IQ Hotel Galatasaray

«+» Overall, I liked the place and enjoyed my one-week stay there. The apartment (Deluxe Double Room) I booked was large and well-designed, featuring some traditional Turkish style elements. Since I was on the 4th floor (unit #401), the apartment was very bright, with plenty of natural daylight, and I had a spectacular view of Istanbul. The 4th-floor location also helped reduce street noise; when the windows were closed, I heard almost no sounds, and even with the windows open, the noise level wasn't too bad and didn't bother me much. The small kitchen in the apartment was a plus - it had a dishwasher, microwave, spacious refrigerator, and other necessary kitchen amenities. It was also nice to have a washing machine in the apartment. The bed was soft and very comfortable. There was plenty of closet space to store things. The Wi-Fi worked fast throughout my entire stay. The housekeeper did a nice job cleaning the apartment. The hotel has a great location, very close to Taksim Square and right next to Istanbul's main shopping promenade. I also want to mention the very friendly and helpful front desk staff, who were available 24/7. The rate I paid for my stay - €47 per night - was reasonable for the overall experience at the hotel. «-» My apartment was not in the best shape - there were lots of scratches and even a few big holes on the walls. Plus, some furniture was in very bad condition. Some electrical outlets in the walls were broken, especially the one in the kitchen; it completely fell apart, so it was impossible to turn on the electric kettle to boil water. By the way, the kettle was very dusty and rusty. The kitchen stove looked disgusting, with some parts showing rust. The washing machine was very simple and outdated, with no option to dry clothes. Plus, there was no dryer in the apartment. There was also no drying rack to hang and dry clothes. Additionally, no washing detergent was provided by the hotel. The sofa in the living room looked nasty, with a lot of dirt marks all over it. The TV in the living room was very small and outdated. I didn't like the pillows on the bed very much; they felt uncomfortable. There were two air conditioners - one in the living room and one in the bedroom - but the one in the living room didn't work. It blew cool air for a short time, then stopped working altogether. The bathroom was very tiny, with a small, uncomfortable shower stall and a low, uncomfortable toilet. The water pressure in the shower was weak. The bathroom amenities were of very cheap quality and smelled awful. If they fix all these issues, the apartment will be a great place to stay!