Amiral Palace Boutique Hotel — Hotel in Fatih

Very well presented hotel in a great location ten minutes walk from Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque. Rooms clean, toiletries provided with a pool on the lower ground floor. We had breakfast one morning, €19 each. Was ok but nothing spectacular. Please be aware of the airport transfer scam. We purposely booked our transfer from the airport direct with the hotel at a cost of €60 to avoid any issues in advance. Upon arrival at the airport after asking two staff members for directions as they weren’t clear we waited around twenty-five minutes. After being in the taxi for around ten minutes the driver stated ‘traffic, two and a half hours’. We acknowledged this however a few minutes later he presented us with his phone telling us the hotel was on the phone. The person on the phone explained the driver had said there was bad traffic but if we wanted to take the tunnel for an extra 300 Lira the journey would only take one hour thirty. We had no internet at this point so could not clarify the cost of this in Euro’s and felt pushed into agreeing to this with no confirmation on who we were speaking to. Upon arrival at the hotel the receptionist informed us the tunnel was not included in the €60 transfer and we needed to pay €66 and only cash was accepted. We had no cash on us but agreed to withdraw during our stay. We explained our frustration that we had to pay extra and the transfer should include the tunnel cost, there was no mention of the tunnel when initially booking. No one is going to want to spend an extra hour in the taxi so surely everyone chooses the tunnel option? We booked our return taxi to the airport in advance again via the hotel and paid the €66 once more. Unfortunately half an hour before our hotel departure the flight was cancelled by the airline. We rang reception to cancel the taxi, immediately booked new flights which fortunately left the same airport (SAW) as our original flight at the same time and rang reception back, all within ten minutes. The receptionist advised us the taxi had picked up a different hotel transfer and we would have to rebook a new taxi and that our first taxi was non refundable so we would need to pay again. It was still fifteen minutes before we had been due to leave the hotel. So after already paying €66 we got a yellow taxi to the airport which included the tunnel for €50 and paid via card. The hotel seem to be in with the airport transfer company they use and are not understanding that the tunnel should be the given option and reflected in the price rather than receiving a call on a phone during the transfer telling you you need to pay extra. We paid more for the driver to drive an hour less, something doesn’t add up and a direct yellow taxi is cheaper. Please don’t book the airport transfer via the hotel instead use a yellow taxi at the airport as you get a set price before setting off and it’s...

ENGLISH I was from 20th July 2017 to 27th July 2017 for the first time in Istanbul and I am thrilled by the city and the hotel. It is definitely worth it to book in the Amiral Palace Hotel. The reasons that confirm this will be listed caterogically: FURNISHINGS: The hotel is in charge of a 24h-reception, a really pleasant lobby, a lift and a wonderful terrace with a restaurant and a cafe. The view from there is amazing; it is an incredible panorama of the city of Istanbul with all relevant aspects – a view of the Sultanahmet mosque and the Marmara Sea inclusive. The furnishings of the rooms will be explained in the next chapter. In the whole hotel WIFI can be used. ROOM: The room is a bit small, but aesthetically pleasant, very clean and well-equipped. A big wardrobe with a safe, two beds, a mirror, two chairs, a table, a modern TV with a receiver, a coffee and tea machine and a minibar are in charge of the room. An air-conditioning system is also there as a great advantage because of the hot weather in Istanbul in the summer. The bathroom is also a bit small, but very modern and always clean. STAFF/SERVICE: The service is simply outstanding. We were welcomed very warm-heartened and friendly and fell that we were always welcome in the hotel. We always came back with pleasure. The employees of the hotel are experts of Istanbul and can be asked anything about the city- they can always help with their knowledge. It is also important to emphasise the superb service as the rooms were always clean when we came back from our daily trips. We could only gain positive experiences here. LOCATION: The location is also excellent. Standing in the European part of Istanbul – in the district Sultanahmet – various restaurants, bars, souvenirshops or lounges are very near to the hotel and can be easily visited on feet. The Sultanahmet mosque, the Hagia Sophia, the Obelisk of Theodosius and the Hippodrom and the Topkapi Palace are reached in a few minutes. A metro station is 7-8 minutes from the hotel and from there everything in Istanbul can be reached. The Marmara Sea is also reached in 5 minutes. So, the location is outstanding and with it the beauty of Istanbul can be discovered.

So, in the end, it can be concluded that during a visit to Istanbul a booking the Amiral Palace Hotel can be strongly recommended because of the excellent furnishings, the friendly staff, the clean and nice rooms and the...

First of all, I'd like to say that the hotel itself was very pleasant. The location was ideal, the facilities were perfect and the reception staff were very professional and attentive. The restaurant was delicious and varied, the pool clean and warm, and services such as the hammam were top notch. We even had a problem with street noise, as cars and motorbikes were making a lot of noise in the evening, which prevented us from sleeping, and the manager was responsive in changing our room.

However, despite this positive experience, one very serious incident ruined the whole stay and left me deeply traumatised. During my stay, my room was robbed. I had hidden €50 in my toilet bag before leaving my room at 10am, and when I returned I found that it had disappeared. After talking to the management, I was told that the only person who had been in my room was the cleaning lady. Although the situation is difficult to prove, it is unacceptable that hotel staff, who represent the establishment, should feel entitled to go through guests' personal belongings and steal.

Although the manager suggested that I put my money in the safe, I think this is unfair. If I had to put all my valuables (money, jewellery, clothes, beauty products, etc.) in the safe, I'd have to use a gigantic safe. What's more, this is not a long-term solution; SECURITY and TRUST are essential criteria when choosing a hotel and the customer-staff relationship must be based on RESPECT.

That's why I want to warn future customers about this kind of situation that can happen. The hotel is superb, but I can only advise against this establishment because of the lack of guaranteed security for personal belongings in the rooms, knowing that housekeepers come every day. This tarnished what should have been an unforgettable experience, especially for such a special trip for my mum's birthday.

I hope that the hotel management will take this situation seriously and put in place reinforced security measures to prevent this from happening again.

I would also like to point out that, to date, I have not received any precise information about the progress of my case. I would like to know what the hotel intends to do to resolve this situation and to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future. I am still waiting for a clear answer on the measures taken, and I hope that this matter will be...