Sub Karakoy Hotel

We really enjoyed our stay at SUB Karaköy. The location is perfect – central but quiet – and the hotel has a modern, creative feel. Everything was clean and well maintained. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the breakfast was fresh and tasty. Overall, very good value for money. We would happily stay here again.

Great located hotel in Karakoy with quick access to trams and ferries. Quirky rooms were comfortable and had every thing we needed. Staff were top drawer and very friendly and helpful with all enquiries. We had breakfast a couple of times and this was at a neighbouring hotel (about a minute walk) and it was really good. A great range of options and a terrific view. Can recommend as a good place to stay in the city which is reasonably priced and offers a good service.

Very nice hotel in a very convenient location. Staff in the reception was always extremely kind and helpful. Rooms were clean and modern. Highly recommend the place. The hotel.also offers transportation to international instabu airport for a fixed fee of around 33 euros which I recommend based on the situation with taxis in Constantinople

I stayed at Sub Karaköy during a two-day workshop at a nearby theater in Galata—and honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better base. Waking up to breakfast on the rooftop of their sister hotel, Root Karaköy, with the Galata Tower glowing in the morning light, was the kind of start that sets the tone for your entire day. Breakfast was a full-on visual and culinary treat, with local flavors. Yummy borek and simit The rooms at Sub feel like they were designed by someone who truly understands travelers. Think: art-filled, industrial, and beautifully minimal. Each room includes an original painting (mine was by Turkish artist İrfan Yavru), and everywhere you look—from the lighting to the textures—you spot a thoughtful little detail that makes the space feel curated and lived-in. One of the biggest perks? As a Sub guest, I had full access to the amenities at Root Karaköy. After two long, rewarding days of workshops, getting to unwind in their sauna and hamam was absolute bliss. The gym was fully equipped, and the calm, design-forward lobby and co-working lounges were the perfect place to get a few emails done,. I especially loved the all-day fresh detox water—a small but incredibly thoughtful touch that made a big difference. What stood out most, though, was the team. From the receptionist to the parking staff, everyone was incredibly kind, attentive, and genuinely warm. There’s a calm sense of safety and comfort here that wraps around you, especially when you’ve had a long day. Sub Karaköy isn’t just a hotel—it’s part of the Karaköy rhythm. It's where good design, great people, and Istanbul’s creative spirit meet. I already can’t wait to return.

Amazing cocktails and sausages! The cocktail menu is impressive—creative and perfectly mixed. The sausages were juicy, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. A fantastic place to relax and enjoy great drinks and food in Karaköy!

Really enjoyed our 3-night stay at Sub Karaköy and don’t think it can be beat for the price (€250 for 3 nights). We were two girlfriends on a city break in Istanbul and couldn’t have asked for a better budget option - the location is absolutely perfect, within walking distance to everywhere you can possibly think of. The rooms are spacious enough for a 3-night break, with all the amenities you need (kettle, coffee machine, toiletries), and despite being on a busy street, we felt that with the windows closed, the room was quiet enough. Most importantly, the rooms were super cleaned (and well maintained every day) - that’s always a worry of mine that rooms are not clean, which was definitely not the case here!! Would definitely recommend for a budget option in Istanbul.

I tried several beers while watching sports games, and the vibe was awesome. The hamburger sauce was rich and flavorful, and the fries were perfectly crispy. Definitely one of the best spots in Karaköy!

Positive side of this hotel 🏨 location. Perfectly placed to explore the town and sit down for a Turkish tea or coffee in one of the hype cafes in the neighborhood.||Negative: situated at a busy street so you hear traffic and obligatory call for a prayer ( speakers are just next to the hotel). It’s a quirky Turkish version of a boutique hotel that looks good at night and you are drunk. In reality is a refurbished old house where carpets have seen better days and a whole place would need a good clean up and a lift up. Elevator floors are dirty and an elevator in itself looks like it might stop any minute. Rooms are clean and have a character but as the rest of the place - they have seen better days.||Breakfast: it’s ok but your coffee ☕️ or morning tea will be served in a paper cup. There’s plenty of staff hanging around and they all look like they’re bored to death and you annoy them. But it’s a general attitude of people in Istanbul.||I asked for an airport pickup and at the end it has turned out to be a long wait with some guy who was hustling and who was feeling offended after I inquired where is my ride. A whole scene was like from a bad movie called - I don’t care and I don’t know but please pay a full price of 45€. At the hotel they were kind offering a listening ear but they have never heard of customer service and they give an impression they couldn’t care less. I opted for a normal yellow taxi 🚕 for a ride back to the airport (arranged by a hotel) and upon arrival a guy turned to me and asked for 1000TL. He never put a taxi meter on and then he was hustling that’s a price for hotel guests. I clearly didn’t get the memo. I negotiated a price of 900TL but at the end my credit card was charged 980TL.||My opinion is you are better off staying in a real hotel because this one is not worth the money they are asking.

Location location location. It's in between visited places like Sultanahmet, Taxim square and Galata but far enough from most of the tourists. Meaning you won't pay an arm and a leg on lodging and food. It's less than 10 mins to the tramway Speaking of food, theres a LOCAL bar, cafe, restaurant area just 1 and 2 alleys down. One of them is umbrella covered. Its pretty bohemian. Also, you don't get the usual guy hassling you to eat at their restaurant. Turkey is a secular country but I feel it's getting more conservative in a religious way. The Art work on the lobby at the Sub Karaköy announces its secularism. The continental breakfast here is quite impressive but it's not fully ready until 8Am I almost took a star off for that. They have a roof top bar and the rooms are neat especially the sound system. Highly recommend.

I got invited to SUB's terrace for a birthday party and it was sure NOT TO dissapoint. Everything from the atomosphere to the wine selection to the decor. I dont know the details of renting out the space, but I am sure glad I was invited. I will certainly go back and try the reasturant downstairs at some point,.

This was our first visit to Istanbul and we found this hotel on one of our favorite travel sites. It has only been open for a year or two, so we were unsure if we made the right choice before arriving, but within minutes we knew we had. The hotel is small, the lobby is the size of a small hip coffee shop, and is decorated as such. But that just adds to the charm. We love boutique hotels and have stayed in many throughout the world. This somewhat reminded us of a mini version of the Standard in NY. The Sub is now on our favorite list. The rooms were small as expected, but decorated cool and comfortable with all the amenities you'd expect. The thing that we enjoyed the most of our four night stay was the customer service. My wife and I traveled with our 3 year old, and from arrival the staff went above and beyond to make us feel at home. (Although we were the only guests we noted with a child, I'd still categorize the hotel as kid friendly because of the accommodating staff. They even offered us a baby crib in the room, which we didn't need or accept). Upon arrival the manager saw us pull up in a cab and ran across the street to help us with our bags. He proceeded to offer us tea when we walked into the lobby and sat down with us for about 20 minutes. He gave us a map, highlighting where we should visit and eating recommendations. That type of service was standard throughout our entire stay. The location was also a nice surprise. The Sub hotel isn't located in the middle of the touristy spots, but in a small neighborhood in the middle of many must-visit destinations. The "tram" was only a two minute walk and that got us everywhere we needed to be. Overall our stay was great and I'd recommend this hotel to anyone.