Sultanhan Hotel
Istanbul, Turkey · Hotel
Sultanhan Hotel in photographs
When to go
The cheapest month we have found is November, at around USD 551 a night - -17% against what this hotel usually asks.
Where to book
- Book on Booking.com - Free cancellation options, guest reviews and a familiar checkout.
- Hotel website - Photos, facilities and location.
Our notes
Sultanhan Hotel Istanbul
The Sultanhan is the one hotel in our Istanbul list that sits in the old city rather than on the Bosphorus. It is on Piyer Loti Caddesi in Sultanahmet, on the historic peninsula, within a short walk of Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Topkapı Palace, the Basilica Cistern, the Hippodrome and, a little farther, the Grand Bazaar.
The hotel calls itself a museum hotel. The rooms are furnished with handmade antique furniture, authentic carpets and handmade textiles, among them silk Suzani pieces, and the building was put up to keep the traditional look of the old city. The Terrace Restaurant, which seats 160 and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner of Turkish and international dishes, has a 360-degree view over the rooftops of the historic peninsula, the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the great domes of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. There is also a traditional Turkish bath with scrubs, massages and foam baths, and a sauna.
It carries the Turkish "Special Class" designation rather than an international star rating, so judge it on the setting and the details rather than on a chain standard. Our entry rate is well under our USD 734 ≈ €656 ceiling.
Photographs: the hotel's own website, hotelsultanhan.com.
The area
Istanbul runs on two continents and never really stops. Give the old city a morning: in Fatih, Hagia Sophia and the other UNESCO sights are all within a short walk of each other. Then cross to Karakoy, the harbour district of five-star hotels, Michelin kitchens and grilled-fish wraps from street stands, and finish with baklava from Karakoy Gulluoglu, baking since 1949.
The Istanbul Modern, opened in 2023 on the Bosporus, is the best place for Turkish art. For a proper hamam, the sixteenth-century Zeyrek Cinili Hamam reopened after a long restoration.
The cheapest boat tour in the city is the public ferry: Eminonu to Kadikoy on the Asian side costs about a dollar, and Kadikoy's market streets are the place for dinner. With a free day, the Princes' Islands are about 90 minutes from Kabatas.
Background: The New York Times, 36 Hours in Istanbul, Valeriya Safronova, June 2025.
In the blog
Istanbul: three palaces on the Bosphorus, and a one-dollar boat
Istanbul's best hotels line the European shore of the Bosphorus. We track three of them, all around USD 600-720 a night. The best boat trip in the city costs about a dollar.
2026-09-24 · Istanbul, Turkey
What it costs through the year
| Cheapest we have seen | USD 496 ≈ €443 |
|---|---|
| What it usually costs | USD 661 ≈ €591 |
| Dearest we have seen | USD 771 ≈ €689 |
| Times we looked | 5 |
| Gap between the two | 42% |
| Last checked | 2026-10-08 |