I visited Istanbul with my mother for a few days and our stay at this guest house was something we will remember with happiness and gratitude. We arrived quite late in the evening after a long bus journey from Greece and the welcome we received was exceptional. Our twin room was clean and comfortable, the communal roof terrace afforded great views, the breakfast was delicious and the location incredibly convenient for the big sights of Sultanahmet. Best of all, however, was the kindness we were shown by our hosts. Istanbul is a vast and busy place and to come back here after sightseeing was always a pleasure. We would love to return.

Everything was perfect.

The hosts at Berk Guest House are incredibly friendly and have fostered a true guest house feeling that encourages conversation and bonding among the guests, something I especially appreciated when traveling alone. They hosted a family dinner and every evening guests would gather on the rooftop to chat and catch the panoramic view of the Bosphorus as the ships come in. Their full Turkish breakfast with Turkish coffee (in a quintessential Mediterranean blue-and-white patio) is a great start every morning, to have the energy to explore far and wide (note that Istanbul like Rome is built on seven hills!) And its location is perfect for sightseeing in the Sultanahmet! I was able to visit Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Çemberlitaş Hamam, the Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Grand Bazaar, Galata Bridge, the Archaeology Museum, and take a sunset cruise on the Bosphorus in one long weekend with a Megapass and Berk Guest House as my home base (this was a solo stopover returning home from a longer trip with family). I also had an afternoon to cross the Golden Horn to visit Karaköy/Kabataş/Beyoglu/Galipdede Cd. for cafes and musical instrument shopping—I particularly enjoyed Mr. Frog's for vinyl records, Istanbul Ritim for cymbals, Curve Cafe, and all the antique shops and hipster hangouts. I look forward to visiting again, next time for a longer trip!

It's no surprise this place has a 5-star rating—it truly deserves it! From the owner to the staff, everyone was amazing. I couldn't find a single fault in their service. The location is super convenient, tucked right behind the Four Seasons Hotel and just a short walk from the Hagia Sophia. If you're taking the tram, hop off at the Sultanahmet station. The view from the top terrace is stunning—you can spot the Hagia Sophia and enjoy a breathtaking view of the sea. Breakfast was a special treat, served fresh and made right when we sat down. I believe the lovely lady running this place is named Yesim, who inherited the property from her grandmother. She’s incredibly warm, caring, and has a motherly touch that makes you feel right at home. I highly recommend this spot for anyone looking to stay in the heart of the city with unbeatable hospitality! Eğer bir gün tekrar İstanbul’u ziyaret edersem, kesinlikle yine burayı tercih ederim. Seni seviyorum, Anne ❤️

There's nothing I could think of to complain about—like I said, I loved everything about this place, especially the fantastic location!

The hotel is a 3 minute walk from the Hagia Sophia mosque and all the other major attractions in Istanbul. So, the location is perfect. The hotel staff and owners are great, and willing to help with anything. The value of the hotel was very good. The breakfast was very good and filling as well. I'd easily stay here again if I came to Istanbul.

I wish the room had more outlets. I wish the shower and bathroom was larger. But, I paid for the cheapest room, and I got very good value for what I paid for, so I can't complain at all. Even with these "wishes", I still easily gave the place a 10 because of it's many positives. It's a basic, clean, friendly, safe, adequate hotel. It's not a fancy boutique hotel, but it's what I expected and paid for, and got.

Grandma's House is 2 blocks away from the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia and the lively plaza in between. It is a 15-minute walk to the Grand Baazar. Perfectly situated, the guest house and its owners make you feel welcome and at home right upon arrival. They surprised us with some dolma for dinner and prepared sandwiches for us to take for our early flight since we'd miss breakfast. We had a lovely view of the 2 Mosques from our terrace. The room is cozy and comfortable. We had a lovely stay!

The only things I would mention is that you can't pay with a credit card, only cash, and that the taxi that was ordered came 10 minutes late, but we still had plenty of time to get to the airport.

Perfect location. View from the terrace to both Marmara sea and Hagia Sophia (and my room had a beautiful veiw to Marmara sea). Cozy and authentic interior. You feel natural, similar feeling I only had in one hotel in Paris that was centuries old. Many nice touches in the interior. Welcoming and kind of strict manager :) Note the books on one of the photos - there's been quite an amount of study done :)

This is not a luxury hotel. If you're looking for luxury, there's Four Seasons just opposite. Some might find this hotel a bit incapacious. But if you're more into "how real it feels" than "how luxurious it is" - this is a good choice.

The location can't be beat. Just steps away from major attractions, restaurants, grocery stores, shopping, etc. The staff were extremely friendly and attentive. Having a full breakfast included was also nice.

The WiFi was horrible- useless is a better word. I ended up turning it off and using my cell data. The air conditioner was not up to the task. It only got up to 28C while we were there and with the unit set to 18C the whole time, it would barely get it down to 24C or so in the room by morning. I told the owner who checked on it and said that it was working fine. It was hard to get to sleep with it that hot in the room early in the evening. It also made a loud gurgling noise every 5-10 minutes.

The hotel is very close to Hagia Sophia which is a big plus. The hotel is clean, the towels are changed daily, there is an elevator to the upper floors, intimate, everything with great taste. Public parking in front to hotel and at 200m from the hotel. But the biggest gain is the family that owns this hotel, they are completely and utterly delightful people, with whom I resonated from the beginning. They are very attentive to the wishes of tourists, always present at the location. Delicious breakfast, homemade cakes and Turkish coffee served in a dreamy setting with old music at the pick-up... ❤️ We can't imagine staying anywhere else the next time we visit Istanbul. Thank you Yesim and Ahmed for everything!

Not aplicabile!

Great location! Very walkable neighborhood. Close to major sights, and it's also close to public transportation. The hosts are very hospitable and very helpful with any information you may need. The breakfast is delicious! The rooms are basic (with a tiny bathroom) but clean and tidy. You can't be the location though!

I believe in transparency, and at booking one of the options for payment is credit card. That's simply not the case. Cash payment is required at check in. Paying by card simply isn't an option.

The atmosphere of the hotel is really warm. I was travelling with my son, were given two separate beds, checked in earlier. While waiting for the check - in were given water and waited in the inner yard which is really nice. In the same yard we had breakfast (The breakfast has everything you might want, tea, coffee, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, some home made pastry, fruit, cereals, and many others). We were even offered real Turkish coffee 😊I liked the terrace on the roof too, with nice view. The staff are very warm, we were feeling comfortable all the time. The way from the hotel to the airport too 1.5 hours by tram (the stop is 250 metres) and metro, all connections are fast and easy. Definitely recommend you.