Ottoman Hotel Imperial - Special Class

Very great service and a special mention for Sevgi, a lovely staff who works at the hotel restaurant Matbah. She was always welcoming and extremely attentive and helpful every morning at breakfast. The hotel's location is very convenient and you can hear the prayers very clearly from Hagia Sophia.

The location of this hotel is perfect for visitors to the Sultanahmet. Directly across from Hagia Sophia, many rooms (like mine) have wonderful views of the mosque.

Stained glass windows adorn the entry way to the beautiful hotel lobby and I was greeted by ERSE at the reception desk who provided me with helpful information throughout my week long visit. My room was spotless, the room lighting was excellent, the bed was very comfortable (and extra pillows were already provided) and the bathroom was updated with modern amenities. The housekeeping staff is excellent.

The view of the city from the dining room on the main floor was breathtaking and I was greeted warmly each morning by both YUSUF and SEVGI as I made my way to a white cloth covered table of my choice. An extensive breakfast buffet was included in the price of the room and omelettes of various kinds are also available at no additional charge. A magnificent dome of stained glass rises in the middle of the restaurant ,

Upon checkout, the charming young man at reception took charge of my pre-paid taxi reservation to the airport. Not only did he reconfirm my reservation, but he drove me in the hotel shuttle to meet the taxi and handled my luggage.

This hotel is also an excellent value as my total room rate was less than $100 per night.

This lovely boutique hotel is ideally situated directly across from the Haghia Sophia Mosque. I was lucky to have a bedroom overlooking the Mosque, which was rather special. I was directly under one of the Minaret's, so wakened by the Call to Prayer every morning, but that added to the atmosphere!
The hotel is elegant and historic, and the staff were really kind and helpful. The lovely Sevgi in the restaurant deserves a special mention as she went out of her way to make me feel very welcome. The waiters in the restaurant were also charming and helpful.
I loved the central location of this hotel. It is beside one of the best known landmarks in Istanbul, so impossible to get lost.
I had a premium double room which had a lovely big bathroom. The room was very comfortable and had a small fridge but no minibar. Thecweather was cold but my room was always comfortably warm.
Breakfast was served in the dining room which had a lovely view out over buildings and a courtyard. It was a lovely view with domes and minarets, very atmospheric.

Our stay at the Ottoman Imperial Hotel was absolutely wonderful from start to finish. The location is perfect, just steps away from Hagia Sophia, making it ideal for exploring the heart of Istanbul.

The welcome was warm and professional, and the entire staff made us feel truly valued throughout our stay. A special thank you goes to Mr. Erhan at reception with a fantastic welcoming and Ms. Sevgi and Ms. Simge, who were incredibly kind, attentive, and always ready to help with a smile. Their hospitality made a real difference and added a personal touch to our experience.

The food was delicious, fresh, and well-prepared, with a great variety that we enjoyed every day. Everything was served with care and attention to detail.

Overall, this hotel combines excellent service, great food, a fantastic location, and outstanding staff. We highly recommend the Ottoman Imperial Hotel and would happily return again.

Our room was right outside the hagia sophia incredible view right near the minerets you could hear the call to prayer everyone was so nice and the food that was great must try the cherry jam pairs well with a croissant 🥐

We came from the USA and stayed at Ottoman Hotel Imperial for 5 nights. Everything was great from the beginning to the end. The location is perfect — very close to all major attractions and right next to the train station, which made getting around very easy.
The hotel services were very good and the staff was always helpful and friendly. Special thanks to the ladies in the breakfast room, Sevgi and Simge — they provided perfect service every morning, always smiling and very attentive. They really made our stay more enjoyable.

Sevgi and Tuncay were great breakfasts hosts. Fresh omelettes were provided every morning. The staff were all welcoming and friendly.

Istanbul is huge and we were a bit worried about having to travel to get to the main sites. No need to worry as this is at the heart of it all, in the middle of the old city and everything in easy walking distance.

A gorgeous boutique hotel with amazing restaurant and staff who couldn’t be more helpful. A sanctuary from the bustle of the streets.

Thanks for the stay, we really enjoyed it

The small hotel has charme is is located right next to the Hagia Sophia. The rooms are nicely decorated. It is ideal for sightseeing as it lays directly in the heart of old Constantinople. Prices are ok.

Nice hotel in front of Santa Sofía.
The staff was very kind and the waitress Sergi was wonderful and sympathetic.
Very pleasant days in Estambul

The Ottoman Hotel Imperial offers a wonderful value and a perfect location for visiting the key sites of the old town in Sultanahmet. The Topkapi Palace, the Hagia Sophia, and the Basilica Cistern are literally 1 to 2 minutes on foot from the front door. The lovely Gulhane Park is also just a short walk away.

If you wish, you can book one of the rooms that overlooks the Hagia Sophia and see the faithful going in and coming out, and even hear the prayers from inside the mosque.

The hotel is charming and friendly, and the front desk staff are skilled at arranging your airport transfers. Some of the hotel's infrastructure shows wear and tear, but the location, friendliness and value outweighed any concerns about that for us. 

Breakfast was always made easy and bright with the help of Sevgi and Tuncay. The breakfast room itself is lovely - overlooking the minarets and buildings of the old city, and the famous architect Sinan's madrasa. 

We will plan to stay again when we return to Istanbul.

It was an amazing experience with my family in Istanbul , at this hotel .
First of all , the breakfast was delightful , but the customer service , the personnel (staff) was incredible , Sevgi and Tuncay .
Second of all , the location is ,,strategic,, next to Topkapi ‘ s wall and to the city centre , plus the public transport possibilities .
I recommend it to all tourists

Our experience at Hotel Ottoman Imperial was absolutely amazing. Beautiful location, beautiful rooms and very friendly staff. I especially enjoyed seeing Sevgi every day, she made our stay at the hotel amazing. Tuncay was also a very friendly and helping person.

I stayed at the Ottoman Hotel for a night in October 2025. Some big pluses:

- Amazing location - walkable in 5 minutes to any of Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sofia or Topkapi Palace
- Massively helpful staff
- Good food - both Turkish and cosmopolitan
- Very competitive price.

The accomodation is fairly basic, though I hasten to add it was clean, pleasant and the facilities were good, and it was in line with what I expected for the price.

If someone told me they were visiting Istanbul, I would definitely recommend this option.

I’m not sure where to begin. The rooms are in disrepair. I’m not sure what’s going on. There has been no renovation or anything in decades. The furniture, walls, bathroom were just in poor condition. We stayed here over 10 years ago, and do not remember this condition. The pillows felt like they were a decade old, like hard as a rock. If you are desiring location, a nice restaurant and great customer service, but don’t mind poor room conditions, then this is the place for you. I’m doubting we will ever stay here again.

Brilliant location - window view to AyaSofya mosque

Tha staff were friendly and nice the breakfast room and the breakfast was very good great view from breakfast room. Walkable everywhere !

The staff was very helpful, friendly and professional. Sevgi was the name of one of the staff ladies and she went above and beyond to make our stay unforgettable.

Close to all main attractions

I chose this hotel for its spectacular location opposite Hagia Sophia. It was a good choice. The dining room and breakfast room are elegant and unique overlooking this unspoiled part of the city. The breakfast was good. The restaurant menu is small but good cuisine, service and atmosphere. The staff were very helpful at all times and friendly (especially Sevgi in the breakfast room). The stairs down to my room were a problem for me (partially disabled) as there is no lift. I was moved up one floor. My first room was very noisy. The second was dark and opened onto a disused balcony and shaft. Both rooms were clean but shabby and need renovation to bring them up to standard.