Garden House- Sultanahmet Old City

Neighborhood Gem in Sultanahmet

I stayed at the Garden House Inn with my friend two weeks ago. We were looking for a quiet neighborhood feel in Sultanahmet. The Garden House Inn near perfectly delivered on that! We checked into a room on the ground floor with a basement-like view on the first day. We complained and management graciously upgraded us to a room on the top floor at no charge that same day, where we spent the rest of our stay. The room was very tastefully decorated - modern with classical elements, and had a nice view of the courtyard and neighborhood alleys. The free breakfast in the peaceful courtyard was definitely a highlight of each day. The selection and quality were both top notch. The front desk staff booked several dinners and shows for us - all of which we were very happy with. Overall, a very pleasant stay in a unique setting, conveniently located within a very short walk to all the sites, but remote enough for peace & quiet, and the experience of living in a historic Istanbul neighborhood.

Garden House

We were treated like we were royality. The manager helped us schedule tours and did the booking for us. He suggested an excellent place to have dinner and booked that for us also. The staff was kind and helpful. The Hotel is walking distance (10 minutes) to the Grand Bazaar, Blue Mosque and many other sites.

Traveler's tip on local attractions

The map makes it look like it is a long walk, but it is just around he corner form shops and sites. Most resturants pick up and drop you off at your hotel no extra cost.

Great Stay in Istanbul

The Garden House has an excellent location on the hill under the foundations of the southern end of the Hippodrome, close to the Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Mosque. The neighborhood has some gentrified hotels like Garden House, but much that isn’t gentrified. Kids play in the street and in the little park nearby with minimal supervision, so it feels very safe. You can walk to the Blue Mosque in less than 10 min. and there are no touts harassing you to buy rugs, etc. In short, super location. Garden House is very clean and has a great staff. Breakfast is excellent. The rooms are a bit spartan in furnishings, but the garden is very comfortable and tranquil. Two caveats: 1) The food and drink in Garden House’s garden seemed expensive to me, which is too bad, because the spot is very pleasant and we would have been happy, after a hard day of touring, to stay there and not go out to dinner. But it may be that similar hotels have garden restaurants that are similarly pricey. 2) Garden House offers free transport from the airport, but only to clients who book directly with the hotel.

Traveler's tip on local attractions

If you stay at Garden House, don’t neglect to visit the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, now the ’Little Haghia Sophia’ Mosque. It’s one of the oldest churches in the city and very nearby (7 min. downhill).