GLK PREMIER Regency Suites & Spa — Hotel in Fatih

We just finished a 12 day stay here and this review will not adequately convey just how nice this property is overall. Having not been to Istanbul before, choosing a place to stay is very difficult because there are so many choices in many different neighborhoods. Our choice to stay in old Istanbul and more particularly at GLK could have not been better to be in the middle of the historical district with both great access to many thinks and a degree of separation from the city. Ubers and cabs abound and it is very close to a Metro stop which is a must have. A very short 5 minute walk has you in between two massive mosques and some Roman ruins.This property has a gym and a Turkish Bath located in the lower level. No need to go anywhere else to experience a unique Turkish experience (it was fabulous). GLK has 4 properties in the area and massage staff float as needed between the different properties. The hotel has 6 floors and the 6th is a deck to look over the strait from. The level below street level is the gym, sauna, and Turkish bath. Now, here's why you want to stay here. From the moment we booked, the entire staff at this property were professional, prompt, understanding, kind, helpful, friendly, and they treated us like family the entire time. From morning coffee, to many buckets of ice, and help with recommendations, everything they did was genuine and beyond any normal service level. The property has breakfast which was quite good and other food items. A treat treat was to go downstairs first thing and get a turkish coffee and some treats to go with it. Simply amazing.The elevator is small but fits 4. The stairs are a tight spiral and dizzying. The rooms are very clean and housekeeping is wonderfully friendly and good at what they do. As a recommendation, choose a room facing the front of the property. You get the breeze and see the sites and sounds of the street. There are a couple of rooms with balconies which are the best of all in my opinion. Everyone there works very hard at being the best at what they do. It's personal to them and it shows. We considered many times just how fortunate we were to stay at this hotel and after putting many miles in, there was no where else we would have rather stayed. Yes, there are the big luxury brands but they are located in an odd isolation, away from the history of this great city. You will want to stay in this district and in particular, you will want to stay at the GLK Premier Regency Suites and Spa. I am writing this review from California two weeks after returning home and still truly enjoy the memory of our stay. BTW - there are many restaurants on the street. All but one of them 3 doors down, take a pass. The one mentioned in Rick Steve's book is a hit and should be visited...

Very poor experience due mainly by Agoda / Priceline misrepresenting the advertised room but not helped by the hotel either.

Despite booking a room for 2 adults and 2 children with breakfast included, Agoda's confirmation showed only 2 adults and no breakfast. When I arrived at the hotel I was told that this happens frequently with Agoda bookings and apparently they were going to ban Agoda / Priceline. My gripe is I emailed the hotel as did Agoda requesting the correct beds but they chose to ignore and waited for me to arrive at the hotel to give me a lecture. In fairness, they did provide the extra beds but hearing the person moaning about who is going to pay for the extra electricity used by the additional child isn't what I wanted after a long flight. In addition, he knew that Agoda had misold the booking as he said breakfast wouldn't be included and would cost an additional 10E per adult with a discount for children.

The other staff at the hotel were very pleasant, especially Hugo when I checked out, but unfortunately the first impression of the chap who checked us in was very negative. They know there are problems with Priceline / Agoda so surely they should resolve this with them instead of confronting guests on arrival. The fact they confirmed this is a common tactic makes you wonder why they don't sort it out.

The hotel's location is very good for the main tourist sites but it is on a busy road. The in-room dining prices are catered for tourists so I didn't pay 4 Euros for a cappuccino. Only 2 bottles of water were provided for the first night only and the rest is charged which again was unexpected and wasn't mentioned on the booking.

The room itself was smaller than expected and dated and certainly not a reflection of the pictures on the Agoda website.

If you do book via Priceline or Agoda, a refundable would be advised so that you can cancel when you get the booking confirmation and realise they have missed out breakfast or occupants. If in the UK, paying by credit card will also be advisable in the case of problems so you can claim against the bank.

Lots of much better hotels to choose from in Istanbul and I won't be...

I, James, vouch for this hotel. This is the best hotel I have ever been to in the world. Let me elaborate – I have been all around the world and stay in 5-star hotels all the time. Yet this hotel is the best one I have ever been too. Yes the location is great, the breakfast was good, the room was awesome. The competitive advantage and key differentiator for me, was the customer service and support. I am talking about 100 out of ten stars. They always went the extra mile. They answered all of my inquiries about local areas, and gave me personal – I mean personal recommendations because they leveraged their personal network to help me. For instance, I was deftly afraid that I was going to get scammed, but they got me a taxi driver of whom they trusted and everything went so smoothly. Another instance: at the airport I got a little confused because of the updated policy. I reached out to them for assistance and they went above and beyond and contacted someone at the airport to help me personally. Another instance: When I went up to the terrace to simply enjoy the view, Mr. Huseyin was kind enough to bring me some Turkish tea to enjoy (complimentary). After I checked out, and even after I stayed for only 4 nights, I genuinely felt like I was departing from friends who took such good care of me. A few days after I checked out and was at a different location, I wanted a Turkish local to verify something. The only people I knew personally in Turkey were the people at GLK Premier Regency – so I reached out to them. Again, if I may reiterate, I was no longer their customer. When I reached out to them, Mr. Hugo, the manager, called someone on my behalf to help me! Like I said, I cannot believe the customer service. This is the best hotel I have ever been to – and I cannot reiterate the exceptional customer service despite having travelled all around the world. Every, single, employee at this hotel was so kind and helpful to me. Anyone who comes to that hotel, please tip them and tell them that James wrote this review. I recommend anyone to this hotel because of the customer service. Special shoutout to Mr. Huseyin, Mr. Hugo,...