Artefes Hotel Old City

Artefes Hotel Old City Overview

First Impressions

Walking up to Artefes Hotel Old City on a narrow cobblestone street in Sultanahmet, you immediately get that “I’m really in Istanbul” feeling. The building itself has this charming Ottoman-era character that fits perfectly with the neighborhood’s historic vibe. It’s a four-star property, but honestly, the location alone makes it feel more special than that rating suggests — I mean, you’re literally steps away from some of the world’s most incredible monuments.

Location Magic

Here’s what I love about staying here: you can walk to Hagia Sophia in about three minutes, and the Blue Mosque is practically next door. The hotel sits on Kucukayasofya Street, which sounds intimidating but it’s actually one of those perfect little lanes where you’ll find authentic Turkish cafes and local shops that tourists often miss. You know what’s great? You can explore the major sights early in the morning before the crowds arrive, then retreat back to your room for a break when things get hectic. Couples especially seem to get this — they’ve rated the location 9.3, and I totally understand why.

The Rooms

I’ll be honest, the rooms aren’t huge (this is old Istanbul, after all), but they’re thoughtfully designed and surprisingly comfortable. The beds here are genuinely excellent — like, you’ll actually sleep well despite being in the middle of a bustling tourist area. The windows open onto either the street or a quiet courtyard, and there’s something really satisfying about falling asleep to the distant sound of the evening call to prayer echoing off the ancient buildings nearby.

Morning Fuel

The breakfast setup is solid — they do a proper Turkish buffet with all the classics like fresh bread, olives, cheese, and honey. What I appreciate is that everything is halal, so there’s no guesswork if that matters to you. The restaurant area gets good morning light, and you can plan your day over Turkish tea while looking out at the neighborhood coming to life. It’s not fancy, but it’s authentic and filling, which is exactly what you want before a day of exploring.

Why Guests Love It

Look, this isn’t the kind of place where you’ll spend much time lounging around the hotel — and that’s actually perfect. The real draw is stepping outside and being immediately immersed in one of the world’s most historically rich neighborhoods. The staff knows the area well and can point you toward the best local spots, plus there’s something really special about coming “home” to this quiet street after a day of navigating the Grand Bazaar or taking a Bosphorus cruise. The combination of comfort, character, and that unbeatable location (seriously, a 9.4 location score doesn’t lie) makes it the kind of place you’ll remember long after you leave.

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Artefes Hotel Old City Accommodations

Reviews of Artefes Hotel Old City

• Ivanescu from Romania (9/10)

  I'm sorry for the delay in posting this review. Usually, I wait a day or two just to make sure I have a more natural opinion (hype-free). I am happy to say that our enjoyment of our stay and our experience is just as great as we felt it on our way back home.
  Location: 3-5 min walking distance from the Blue Mosque, 10-15 min away from the Sirkeci train station. Great location, close to a lot of great restaurants. Very quiet also. When (not if) we will return to Istanbul, Artefes will be our place of choice for sure.
  Breaksfats: delicisou and varied, with a lot of great sweets. Great coffe, hot chocolate, everything we could wish.
  Room: very clean, beautifully designed, very comfortable bed, perfectly working AC, very clean and well maintained bathroom; basically everything we could wish for.
  Staff: amazing! Extremely helpful, friendly, spoke perfect English. We'd like to take this opportunity to offer our deepest gratitude to Mr. Tarik, Mr. Selman, and Mr. Erdal! (I sincerely apologize if I miswrote the names) We interacted with them the most. I'm sure every other member of the staff would have been equally professional and friendly.

• Gianluca from Italy (7/10)

  Very near to the most important attractions.

• Melisa from France (9/10)

  The location is very good. Easy access to public transport

• Shirin from Singapore (8/10)

  The hotel was near to the central town. We could easily go to various attractions via tram or train. There are also many nice restaurants and souvenir shops nearby the hotel. The hotel manager, Mr Selman, was very nice. He always checked in on us and even helped us to arrange for airport pick up and return.

• Muhammad from Malaysia (8/10)

  Accessible by car. Friendly and helpfull staff. Have lift. Stairs size is good and not very small like other hotel. Stay at room with 1 single and 1 double bed. Comfortable enough to open 3 big luggage. Nice view of the mosque and sea from the roof top. Simple and nice turkish breakfast.

• Shyama from India (8/10)

  It was within walking distance to all the attractions. The host was very helpful and the rooms were neat and cleaned everyday.

• Marco from United Kingdom (9/10)

  Outstanding hospitality – Selman was excellent from beginning to end; he actively reached out to me to see if me and my family (7 other people) were making ourselves feel comfortable during our stay. He even reached out to me a couple weeks before our trip! He helped us arrange transport, recommended good restaurants and also suggested some nice places to visit.
  
  Extremely convenient location – very close proximity to tourist attractions such as Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Eminönü and Cistern Basilica.
  
  Breakfast – good options available, would suggest a few more (and varied) hot food. Otherwise perfect!
  
  Overall the hotel was modest looking, but it is the hospitality that made the stay extremely worthwhile.

• Konrad from Belgium (7/10)

  The location is fantastic, just a few min walk from the historical sites

• Michele from South Africa (8/10)

  The staff were very accommodating and always willing to help. The location is good – close to the main attractions. The view from the terrace is lovely, and there is free coffee throughout the day in the restaurant. Overall a good, budget friendly stay.

• Andrea from Slovakia (8/10)

  Great location, welcoming staff, fine breakfast with nice view

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Facilities