Vacation Rentals by Owner

Loved every minute! A month wasn't enough time!

Guest: Angus M. (-)
Date of Stay: 03/01/12 Review Submitted: 04/06/12

What a fantastic condo, in an equally fantastic city! Have only been home for a week now, and already miss it terribly....I need a kebab fix soon! The owner of this condo, Oya, was so helpful from first contact to the lovely thank you note I just got in the mail today. Just a pleasure to work with. She took the time to help me with my itinerary, and gave great advice about some of the don't-miss-off-the-tourist-radar sights. The condo is a good size (I am guessing 1200 sq ft?). The rooms are a good size, and the beds comfortable. The kitchen and bathrooms are modern and super clean. The washer/dryer is a nice bonus. The dryer takes a long time to dry anything (ventless) so I just hung up my wet clothes and they were dry overnight. The kitchen is very well appointed, although I only ever used the tea kettle, toaster, and microwave. The living area is stylish, and there are floor to ceiling windows with sweeping views of the city. Especially pretty at night. WIFI works GREAT! A real plus when away from home for so long. I encourage any visitor to Istanbul to learn and use the comprehensive public transit system. It is very modern and clean and safe. Istanbulites are so polite! I was offered a seat on the subway many, many times...from teenagers no less! When does that ever happen in the US? Never...that's when! I bought a Transit Pass on the first day. It is valid on all public transport in the city (subway, trams, busses, ferries, funiculars). It saved me hundreds of dollars on taxis. Taxis are plentiful in the city, and the ones that gather at the little taxi stand next to the condo building were all very honest...however, BEWARE of taxis in the touristy old town area! Make sure they turn on the meter. Make sure you have SOME idea of the distance you are about to travel. Make sure you get them to acknowledge the denomination of the bill you are about to give them when it is time to pay. All of these things were a problem for me...but only when in the tourist part of town. You just have to be a smart traveler and pay attention. No need to be obnoxious...just saavy. Friendly neighborhood with lots of little family run shops, as well as a big, splashy, upscale shopping mall a few blocks away. A really cute little park next door...a great place for a stroll during afternoon and evening call to prayer from the little mosque nearby. Traffic is less after dark, so nice and quiet in the condo. I could go on and on! No more characters left!

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Stayed for an entire month....and still hated to leave!

Guest: Angus M. (-)
Date of Stay: 03/01/12 Review Submitted: 04/01/12

I travel extensively, and usually for weeks and sometimes months at a time. For the last several years I have been using VRBO to find a place in whatever city I am headed to. With mixed results. I can say without hesitation that this condo in Istanbul was by far my favorite. The location is ideal for sightseeing. Close to the major sights and yet in an authentic neighborhood that feels like the real Istanbul....not in a tourist-trap area. Great little restaurants, bakeries, mosques, a little park, helpful locals, upscale/sophisticated shopping very close-by as well as friendly little "mom-and-pop" shops all along the street. The condo is on the top floor of a ten-story building, the views are expansive (floor to ceiling windows). The building is well cared for, and the doorman Ahmet is just as nice as he can be...always a pleasure to come home to a smiling face after a long day of sightseeing. I never once heard any noise from any of the neighbors, so the building is obviously well insulated and quiet. The condo itself has a great layout. Views from every window, and the bedrooms are a good size with very comfortable beds (Temporpedic mattresses?). The main bathroom is very modern. Great water pressure in the shower...a nice surprise, and not always a given in a higher floor apartment. I really only used the kitchen to make coffee in the morning, but it looked to be very well stocked with pots, pans, dishes, utensiles, etc. I would encourage any visitor to Istanbul to familiarize themselves with the very comprehensive, ultra clean, very safe, and modern public transport. I bought a "Transit Pass" card on my first day, and it ended up saving me literally hundreds of dollars in taxi fares. It is good for the ferries, subway, funiculars, tramways, and busses. The nearest subway stop, Levent, is about a ten minute walk from the condo (all downhill). Of course coming home was all uphill, but I just jumped in a taxi and for about $4.00 got dropped off right at the front door of the building. BEWARE taking taxis anywhere in the Old Town tourist area, or from the airport! The only problem I ever encountered during my whole time in Istanbul was unscrupulous cab drivers. Also, the traffic is soo bad in Istanbul that taking the subway usually takes about half the time and costs a fraction of a cab ride. Oya was just a pleasure to work with, and the most helpful VRBO owner I have ever encountered. Thank you for everything Oya! Tesekkur Edime! Angus

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Comfortable serenity in near suburbs of bustling fascinating Istanbul

Guest: karen (berkeley, ca, usa)
Date of Stay: 01/23/12 Review Submitted: 02/04/12

Oya is the perfect hostess and knows what creature comforts are needed to make her apartment a home-away-from-home. The clean, spacious and tastefully decorated rooms are usurped only by the amazing views, especially from the living room picture window. Her tips for private tour guides and driver were much appreciated as were the guidebooks in the apartment's library. Most of the tourist sites are in the high pitched bustle of the city center. To get there, we had to put up with severe traffic congestion and confusing transition points on the crowded public transportation system. The return trade-off for the commute downtown is the tranquility of this near suburb. There are plenty of restaurants and shops within walking distance of the apartment, including a big indoor shopping mall.

