Water and Topkapki Palace Vus! 3 Bdrm,1 1/4 Bath, Galata Area

• Great location and rooftop

  Great location and rooftop

  • Guest Makayla
  • Date of stay 04/13/12
  • Review Submitted 04/20/12
  We had a wonderful stay in Istanbul. Davide, the apartment manager, coordinated transportation for us from the airport which was great. He also gave us some tips and advice on touring the city once we arrived at the apartment. We were a bit hesitant upon arrival at the apartment b/c of the shabby appearance of the building entrance as well as the foyer area. However, once inside our apartment we felt very comfortable. The apartment was spacious and had everything we needed. The views from the living room windows were amazing and the rooftop had an unbelievable view of the city! We spent several evenings enjoying the sunsets and drinking wine from the local supermarket (which is very near the building). Also, the men who sit outside the building are sort of like doormen and are very nice and pleasant to speak to. We had several conversations with them. The apartment is on the top floor so and there is not elevator. We are pretty active people, but are legs were still burning by the time we go to the top! Definitely worth it though. We also loved how many locals were in our neighborhood vs tourists. There are some great restaurants nearby and we didn't make reservations anywhere. We really enjoyed the Galata House which has some great reviews on Trip Advisor. There are also several fruit stands nearby where you can buy some fresh produce. Lastly, we were blown away by the call to prayers that echoed around the city several times a day. A very surreal experience. Great trip!

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, adventure seekers.

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• Wonderful apt.in every way!

  Wonderful apt.in every way!

  • Guest Barbara C.
  • Date of stay 10/06/11
  • Review Submitted 10/26/11
  My husband and I and another couple stayed here for 5 days in October 2011. We loved every part of this place. The owner arranged a cab for us, both ways, to the airport, which was very helpful as we arrived late in the day and this is off the main road. And the place itself is a gem. The rooftop is of course gorgeous, the pictures cannot do justice to the panoramic view one has. But the apt is spacious and airy as well, with large windows on two sides of the living room offering views as well, and lots of space to spread out (assuming no one is using the two beds in the section off the living area). The bedrooms are of course tiny, as they are in any city apt. But the beds were comfortable, and the shower was roomier than many in Europe. And the large kitchen, with a separate dining area, was a rare treat. Everything was clean, in great working order, and the wi fi never let us down. It is very easy to walk across the Galata Bridge to the older section of town, though there are many wonderful restaurants and shops in the neighborhood itself. The staff was helpful and available, and spoke excellent English. We speak no Turkish and had no trouble getting around, no problems communicating with people in the neighborhood or anywhere in the city for that matter, the Turkish people were so gracious and accomodating. I would rent this place again in a heartbeat.

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• Excellent apartment in every way

  Excellent apartment in every way

  • Guest Barbara C.
  • Date of stay 10/06/11
  • Review Submitted 10/22/11
  My husband and I and another couple stayed here for 3 days in October 2011. We loved every part of this place. The owner arranged a cab for us, both ways, to the airport, which was very helpful. And the place itself is a gem. The rooftop is of course gorgeous, the pictures cannot do justice to the panoramic view one has. But the apt is spacious and airy as well, with large windows on two sides of the living room. The bedrooms are of course tiny, as they are in any city apt. But the shower was roomier than many in Europe and the eat in kitchen was a rare treat. It is very easy to walk across the Galata Bridge to the older section of town, and there are many wonderful restaurants in the neighborhood itself. The staff was helpful and available, spoke excellent English. We speak no Turkish and had no trouble getting around, no problems communicating with people in the neighborhood or anywhere in the city for that matter, the Turkish people were so gracious and accomodating.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, girls getaway, tourists without a car.

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• Loved It!

  Loved It!

