Ajwa Hotel Sultanahmet

The only disappointing part of my stay at this hotel was the way their private Istanbul city tour and boat tour were promoted. When we arrived, the front desk and bell service were attentive and excellent. They invited us to sit down and served us a welcome drink, which made for a very nice first impression. However, while we were enjoying the drink, the concierge approached us and began promoting their private city tour using the hotel vehicle. When explaining the package, it sounded like there would be a guide who would explain the history of Istanbul and point out interesting places and food spots. Unfortunately, that was not what we experienced. There was no tour guide and no explanation about the historical sites or places of interest. In reality, it felt more like a chauffeur service. To be fair, the driver was professional, did a good job driving, and tried to communicate with us. But overall the experience fell short of what was described. Another issue was the lack of transparency in pricing. The tour cost €395 for a 4–5 hour private tour, but the tax was never mentioned beforehand. We were surprised by an additional 20% charge when settling the payment. I’m not saying you shouldn’t book the tour, but I would strongly recommend asking for very clear details about what is included before agreeing. The actual experience may not match what is verbally described by the concierge team.

An absolutely amazing hotel with quality luxury service and touch points from both Turkey and Azerbaijan. We absolutely love the hotel and the mansion is something special plus the art gallery. I highly recommend you check out every floor. There is an artist featured on each floor and the owner clearly has a Professional view of how a five star luxury property should be showcase well done to the team and the staff appreciation from a Canadian and his wife.

A very interesting hotel stylistically that fits with old town Istanbul and the greater area. The staff tries very hard and curiously the food in the 8th floor restaurant is REALLY good with great views!!!!

What an absolutely stunning hotel with the loveliest staff. Everyone was so warm and welcoming and professional, and totally pampered us. It was my daughter's 10th birthday, and they left a surprise birthday cake in her room (which of course delighted her!) and then multiple staff members wished her a happy birthday as we came in and out of the hotel-- she was spoiled in the best way possible :) We felt so cared for, and cannot wait to return to Istanbul and stay here again! I think my kids would rebel if I ever booked another hotel- not that I would want to!

The hotel has quite a nice Turkish atmosphere. The rooms are all different. The beds are not all Kingsize and we found them overly firm. If that’s important to you you may want to think twice. The staff did everything thing they could to improve the bed for us. We changed rooms and they added foam. The restaurant, on the top floor, has a fabulous view. The breakfast is pretty good, a nice buffet with the kitchen making your choice of eggs, crepes, or pancakes. Our biggest problem was how far the hotel is from where you want to be. If you’re a hiker, no problem. If you’re older or have any sort of injury it’s a long walk up hill. The taxis in the old town don’t like to come to this hotel because of the heavy traffic in the old town. They flat out refuse most of the time or charge you exorbitant amounts. We were quoted 80 Canadian dollars for a ride that should have cost $7. The hotel told us they had a shuttle but in reality they call you a taxi to go into town. There is nothing to help you get back. There’s no public transit near the hotel. This impacted where we could dine as well. On the positive side, the spa is fabulous! The hotel comped us 2 spa treatments and I had an AMAZING full body scrub and massage that I will remember forever. This hotel rates itself a 5 star but after staying in many 5 stars across the world we would give it 3 stars on a good day.