Istanbul is a world in a city: ancient and modern, East and West, beguiling and bewildering all at once. As you’d expect in a place with a population of 16 million, there are hotels for every taste and budget, and if you stay in one of the more tucked-away districts you save a few lira and discover gems that tourists sticking to the usual haunts won’t. Consider the Asian side, which has boomed into an artsy area popular with young Turks in recent years. Or venture up to one of the chi-chi suburbs along the Bosphorus, where you will find a more relaxed, refined vibe than in the bustling inner city. A crop of quirky small hotels has sprung up and, while Istanbul’s prices are catching up with western Europe’s, there are still great bargains to be found, with starting rates under £200 and, in some cases, a lot lower than that. Here are the best affordable hotels in Istanbul.
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1. Ruz Hotels, Pera
Best for location
You’ll feel like you’ve been transported back to Istanbul’s glamorous belle époque at this boutique hotel in an artistically renovated, historic building in the heart of the decadent Pera district. Expect touches including art deco table lamps in the restaurant, antique telephones in the rooms and live jazz piano music to welcome you in the lobby. It also has everything you need to fully enjoy the magnificent location, including a rooftop terrace overlooking the city’s skyline, and well-informed staff who can point you in the direction of all the sights that are (literally) on your doorstep. Little details help lend it a luxury feel, including the complimentary minibar and unique artworks in each room.
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2. Georges Hotel, Galata
Best for a romantic break
You will think that you’ve walked into one of Paris’s chicest quarters when you pass through the doors of Georges, a boutique hotel founded by the Turkish-French duo Alex Varlik and Eric Kahmi. The cosy interiors are inspired by the taste of the building’s original owner, a French doctor who lived here at the turn of the 20th century, while its rooftop restaurant, Le Fumoir, serves up Gallic cuisine alongside an extensive French wine list. This 140-year-old building, redesigned by local architect Han Tumertekin, sits in Galata, a maze of atmospheric backstreets. But don’t expect to pay Parisian prices: for the money that would scrape you a budget chain in the French capital, you can expect fabulous food, luxury bed linen and a prime spot in the centre of the city.
3. Alilass Hotel, historic peninsula
Best for proximity to the city centre
This modern, no-frills hotel provides a welcome calm among the exhilarating but often exhausting chaos of the historic peninsula. Tens of thousands of tourists flock to the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace every day, and the Alilass is just a few minutes’ stroll from all of them. To beat the crowds and see this timeless cityscape at its most breathtaking, set your alarm early and come out to watch the sun rising over the skyline as the Islamic call to prayer rings out — the best spot is the huge square between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, a few minutes’ stroll away.
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4. Skalion Hotel and Spa, Kumkapi
Best for families
The Skalion sits within striking distance of all the historic sites, making it the perfect choice for families — Istanbul can be hard to navigate with small children. The Basilica cisterns, Topkapi Palace and the city’s most famous mosques can all be easily reached, even on the smallest of feet. Note that its immediate neighbourhood, working-class Kumkapi, is a blank in the guidebooks. Don’t let that deter you: this is one of the most fascinating districts in the city, and one of the best places to find immigrant cuisine, including Pakistani, Yemeni and Uyghur. By sacrificing (slightly) on location, you also get luxe touches for a budget price, including an on-site spa and the stunning terrace restaurant, which looks out over Istanbul’s old city walls and the Sea of Marmara.
5. Angel’s Home Hotel, historic peninsula
Best for explorers
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Get ready for some serious hill walking when you stay at Angel’s Home: like many old houses in Istanbul, this place is located at the bottom of a maze of steep streets. But the short trek is worth it, because within a few minutes you will reach many of Istanbul’s sights. There’s something magical about making the approach through the backstreets rather than arriving with the tourist hordes. Rooms range from budget options to a suite with a private hammam.
6. The Artisan Istanbul MGallery, Taksim
Best for art lovers
Taksim, Istanbul’s sprawling central square, is the frenetic heart of the city, which buzzes at all hours with the sound of traffic, nightclubs, mosques and the chatter of thousands of people. But you’ll feel like you’ve walked into a serene otherworld in the Artisan, which — as its full name suggests — doubles up as an art exhibition space. Dozens of works are displayed throughout the hotel, and there are visiting events. Rooms are designed with sleep as the priority, sprinkled with touches such as herbal tea, eye masks and aromatherapy sprays to help you drift off to a blissful sleep.