  • Guest Navy Family
  • Date of stay 04/07/11
  • Review Submitted 04/20/11
  We stayed here over the kids' spring break and loved it. As the others mentioned, this complex is located on a steep hill and you need to climb 5 flights of stairs to reach it but the payoff is worth it. Also, they had stripped the pavement on the street while we were there but that project should be done by the time you go to Istanbul. Elif, the property manager, is very responsive. She will even arrange airport car service for you at a very reasonable rate (which I would recommend, especially if traveling with lots of baggage and/or people). My husband came a day later than us so he took the Metro + tram to the Karakoy (Galata) stop from the airport and did fine but it's a little tricky to navigate (and you do have to watch out for pickpockets). The beds in the flat were great. There were 5 of us staying there: 1 grandfather, 2 teens, and my husband and myself so we felt very fortunate to pay the price of one hotel room/night for the 5 of us to stay together in the flat. FYI - There is no elevator so the amount of steps was tricky for my father; hence, make sure you're in shape if you stay here (my husband and I are runners and had no problem and my kids never complained so they were fine, too). I also want to warn tourists that you will hear a very loud call to prayers everyday at sunrise (whether you stay in this flat or anywhere else in the city). As everyone has mentioned, the rooftop views were spectacular! It was great to end our day drinking a bottle of Turkish wine on the roof, looking at the Bosphorus as well as the old city and Asia as we sat and talked about our day. There are several markets within a block of the flat so you'll have no problem stocking up for food. Also, I recommend any of the food vendors within 30 feet of the front door ... there were some days that we got back from a late lunch so we just sent the kids down to grab us sandwiches (doner kebabs) for a light dinner. Lastly, we did fly to Ephesus for the day (via Izmir). I would strongly recommend doing this if you want to explore something outside of Istanbul. We used the "About Ephesus" tour team (Mr. Teleri) for those arrangements (since the company had great reviews on Trip Advisor). Bottom line: great flat, great price, very responsive owner and manager, and wonderful city. Enjoy!

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, adventure seekers.

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• wonderful stay

  wonderful stay

  • Guest anit
  • Date of stay 05/07/10
  • Review Submitted 04/15/11
  We had a wonderful stay at this apartment! The view from the rooftop-terrace is gorgeous, the apartment spacious enough for all 8 of us (even the bed in the 3rd bedroom is only 1,20m wide) and the location in Beyoglu wonderful to experience a real neighborhood of Istanbul. As Istanbul is hilly and the apartment is in a walk up building, be steady on your feet! Just one thing: travelling with 8 girls is always challenging regarding the "bathroom-question". In this case "1,25 baths" means, a toilet without a washbasin and a small bathroom with shower and washbasin. But to the overall experience that point is to be ignored.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, girls getaway, tourists without a car.

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• great location

  great location

  • Guest eddy
  • Date of stay 01/29/11
  • Review Submitted 02/23/11
  This is a beautiful flat and we had a wonderful time, although it wasn’t a long enough visit. The view is gorgeous and we loved having access to the roof top with the most fantastic view of Bosphorus and Golden Horn. Breathtaking! We definitely want to come back and stay in this flat. Great location too. Eddy (Malaysia)

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, romantic getaway, tourists without a car.

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• Made our trip

  Made our trip

  • Guest Leo
  • Date of stay 09/08/10
  • Review Submitted 09/14/10
  Visited Istanbul with 5 of my friends for about a week beginning of September 2010. The accommodation made our days. We travel together quite a bit and always prefer rentals to hotels so we know the difference between a so-so place and a marvel: this one truly is a gem. The overall impression of the trip is very mixed (loved the Bosphorous and everything that had to do with various bodies of water but a) there's only that much kebab you can eat and it's way too prevalent in the restaurants b) the end of Ramadan is not the time to visit a Muslim country c) the main sites were a bit disappointing). However whatever minor concerns my friends or I have had throughout the day they were all taken away by the comfort of our home. We've had plenty of room for the 6 of us (there are two separate bedrooms plus a curtain-closed alcove near the veranda), plus the kitchen and a dining area. We haven't really used the kitchen so I can't say much though it looked pretty well equipped. We have made use of the veranda and it was very nice and comfy but it pales next to the seriously to-die-for roof terrace. And the roof terrace is the main reason we've had so much fun this trip. Every night we had our own little party (twice with our Turkish neighbors which was absolutely priceless). I brought a dock station for my iPhone, there was a power outlet up on the roof and we sat up on the roof drinking our scotch and talking about the peculiarities of life watches the city, the Bosporus and the Golden Horn at our feet. There's plenty of places to go out at night in Istanbul - in fact the entire Taksim is just a one huge diner/dancer but you have to be prepared to have to yell across the table even when you're seated outside. Your own outside takes care of that problem for you. Just don't get too carried away - we got yelled at a couple of times but generally Galata is a very noise-tolerant area. The location is excellent: you're five minutes away from the tram line that connects you to wherever you might wanna go to and Taksim is just up the hill. The only letdown is that the area in fact is a hill going back from the train station you have to walk up a 60 degree angle street. Also, the building doesn't have an elevator so be ready to carry your sunscreen all the way to the fifth floor. However we survived. The experience is worth the trip.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, girls getaway, tourists without a car, adventure seekers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

Additional information about rental rates

This rate reflects a 25% discount off regular rates.

30% total for deposit, balance paid on arrival

Additional Fees and Taxes:

Taxes are included in the rate. There is a one-time $70 cleaning/prep fee. Airport meeting/driver is $45 from Ataturk Airport.