Owner response:Karen, thank you so much for being a lovely guest. I am happy you were comfortable in the apartment and enjoyed Istanbul. Hope you visit again.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Great place for family

Guest: Pskk2007 (Los Angeles)
Date of Stay: 12/25/11 Review Submitted: 01/10/12

We stay here for a week and we love the place! Three bedroom give everyone some space. Two bathroom really helps......taxi is right there and it is not expensive going anywhere. wi fi is fast. Oya is very helpful. We can not ask for more for a vacation in Istanbul. quite place and it is close to a mall. and small supermarket is right there. we cooked few times and it is modern kitchen, we really like that. Istanbul is a great city which has history and great food. we family of four (kids 7 and 11) all like it. we travel quite bit as family and Istanbul is one of places on our "we will come back" list. Thank you Oya for your help and a great home for us in Istanbul.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Wonderful stay

Guest: Ekin (Oceantownship, New Jersey, USA)
Date of Stay: 08/06/11 Review Submitted: 10/02/11

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the apartment. Apartment is very spacious, clean and modern. It provided all the amenities for a comfortable stay. It had expansive, wonderful views of Istanbul spanning from the first to the second Bosporus Bridge. The neighborhood is very pleasant, safe and clean. There are small, local shops, restaurants as well a large shopping mall, Ak Merkez, within walking distance. Surrounding neighborhoods are equally safe, clean and lively. There are small neighborhood parks as well as a larger municipal park within again an easy walk. We had a car and the apartments provided a free parking area. It was very easy to access the Bosporus shore as well as central areas such as Taksim square. Old city and historic parts are within a 20min drive. Contact persons arranged to meet you and settle you in were very courteous and helpful. Staying at this apartment provides the opportunity to experience contemporary Istanbul city life and observe how it combines the traditional with the modern. We visit Istanbul regularly and we are looking forward to staying at the apartment again.

Owner response:Dear Ekin, thank you very much for your positive impressions. Trying to make our guests as comfortable as we can, we always welcome constructive criticism and are very lucky that our guests have treated the place as their own home.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

A great flat for longer stays in central Istanbul on the European side esp if you have children

Guest: On 6 month sabbatical (San Diego CA USA)
Date of Stay: 06/27/11 Review Submitted: 11/23/11

We stayed in this apartment for two weeks in late June, early July. We have two children, and it was a very comfortable place to stay. The location is superb, easily accessible and has plenty of parking space if you have a car (we did). We loved the views from the main living room as well as the small patio in the back. We also enjoyed Esen Bey's and the owner's hospitality and assistance during our stay. The apartment was exactly as profiled and we loved the little touches like the modern and fully equipped kitchen complete with a garbage disposal! I would consider living in this neighborhood if we ever move to Istanbul so I will keep this apartment in mind as a furnished short-term accommodation if our plans take us to Istanbul for work again. I would also recommend it to any of my friends and relatives with no hesitations whatsoever.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Pretty good stay

Guest: KFK (US)
Date of Stay: 06/20/11 Review Submitted: 07/03/11

We had a good stay. Apartment is not near the tram but taxis are next door and not expensive unless to Sultanahmet where the sights are, or the airport. Bus is hard to figure out. Apartment would benefit from a bed for the 5th person to avoid sleeping on the floor mattress. Walk to Bebek esp. at night is not recommended as quite steep and sidewalk very narrow in places. Proper Turkish food was hard to find there. Contact person was very helpful indeed. Owner was very prompt, reliable and cooperative. Apartment neighborhood is very nice, very residential.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children.

Home away from home!

Guest: Mel (Chicago, Illinois, USA)
Date of Stay: 06/29/10 Review Submitted: 06/03/11

We stayed at Oya's apartment and it exceeded our expectations. It is conveniently located in a respectable neighborhood of Istanbul. AkMerkez Mall is just a short distance away from the apartment where you can do your shopping including groceries. There is a Taxi Cab stand right next to the building and they will take you to wherever you like 24/7. Bebek is a short cab ride away - great area to walk along the Bosphorus. If you are into hiking, you can probably walk there but we recommend a cab ride. The Metro station is not easy to find - we recommend you take a cab for the first time. The apartment was clean, great city views, kitchen was well stocked for home cooked meals, beds were comfortable and we felt that all our needs were met. There are several major modern shopping malls nearby but do explore the small shops in the area to get the feel of the neighborhood - most shopkeepers speak some english so there was not a language barrier. There are many guidebooks in the apartment for you to read about Istanbul.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Comfortable, modern, spacious Istanbul retreat

