In the 1980s, the Turkish Touring and Automobile Association reconstructed this row of nine clapboard houses dating from the 19th century. They were painted in pastel colours...

Occupying a striking pink three-storey mansion, this Best Western affiliate has 25 rooms and six suites decked out in Barbie colours. The only thing between you and the Sea of...

In recent years, the Dersaadet (one of the many former names for Istanbul) has become one of the most popular boutique hotels south of the Golden Horn. The hotel's quaint...

This hip guesthouse on a quiet cul-de-sac is popular with gay visitors, but the friendly and knowledgeable staff make everyone feel welcome. Each of the seven rooms is...

Named after a racy Byzantine regent, the Zoe is one of the best and quirkiest of the city's small hotels. Its sunken reception area incorporates parts of a 15th-century hamam;...

An apartment hotel with history. The house formerly belonged to the Kamondos, an important Levantine banking family, who gave their name to the sculpted steps that lead up to...

Opened in 2000, Ararat's best feature is probably its location. Envious of the success of the nearby Empress Zoe , the young Turkish owners of Ararat recruited the same...

Tucked round the corner from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, the Ibrahim Paşa is an eminently likeable small hotel. It doesn't overplay the old Ottoman card and instead...

Another 19th-century Ottoman residence stripped down and dressed up by the Turkish Touring and Automobile Association and pressed into service as a hotel. There are 26 rooms,...

The Akbayrak brothers obviously have a thing about vintage glass lamps - the interior of their hotel is hung with 2,000 of them. The eccentricities continue: every room is...

Sarniç, the Turkish word for cistern, takes its name from the fifth-century Byzantine cistern beneath the hotel, which guests can explore from 9am to 6pm. Owned and managed by...

In the shadow of the Haghia Sophia and across the road from the Yerebatan Sarnıcı, this Best Western affiliate is yet another conversion of a 19th-century house. Extensive...

Bang in the centre of town, this modern, high-rise hotel is modestly priced but lacks charm. Just 32 of the 87 rooms have a view across the rooftops to the Bosphorus; in the...

Operated by the Divan hotel chain, these self-catering suites make an ideal base for business people. Japanese minimalism meets Swedish chic in the elegant, open-plan interiors...