Istanbul hotel

Why fret over a dozen hotels, all which look the same? 7 years in TU and we never booked a hotel room in advance. Chill out.

My wife and I stayed at the Side June last year. Has a range of room types (room and shared toilet/shower etc, room and own facilites with options for TV and Air con). Clean, tidy, well run and centrally located. We were very happy with it.

I'm sitting outside the Mavi right now. I stayed here seven nights in July and I'm checking in again today - which should be enough recommendation for any place.

It's full every night but usually has a few vacancies in the morning. The doubles are perpetually full so you'd need to book well in advance for those, but if you want a bed in a dorm or on the roof, you'll probably get something.

The included breakfasts are "Turkish" - an egg, some tomato, some cucumber, some cheese and jam spreads, and lots of bread. The facilities are OK but nothing special. The dorms can get hot and stuffy. When I booked a bus through them and compared what I paid with the ticket the bus company issued, I learned that they charge 5 YTL commission - which is pretty standard.

On the other hand it's a great place to hang out and meet up with people.

I stayed a couple nights at Cordial House in May. It was fine, except for their practice of charging a currency conversion fee to anyone who wants to pay in Turkish Lira rather than their preferred Euros. Not a lot, but annoying still.

The Sultan is a nice enough place, 20 YTL per night for a bed in a four-person dorm. The rooftop is alright, nothing special, but the main benefits are an excellent bathroom in said dorms and a good location. Breakfast is provided but, as is the case in all these hostels, it is meager and as described above.

Don't be tempted into the Orient - they're a bunch of money-grabbers who enjoy charging for things as simple as reading guidebooks left by previous travellers. They rely on their placement in the Middle East Lonely Planet guide for business and they treat almost everyone like crap.