My wife and I stayed at the President hotel for three nights. The stay was comfortable, though there can be noise from nearby rooms or the corridor at times. I was disappointed that although our booking was for a double, and we were given a room with a double bed , the room was very narrow. When we returned we looked at the rooms shown on the website and found that the room we had stayed in has been classified as a single, and therefore feel we had paid for something better but not got it.

We also booked the Bosphorous afternoon cruise thru the hotel and were told it would leave the hotel by bus at 1 pm and we would return by 6 pm. Firstly we returned by 4.15 pm itself, and secondly we spent more time on the bus to and from the waterfront, picking up and dropping other tourists from hotel to hotel , on the way. This took a total of about one and a half hours, and the cruise itself was only one and a half hours ! All this was not made clear at all when we booked the tour at the hotel reception. We felt it was too much to pay 25 euros per person for this experience .

We also booked the dinner and show at the Orient House next door ( not sure whether this belongs to the hotel, but it is in the same building and the hotel markets it and takes bookings ). We paid 55 euros each. The show was OK, including some belly dances, Ottoman military band, a so called whirling dervish ( who merely twirled a few times ! ) etc. But the dinner was very bad. The starter was fine, but the main course of grilled vegetables was very ordinary, and the dessert consisted of a few pieces of sliced fruit which had been cut several hours ago. We are vegetarians, but surely there are many vegetarian desserts available there ?

Net net we felt let down by the cruise and the show, we recommend you do not take these

I stayed 6 nights in Istanbul, 3 at the BW President and 3 at the Barcelo Saray which is very near and both are 4 stars.

- HOTEL: looks new, comfortable, big reception area, with restaurants and bars, shop, small swimming pool, sauna (10 euros fee), free WIFI and business room with 4 computers. Friendly and helpful staff. Great views to Marmara Sea from the roof.

- ROOM: I got a clean, big and comfortable room with big bathroom. It is very silent at night but ask for a room far from the lift, otherwise people coming late night will bother you. You have free WIFI.

- BREAKFAST: insufficient for this hotel category/price. Not enough choice of warm dishes (no bacon or sausages) and fresh fruit, no fresh juices.

- LOCATION: located close to Bezayit Square and Grand Bazaar. It is at a walking distance to most highlights in the old city and you have a tram stop just 100 meters away. The street is quite dark at night, but I think it is safe.

- AIRPORT TRANSFER/DROP-OFF: if you stay 3 nights or more and book it through their page you get this service free.


During the 3 nights at the BW (may 8th to the 11th) there was a bank holiday in France and the F1 price was going on, so the prices were very high (119, 149 and 149 euros each night for a single room) and most similar hotels with better prices were full. Anyway, it seems it is their standard rate. I paid 80 for the Barcelo Saray and with the exception of the room size and got an slightly better hotel. If you get a room for less than 100 euros you may find convenient to go here, otherwise for that price you can get better deals.

Reading reviews and exploring the hotel website convinced us to book this hotel and we were not disappointed. Through the website, I learned that the hotel will pick you up at the airport in a van for only 25 euros total, not per person. We gladly took advantage of this service and a driver was waiting for us when we landed at the Istanbul airport at 1 a.m. While he did not speak English, he was very friendly and helpful with our excessive amount of luggage. The hotel staff was waiting for us, friendly and fluent in English. Our non-smoking room, while not very large, was perfectly fine, clean and comfortable as was the bathroom. We had been traveling a long time and enjoyed nice hot showers. We were also happy to find a stocked mini-bar. After sleeping very well in the comfortable bed, we enjoyed a buffet breakfast in a rooftop dining room with stupendous views. The breakfast was so-so, but that's not why we chose this hotel. After checking out, the hotel stored our luggage and we explored on foot. The hotel is very well located!! We walked to the Blue Mosque in less than 15 minutes and from there to the Haj Sophia and an underground cistern (amazing). In the afternoon, we shopped at the Grand Bazaar, which was practically across the main road nearest the hotel. While in Istanbul, you might also consider taking in a dinner show at the Orient House (next door to the hotel) While pricey, we did enjoy it. Beware, smoking is allowed. We had a cozy table for two, which was a little elevated and separate from most other tables so that helped. There were 3 bellydancers and several folk dancing and musical performances as well as a whirling dervish. The food was fine. So, it was probably worth it. In short, I would definitely return to this hotel. It was certainly a very good value and met all our needs more than satisfactorily!

It is very hard to choose the hotel in Istanbul, as it is a huge city situated in 3 parts. But we were very satisfied with our choise. It is conviniently located, close to Grand Bazaar, many coffee shops, Sophia mosque is also within walking distance.
We loved the breakfast. Breakfast room is situated on the top floor with a nice view to the sea. The choise of food is very big and they also serve hot chocolate!
Every morning they put in your room a newsletter with information about city, people, thing to do and tips. It is very well made and was very helpful.
The only thing that was a little disappointing that it is a chain hotel that is missing a touch of local feeling. You know what I mean? Something traditional to Turkey...
Otherwise, our stay stay was very enjoyable and I recommend it to the Istanbul explorers.