There was a small refrigerator filled with soft drinks and water. I can't stress enough how hospitable the here staff were. Most evenings we would briefly relax in the lounge area and talked with Omar, who had actually spent a year abroad in Wisconsin. He and other staff offered several suggestions for what we should do, and explained how to use the public transit system to visit areas too far to walk (like Eyup Sultan mosque, Chora Church, Galata Tower, and St. Stephen Church). We were able to navigate relatively easily with their instruction. We were greeted each time we arrived, and wished well when we left to sightsee for the day or were off for dinner. When our time in Istanbul concluded we were out pretty early (we got up around 3 am to get ready to head to the airport) but the owner bid us goodbye before we left the hotel the day prior to our departure, in case he missed us later. Omar woke us up an hour before our shuttle arrived and, after hugs and thank-you's, we left in the shuttle they had helped us arrange (the return shuttle wasn't included, but they helped us get one set up). They have a laundry service for a small fee. There wasn't a drink machine in the hotel but there are a couple small shops nearby, and as I mentioned, they had in the refrigerator. Rooms are very clean and comfortable. The Basileus is in a great location. It took us about ten minutes to walk to the Blue Mosque & Hagia Sophia. The only time we used public transport was when we visited Eyup and Edirnekapi, Galata Tower and the spice market, and when we saw whirling dervishes (because it was in the evening). I'd like to visit Istanbul again, and when I do, I won't consider staying anywhere but the Basileus unless they are booked. I will wholeheartedly the Basilius to anyone visiting the city. Review #634 - January 23, 2022 15/2022

Wonderful fantastic stay! Great customer service! Location is great and convenient. 10 minute walk to the Blue mosque and Hagia Sofia. I had a long layover in Istanbul and booked Basileus Hotel at the last minute. So glad I did. Breakfast was fantastic. So terrific! The price was so affordable! Staff is fantastic and so helpful. They booked transportation airport shuttle at a great price. They made my long layover into a wonderful mini getaway!!! Wonderful hotel located in a great place in Istanbul with kind helpful staff!!!

Two nights in the Basileus Hotel when in Istanbul recently were an absolute pleasure. It feels like a piece of history as you sit in this stylish hotel, surrounded by amazing design. It has been there since the 1920's and you feel like you step back in time a little. It is ideally located to provide access to all the parts of the city you would want to visit. I must say that 2 nights isn't enough! You feel like you want to stay for as long as you can. Look out for this smart building and you have found a corner of Istanbul that will put a smile on your face. The transport links in the city are great, so you know that you are only a short ride away from the best parts of Istanbul at any time of the day or night. The service in the hotel is excellent and I always felt that I was at the centre of their attention whenever I needed it. The food was great in the morning and I highly recommend that you visit the Basileus Hotel if you are in the city at any time. Take it from me that you will be happy with your stay.

I loved my stay here. My friend and I had an apt in Taksim for most our visit. We left to go to cappadocia for a balloon ride, and when we came back to Istanbul needed one last night, so we stayed here. The front desk guy, Omar, was truly one of the nicest guys I have met in my LIFE. He was so helpful it was beyond belief. Anything, and everything, you asked of him, he would go the extra mile to get it done. He let's you know the best places to go and exactly what to do. The hotel is clean, very inexpensive, includes free wifi, free bottle water, tea and cakes around the clock, and a wonderful free breakfast spread! It is walking distance to many sites, and if not, Omar will have a taxi outside for you in less than 5. He personally speaks to the taxi diver so you don't get ripped off. Reading Oliver's review, I do agree that you can hear a little bit of noise from the street and the mosques. It didn't bother my friend or me one bit, maybe my room was located in a different spot. The noise I did hear, positively added to the Turkish experience. I highly recommend this place if you are looking for a nice, clean, FRIENDLY and inexpensive spot when visiting Istanbul!

A great hotel. Excellent value. Can't say enough good things about the staff! Omar gave tons of advice and did so many extra things to make your stay fantastic! Examples range from getting us an early breakfast before our 7am taxi, to helping us find the very best local food. He even found chess from another hotel for us to play, when we asked if they had it. Our second stay didn't include any sleep issues and it was relatively quiet. Another floor up and not in the main road.

As hospitable as it gets! We've stayed here a couple of times now, and will continue to, each time we go back to Istanbul. We are close by so go here just for a cheap weekend getaway. This hotel is extremely accommodating and has completely helped us through any issues that had come up. They had no obligation to help either but made sure all of our needs were met and our stay was as comfortable as possible. They are also extremely cheap but don't lack quality either. Very nice hotel and is very clean and organized. Hard to find a better deal for the price, that also includes breakfast. Highly recommended!

Affordable and decent hotel, extremely nice staff, perfect location!!! The hotel is average: do not expect a lot of "extras" (just shampoo, soap, conditioner and complimentary bottles of water). The room is big enough, the bed is comfortable and the bathroom is ok (maybe old). The breakfast buffet is very complete, although we saw a couple of flies close to the food (they should solve this sooner than later). The staff was EXTREMELY FRIENDLY! They help us finding the main touristic attractions, and even they reserved a shuttle for us to go to the airport. The LOCATION is simply PERFECT! Five minutes far from Sultanahmet! Definitely we will consider this hotel for future (and very likely) stays in Istanbul.

This is a wonderful little boutique hotel right in the heart of the old city. You're walking distance from everywhere you'd want to be- Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, tons of restaurants, etc... The hotel owners and staff are simply the best I've ever come across. Incredibly hospitable and accommodating. This place is charming and the people working there and convenience to all of the things to see and do are the reasons I will absolutely stay here again next time I am in Istanbul!