Violin Hotel Sultanahmet

Very good hotel

Gooodddd

Daughter and owner of hotel demanded that my payment for the hotel room hadn't gone through and I was to pay (again) for the hotel in full. They insisted I had to draw out the cash. Knowing I had paid through Booing.com/Last minute I refused. The owner told me to pay within an hour or he would check me out. On our return the owner his daughter and two brothers were all shouting at me and aggressively demanding I pay the full amount which I continued to refuse to do. They were very intimidating and it was frightening to have 3 adult men directing their anger and being verbally aggressive in a small lobby area. Eventually they told me to leave the lobby, having no idea if this was resolved, would happen again or where I stood. For the remainder of the holiday they would not clean our room or provide clean towels and the atmosphere was extremely hostile and unpleasant. Last minute confirmed via email that they had paid the hotel for our visit. Apart from this there were lots of things missing from the room that it stated were included, no sofa no extra bed that was supposed to be available, no tea and coffee facilities and no safety deposit box, nor was the reception covered 24 hours. There was also a horrible sewage smell from the bathroom. I hope future travellers heed this warning and I would advise swerve this hotel completely and if you do decide for some reason to stay there, do not fall for the scam they are trying to pull.

We have made reservation through ***********. Hotel reception pushed us to pay in cash because my card "does not work". When I said I just used it in the nearby restaurant, they said their "internet system does not work with cards". So we had to pay all sum in cash and they refused to provide any official receipt. After that they send information to Booking com that we "cancelled" and "never appeared" although we have stayed there. The hotel suite has no aircondition in bedrooms. They do not change towels every day. And they cheated that the suite has a view to the sea - it has no view at all. Cheap place, overrated. Be aware.

Very friendly welcome, we arrived early but the hotel next door work together with Violin so they took our bags until it was time to check in. Housekeeping was very good. Own key for the outside door meant easy come easy go. Would have loved a kettle in the room though the owner did offer to make tea anytime. Aircon worked very well and fridge was useful.

Great location for easy access to sultanahmet. The tram from there will get you to most popular locations. The hotel is clean, staff are polite.

Pros: The standard room we booked was small but practical for a 3-4 night stay. The location is great - walking distance to Sultanahmet Square and close to tram/bus stops. The wifi connection was very stable. The room was cleaned every day. You can park for free on the street right in front of the hotel. Cons: The drain in the bathroom does not work well and it leaves a foul smell that lingers (the bathroom could have been cleaned better in general). Overall, for the price, it offers decent accommodation in Istanbul for a couple of nights.