Hotel Empress Zoe, Istanbul

Superb breakfasts

Lots of narrow stairs and a spiral staircase

Great location, lovely friendly staff, brilliant breakfast

Spiral stairs were a little daunting — anyone with accessibility needs should check what’s available

Position

Staff was great. Location great. We loved being by garden

We sis not like sharing garden with family. We didn’t know family room was above

We absolutely loved our room and views of the garden. The staff were incredible and took care of all the details. They even prepared a breakfast package for our early morning flight. Thank you!

Beautiful historical property. The breakfast was incredible, it was a perfect location for a first time visitor to Istanbul, staff were so friendly and accommodating, and the property itself was magical.

Nothing. It was perfect.

The breakfast is amazing with such a wide variety of food, sweet and savoury. The property was clean and everyone working there was smiling and kind.

Excellent location, friendly and helpful staff . Clean room, nicely decorated. Great rooftop terrace. Breakfast was very good, basically homemade food, which can be enjoyed in a green private courtyard

Taking spiraling stairs was challenging at times.

Overall a great stay. The room was simple but beautiful. The breakfast was very nice.

Despite my having botched up my reservations,the staff went out of their way to accommodate us for the extra day (we arrived a day earlier than reserved) and upgraded our room for a very small increase. The building is truly old Istanbul brimming with charm and artifacts. There is no elevator so I found the stairs difficult but well worth it. Kind staff,beautiful traditional breakfast.

This place is exceptional. It blends some ancient and new structures in its design. The breakfast is exceptional. I highly recommend it. What a treat!

This hotel is in a beautiful old building and has unique decorations that really make it feel like a traditional Turkish hotel. I stayed in a room with a beautiful canopy bed and a nice view of the garden. The location is EXCELLENT! It is within walking distance of some of the most famous sites of the old town part of Istanbul, including the Sultan Ahmed/Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Gülhane Park, Topkapi Palace, and the Grand Bazaar. It is also walking distance to so many restaurants and stores. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful, giving me advice on how to get to the ferry that I could take to go to the Asian side of Istanbul. There were really pretty and friendly cats on site, as well. All in all, I really liked this hotel and would definitely stay here again if I ever come back to Istanbul!

For me, it was not an issue since I can handle stairs just fine, but for some it might be a problem that there are no elevators on site and some of the stairs are steep and narrow.

We absolutely loved the hotel, very friendly staff, good rooms and very close to Istanbul highlights which is great with young kids

Beautiful hotel and a great location. Breakfast is lovely and can be eaten in the beautiful garden. The staff were amazingly helpful as I was walking with a stick and unable to make the spiral staircase and they gave me an alternative entrance and offering assistance.

Beautiful boutique hotel, lovely local Turkish interior, comfortable, historical hammam ruins on grounds, great staff, nice breakfast. Ideal location near Sultanahmet Square. Get a quiet garden side room, the bigger the better. It's worth the extra money which isn't a lot...

I liked everything about it: cozy, classy, great location, wonderful local atmosphere. Be warned there are lots of spiral staircases to upper floors! Thanks to the lovely staff there.

great historical location. beautiful garden. friendly staff. perfect breakfast.

nothing

Breakfast is wonderful. And the entire staff are helpful, knowledge and kind.

It is an old hotel…. Full of character, with beautiful little details. The view from the rooftop was lovely, providing both a view of the mosque (Hagia Sofia) and the ocean (where we saw dolphins frolicking). The breakfast was wonderful and could be enjoyed in a charming little garden in the back or inside breakfast nooks. The staff were so very kind.

We did not dislike this but it might not be appropriate for people with mobility problems as there are somewhat challenging stairs to deal with. They did, however, carry our luggage up to our room for us (and down).

Location was excellent.

4th floor and no elevator. I understand this is the old part of town but... just to bring our luggage upstairs was a real challenge.

Great location, friendly staff, lovely breakfast choices and hotel cats!

Beautiful, especially the garden. Really enjoyed my stay at the hotel.

Bathroom and the water were a bit coldish.

The hotel is stunning with beautifully furnished rooms and gorgeous interiors. The breakfast is incredible and the rooftop terrace is lovely for an evening drink. Location is excellent, only 5min walk from major tourist sites such as Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque. Beds very comfortable and rooms cosy and quiet.

The streets around the hotel are filled with restaurants and bars that create an intense and sometimes overwhelming environment. It is impossible to walk down the street without being hassled by restaurant hosts. Whilst the hotel itself is very quiet and peaceful, if you're looking for a quiet location away from overly touristy neighbourhood this may not be for you.

Great breakfast, lovely staff and great rooms.

N/A everything was perfect

The property is a quirky and some of the rooms odd shapes. The single room had a lovely double bed, and 2 windows making it light and airy. Everyone was so kind and helpful. The call to prayer, as it was sung live and not recorded was lovely to listen too and if you didn’t want to hear it, you could shut the windows and it was very soundproof.

The people in the “informal bar” were noisy. And when going to your rooms you have to be considerate of the noise in the hallways

This is the best hotel we have stayed in out of the 17 countries we have travelled to. Staff were very helpful and friendly, Breakfast was great. The room was very clean with great views from the balcony. They even have two lovely cats! I highly recommend.

Breakfast excellent. Decor , staff good . Authenticity

The twin room was not a twin room it was double with child bed in different room

Great location, quirky hotel bursting with personality and very friendly staff. The garden and courtyard is really beautiful.

