Hotel St. Sophia Istanbul — Hotel in Fatih

We recently spent a week at Hotel Saint Sophia. For a first-time trip to Istanbul, the hotel is absolutely perfect with a location within a stones throw of many of the iconic and 'must see' tourist destinations. Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Gulhane Park and the Hippodrome are among some of the top locations within a 5 minute walk, making it easier to get to the front of the queue at the beginning of each day.||We stayed in Room 42, an enormous room on the top floor with a small balcony immediately overlooking Hagia Sophia - it was absolutely fantastic! After a slight shock at how close the call to prayer was first thing in the morning it quickly became a rather comforting routine to our morning. ||Aside from the brilliant location, the staff at Hotel Saint Sophia were absolutely exceptional. Sinan and Taha and everyone from housekeeping to wait staff and management were so incredibly genuine, friendly and helpful, we really felt looked after. We also thoroughly enjoyed the enormous spread served to each table at breakfast, which included all the traditional Turkish meze as well as eggs served a variety of ways. It certainly set us up for the day. Along with the breakfast, a complimentary 'high tea' was served in reception each afternoon from 4-6pm, serving delicious cakes, biscuits and savouries with tea or coffee. This was a lovely addition to the overall service levels. ||Very minor maintenance issues did not detract from a really wonderful stay. I would highly recommend the hotel to anyone coming to Istanbul for the first time. Thank you to all of the team for making our stay...

Perfect location for exploring Istanbul and all the main tourist attractions. You are steps away from Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya).

Upon entering the hotel you are warmly welcomed and check-in is a breeze. We were pleasantly surprised with the rose petals and fruit platter in our room to wish us a happy anniversary.

The rooms are clean, modern and spacious, we stayed in a Grand deluxe room with a small balcony to enjoy the view.

You have the most magical view of the Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO world heritage site. Which after 85 years as a museum, in 2020 it was redesignated as a mosque. Originally a church from 537-1453.

With Bvlgari amenities, and heavenly linen you are guaranteed to sleep peacefully, we loved listening to the call to prayer at dawn, truly provides you with the full experience.

Breakfast is served each morning downstairs in the restaurant or on the terrace, eggs are cooked to your preference, accompanied by a bread basket, cheese and salad. They definitely make sure you have the energy to get through your day of exploring.

The terrace is a great spot to relax and hide away from the craziness of the city, it is tucked away above the street and as the hotel is located in a cobblestone alleyway with foot traffic only, you can enjoy your downtime.

A beautiful boutique hotel in the old city, you won't be disappointed with your stay...

I would have given 4.5 stars if that was an option. Very cozy hotel. Excellent location. Clean. Very friendly staff. Some reviews had complaints about thin walls - that wasn't our experience at all. I could at times hear people (mostly housekeeping) outside my door. But never at night or early mornings, and not once did I hear other guests in their rooms. The street is pretty noisy due to location, but again, wasn't an issue for us as it gets pretty quiet at night. Breakfast was decent, nothing amazingly delicious, but sufficient to last you thru lunch. They serve good coffee which is important to me. Note that because of the location of the hotel there is no traffic allowed on the street between 6am and 8pm, so if you're arriving during the day you'll have to carry your bags for a couple blocks. I gave 4 instead of 5 stars because: 1) breakfast could have used some variety, 2) guests pick-up from the taxi could have been arranged better (they sent 2 young girls to help us with our bags - I didn't have it in my heart to let a girl carry my oversized luggage uphill so I had to lug it myself), 3) there should have been a clear warning about the traffic situation; 4) lastly the lobby was over...