Guest: BKL48 (Cocoa, FL/USA)
Date of Stay: 03/20/10 Review Submitted: 03/26/10

We wanted to experience time in both old and new Istanbul . This location is a nice, peaceful retreat to modern Istanbul after a day in the historic, tourist areas. Condo has sweeping views of Bosphorus and one of the bridges in the distance. Neighborhood seems safe and friently and is walking distance to Akmerkez shopping mall and offers bakery, grocery stores, taxi stand and other conveniences within block or two. English is not widely spoken but we always found someone who could help. Ride taxi to/from airport (~ 50 YTL). We then used metro/funnicular/tram/bus to explore city after short taxi ride to Levent or bus to Kabatas. Sights to see: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Bosphorus cruise, Chora Church, City wall, Archilogical Museum and Istiklal St walk from Taksim Sq. Slleeping accomodation: queen(?) bed, pull out couch and couch. Owner was quick to respond to questions on appliance operation. Check-in/check-out very smooth and easy.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Guest: Virginia Belland (Littleton, Colorado, USA)
Date of Stay: 11/17/09 Review Submitted: 11/17/09

We were so very pleased with our stay in this unit. The owner was very helpful in helping us with suggestions of places to go and services in the area. The unit was conveniently located to sites we wanted to visit with shopping and a mini-mart within walking distance. A taxi stand was just around the corner for convenience. The unit was in a secure building (we felt very safe), with a building manager/supervisor on site. The unit had a marvelous view from the 10th floor! The unit was beautifully decorated and furnished with the most updated appliances, a telephone, cable TV with English channel, and even a router for Internet connections. We are frequent travelers and we can truly say that this was one of the best values we have ever had!

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Guest: K.Cave (Oakham UK)
Date of Stay: 10/14/09 Review Submitted: 10/14/09

There are many apartments to select from in Istanbul's main tourist areas. However, if you are like me and want to stay somewhere quieter but within easy access of the tourist sites this is an ideal choice. The condo is on the top floor of a residental apartment building and quiet but that doesn't mean that you are away from things completely. In fact, it is in a thriving Istanbul neighbourhood, within easy walking distance of 3 shopping malls, the Metro (subway system)and just outside your door you have access to a number of grocery stores, restaurants and bakeries and a park. The owner was a real pleasure to deal with and the building's caretaker who doesn't speak English was still very helpful and we managed to communicate with relative ease. Sign language and a few Turkish words went a long way.

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"Roomy and Comfortable with a Fantastic View of the City"

Guest: J. Batson, Oregon, USA
Date of Stay: 09/26/09 Review Submitted: 02/03/10

"Just wanted to thank you for a lovely stay in your Istanbul apartment. We had a wonderful time and it was a great headquarters for us. Roomy and comfortable, with a fantastic view of the City! The sofa bed was perfectly comfortable, as advertised. And you were right, of course, about the neighborhood: quiet and pleasant. The shopkeepers were all friendly and helpful. We all swooned over the baklava from the bakery. As you predicted, we fell in love with Istanbul. What a lively, vibrant old city! We feel like we went everywere (thanks to the wonderful tour guide you suggested) and did everything and still just scratched the surface. We are looking forward to a return visit someday. My most striking impression was of the peple who were uniformly friendly, charming and welcoming. A great experience! Thank you, again, for helping make our trip such a happy adventure.

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Guest: Roberto F. (Montreal, Canada)
Date of Stay: 09/09/09 Review Submitted: 09/09/09

This is a great apartment with incredible views, safe neighborhoods, and easy access to all the major sites by the modern metro and tramway systems, including beautiful parts of Istanbul along the European shore of the Bosphorus. There is a very reliable taxi stand 20 meters from the exit of the building, plus several shops to do one's groceries, plus 4 shopping centers within a 5-20 min walking distance. Dealing with the owner was a pleasure, straightforward and insightful to enjoying our stay in this unique city.

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"Great apartment"

Guest: R. Figueroa, Montreal, Canada
Date of Stay: 08/28/09 Review Submitted: 02/03/10

"This is a great apartment with incredible views, safe neighborhoods and very easy access to all major sites by the modern metro and tramway systems, including beautiful parts of Istanbul along the European shore of the Bosphorus. There is a very reliable taxi stand 20 meters from the exit of the building, plus several shops to do one's groceries, plus 4 shopping centers within a 5-20 minute walking distance. Dealing with the owner was a pleasure, straightforward and insightful, to enjoying our stay in this unique city."

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"Thriving Istanbul neighborhood"

Guest: K. Cave, Oakham, UK
Date of Stay: 07/16/09 Review Submitted: 02/03/10

"There are many apartments to select from in Istanbul's main tourist areas. However, if you are like me and want to stay somewhere quieter but within easy access to the transit sites, this is an ideal choice. The condo is on the top floor of a residential apartment building and quiet. But, that doesn't mean that you are away from things completely. In fact, it is in a thriving Istanbul neighborhood, within easy walking distanbce of 3 shoping malls, the Metro and, just outside your door, you have access to a number of grocery stores, restaurants, bakeries and a park. The owner was a real pleasure to deal with and the building's caretaker, who doesn't speak English, was still very helpful and we managed to communicate with relative ease. Sign language and few Turkish words went a long way."

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