The facilities could be upgraded such as tea/coffee in rooms. Coffee machines are almost standard these days and would have been nice to have after a day out n about.

An historic and somewhat quirky property that is an ideal location for exploring Old Town Istanbul on foot. Staff were excellent and the rooftop patio offered an excellent view of the Bosphorus.

Not the place for guests with mobility issues and the lighting in our room could have been better. Restaurants in the immediate area were overpriced, but lots of options within a 5/10 minute walk.

Beautiful, unique small hotel . Very good location and Sofi (cat) is very cute

Lovely staff especially the breakfast ladies. Very helpful reception staff.

Perfect location. Unbelievably helpful and friendly staff. Helped us plan our tours, visit to hamam, made reservations for us. Superb breakfast. Hotels is built on ruins of an old hamam. Beautiful garden and terrace on roof.

Not super modern bathroom. Rooms are old rather than modernized. But that is part of charm. Everything works and is functional.

Full of character and very cozy. Breakfast to die for

Great location. Staff were so friendly and welcoming. Rooms were clean and breakfast was delicious. The garden was so beautifully decorated and maintained.

Nothing. Everything was great! Will say the men who run the local restaurants are quite pushy when walking past to get you into your restaurant, and the music can be heard until past midnight.

The location is excellent, you almost could not be closer to the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Sultanachmed Blue Mosque. Also the hotel is well reachable by public transport. The hotel has a relaxed atmosphere and has its own garden next to an old hammam building, Breakfast was excellent. We had a suite with balcony on the garden which was very comfortable.

Everything was fine for us. For some people, the stairs could be a problem, however there are rooms that can be reached with only a few steps from a side door - the staff can help if needed, If you have difficulty walking stairs best phone to make sure. For people who are allergic to cats be advised that (as in many hotels in center Istanbul) there is a resident cat in the common rooms.

Great location

Beautiful hotel in an excellent location right near the Hagia Sophia mosque, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern and other sites of interest. The Grand and Spice bazaars and other mosques were a shortish walk away - it's such a vibrant, stimulating city and there is much to see with everyone we encountered being most friendly and kind. A boat trip on the Bosphorus was a highlight as were the incredibly tasty fresh fish wraps to eat on the water's edge. The hotel is so characterful, our room even had a part of an old marble hamam in the corner, and we loved how it was decorated with old artefacts and kelims. There is a charming ginger cat called Leo who lounges about the cushions in Reception and the staff are friendly and helpful - especially the ladies at breakfast, the receptionists and Yusef who carried our luggage up the spiral staircase and marble stairs and kept the rooms clean and tidy. It was snowing and bitterly cold outside but the hotel felt cosy and warm all the time. The breakfast was delicious: scrambled and boiled eggs, a hot aubergine and tomato dish, 3 x different types of olives, homemade breads, borek and apple and walnut cake, rocket, pomegranate seeds, fresh fruits, different cheeses, honey and preserves, dried figs and 2 x different types of apricot, natural yogurt, juice, coffee, tea - plenty of everything. There is a magical garden and a rooftop terrace with fabulous views. I would definitely recommend this hotel and would love to come back. We had an amazing three nights in Istanbul!

Nothing - loved everything.

It was convenient to everything we needed, the staff was exceptional, the breakfast was wonderful, the hotel was quirky pleasant.

The stairs

Excellent location. Very central. Breakfast was fresh and delicious. My room was very small but cute and had a wonderful view of the old hammam

No kettle (but i knew so i brought my own,)

A lovely, relaxing oasis in a busy city. The staff are friendly and helpful. The location was ideal for us.

Really lovely hotel, stylish but homely. Rooms were nice, the beds were comfy and the shower worked fine. Perfectly situated about 250m from the hagia sophia. In the middle of Sultanhammet's shops and restaurants. Very nice all you can eat breakfast. Excellent, friendly staff and two great cats

Nothing at all

This is a great hotel in a superb location. The breakfast was fantastic very substantial. The staff were friendly, warm and welcoming. I will definitely book the Hotel Empress Zoe on my next visit to istanbul.

Breakfast was great. Very cute, good vibe, great location.

bed was a tad short

I loved that the hotel was within walking distance of major attractions like Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and Gülhane Park. The cozy and romantic room enhanced my experience, and I appreciated the quick responses from reception. I also enjoyed the delicious breakfast and found the terrace beautiful. Several times I told my friend that I would have rather stay in stead of being out in the winter-cold sightseeing.

I found the rooms and bathrooms to be small, but functional. I also want to caution others about a potential taxi scam when booking through the hotel. Our driver suggested taking a toll route to avoid traffic at midnight, but there wasn’t any traffic, so I’m glad I said no. While this wasn’t the hotel’s fault, I appreciated their advice not to pay the driver.

Location, staff

Nothing

Very authentic hotel in the heart of old Istanbul. Tasty Turkish breakfasts, perfect location close to all the sights. Well cared rooms with so much attention to historical details, friendly staff and cats.

We could find only one socket for charging our electronic devices. But we managed. Not a big deal at all.

People

Beautiful and spacious rooms. Great price. Friendly staff. Good breakfast. Cute cats. The most comfortable bed we’ve ever slept on (no exaggeration!)

A little too touristy of a location but it’s central to everything

The ambience

No chair in the living area

Lovely hotel very close to the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque. Really nice room, good breakfast and helpful staff.

Great friendly staff.

Nothing