7. Corner Hot Hotel, Ortakoy
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Best for young travellers
Ortakoy is coming onto the map as a tourist neighbourhood thanks to its prime Bosphorus location, right next to the suspension bridge. The cobbled old streets along the shoreline are packed with old-style coffee and tea houses, bars and meyhane, restaurants that serve up fish, mezze and aniseed liqueur. Corner Hot offers a variety of budget rooms in a quaint and cosy old building, as well as longer-term lets in two self-contained houses nearby. Inside, it’s a fun blend of historic features and modern fittings, perfectly capturing the bohemian soul of this district.
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8. Hotel Empress Zoe, historic peninsula
Best for solo female travellers
This row of old town houses gathered around an idyllic courtyard garden wins fans for its kitsch interior and friendly vibe, as well as its proximity to all the best-known sites. It is sited between ancient relics, including the ruins of a 15th-century hammam, and the panorama from the roof terrace is a picture postcard of Istanbul come to life. All 23 rooms are unique, and the top end includes suites with a private courtyard. The basic rooms are still comfortable and chic — and an absolute bargain. The hotel is run by two sisters, which fosters a particularly female-friendly atmosphere.
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9. Hammamhane, Beyoglu
Best for groups
This hotel in Cukurcuma (Istanbul’s equivalent of Shoreditch, with galleries, design stores and cool cafés) is really a serviced apartment block that hits the sweet spot between boutique hotel and self-catering. There are no hotel frills, just spacious, modern apartments. But with so many local breakfasts to try (I recommend menemen, a dish of scrambled eggs and vegetables, or muhlama, a huge pan of melted cheese that you scoop up with bread) and so many great places on the doorstep, it would be a waste to have breakfast at a hotel buffet anyway.
10. Nabu Hotel, Karakoy
Best for waterside location
The port district of Karakoy is undergoing a renaissance, and its once-scruffy backstreets are now adorned with high-end hotels, bars and shops. The Nabu manages to capture the refined ambiance of the new Karakoy without the hefty price tag you’ll find in other establishments. Rooms are cosy and embellished with lush plants and sumptuous fabrics, and there is a gastropub on site. Spend a lazy day getting lost in the cobbled streets outside, discovering hidden han — courtyard workshops — and browsing the ateliers.
11. Belizia Hotel, Kadikoy
Best for discovering the Asian side
Istanbul’s Asian side was a late bloomer in the hotel scene, but over the past five years a clutch of canny hoteliers have converted historic houses here into snug hotels that will give you a base to explore one of the best parts of the city. Belizia is nestled in the heart of the action in Kadikoy, a trendy area popular with artists, students and young professionals. It’s a short walk from Kadikoy port, where you’ll arrive on the vintage passenger ferry, to the hotel, situated in a classic portside house nestled among newer concrete neighbours. Out back there’s a cute private garden where you can enjoy a Turkish coffee in the morning.
12. Antusa Design Hotel & Spa, historic peninsula
Best for hammam
With the sublime Basilica Cistern — part of the city’s ornate, Byzantine-era underground water system — as its neighbour, it’s no wonder that the Antusa centres its pitch around its own historic cistern, which feeds its traditional hammam. As well as the steam bath, its spa also offers massage and salt therapy, with guests getting a discount. Rooms are basic but clean and comfortable, and you can’t get much better for location: Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque are right there, with Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar just a stroll away.
13. Ottoman Suites by Sera, Uskudar
Best for feeling Istanbul’s history
This 130-year old wooden house and its garden have been sensitively restored and decorated to give guests a true feel of genteel late Ottoman life, from the original antique furniture and rugs to the manicured gardens out front. The Uskudar district is mostly residential but also stuffed with history, and you’ll stumble across hidden mosques and monuments as you wander the steep streets. Head to nearby Kuzguncuk for a lazy afternoon wandering the cafes and antique shops. The views from the Asian side of Istanbul are also unrivalled, taking in the full sweep of the historic peninsula, the suspension bridge and the modern city; head to Uskudar’s waterfront to enjoy the sunsets alongside the locals.
14. Anastasia Meziki Boutique Hotel, Princes’ Islands
Best for escaping the city
It may feel counterintuitive to come to one of the world’s biggest cities and then try to escape it, but the Princes’ Islands in the Sea of Marmara, an hour’s ferry ride from the city centre, offer a singular Istanbul experience. They are a glimpse of old Istanbul, where the wooden houses have survived and motor vehicles are banned; many rich Istanbullites still own summer houses here. The Anastasia Meziki is a renovated mansion on the biggest island, Buyukada, where you can get a taste of Istanbul’s grand past, while looking out over the city’s awe-inspiring modern skyline over the water. Be warned — the islands get crowded in peak season.
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