Hotel Empress Zoe, Istanbul

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

My husband and I loved the Hotel Empress Zoe and would return if we get back to Istanbul. It is in a great location and we walked everywhere. There are multiple common areas such as the breakfast area that serves as a place to hangout later in the day, a beautiful garden, and a rooftop terrace. Because we were there in January we did not use the garden or the terrace but I can only imagine how nice it would be to enjoy those areas in warmer weather. The BREAKFAST was fantastic!! I long for such food now that I am back home! The staff plus two resident cats were friendly and welcoming!

No issues

Location, the view and the breakfast

Gorgeous room, fantastic location, great breakfast each morning, lovely staff. Definitely recommended and definitely would stay again if back in Istanbul

Lovely place. Excellent location, quirky detailing including ancient wall being part of reception area and spiral staircase to some of the rooms. Staff were all very helpful and friendly. Nice garden with interesting birdlife by an ancient baths. Breakfast good. Most of the major tourist destinations walkable or just hop on a tram 5 mins from hotel. Oh! and two very friendly cats!

Amazing breakfast and kind staff. The rooms have free water and a pamphlet with the history of Empress Zoë, which i loved reading.

Location. Staff. Service. Style. Garden

Nothing. Perfect

Very warm and caring service; very good breakfast; best staff. Location is good too.

Can’t think of any.

location, awesome breakfast, quirky-cute rooms

If you want a bland identikit hotel with power showers and television in your room this hotel is not for you. If you want an individual, quirky, hotel in an historical building do stay here. The building is wonderful with 15th walls, frescos, spiral staircases and odd shaped rooms. I cannot speak highly enough of the staff. They are all wonderful, cheerful, friendly and helpful. Fellow guests were from many corners of the globe which made this even nicer and no tour groups. Breakfast selection was vast and delicious.

Nothing

Old building built around an old Hamam. The entry to the hotel is super quirky. It is almost like a hidden entrance. We had a lovely time there. The breakfast spread is excellent and the breakfast area is super cute. We visited before Christmas and they had cute Christmas decorations with a fireplace and it was very cozy. The rooms are old ottoman style which adds to the experience. It is walking distance from Hagia Sophia. Every one from the staff was super helpful and warm.

All the staff lovely and helpful, the location excellent and we loved the breakfast, great choice and lovely seating areas and outside courtyard, great view from rooftop terrace.

Very central and a good atmosphere.

Nothing

Everything, especially the decor, location!

No lift!

Excellent staff , wonderful atmosphere. Definitely will visit again !

Just a little maintenance required at some places .

Great location neat Topkapi palace. The breakfast was fresh, varied, healthy and delicious. Historic building with modern comforts

Would have liked a kettle in the room and a bit more lighting, though tea and coffee were readily available at the bar

Great location, nice terrace. Very good staff

- Beautifully designed room - Hotel vibes were on point - Breakfast was fantastic and having it in the garden made it so special - Great location for sightseeing and shopping and food selection

- Air conditioner was obviously quite old so it wasn't very effective in keeping the room cool. I had to ask for an electric fan, which they kindly provided.

Breakfast and location

Landing was noisy, ie other guests using the stairs. Location meant proximity to restaurants- I hated getting hassled by people to go into their restaurants

Breakfast!

A little gem in the middle of a busy tourist area. Nice old building with traditional rooms. The view from the window of my room was fantastic. Also hotel staff very helpful

Nothing

Location a bit difficult to find but EXCELLENT ONCE IN

It’s staff , patio and garden

Location and breakfast

The queen size bed’s mattress was not comfortable but single beds were.

Super location in Old Town, near Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Topkapi Palace and the Bosphorus, etc. Great staff, very good Turkish breakfast and I loved the two 'house' cats

my room was tiny but comfortable, and the price was more than fair, so a good value in the end

The staff was outstanding

Coffee makers in the room or available in the lobby, especially since coffee shops weren’tnopen early and breakfast didn’t start until 8:30 am

We stayed in a suite with the sea view and it was just like dream.

This was a great stay, we loved everything about Hotel Empress Zoe. From the location, the look of the building, the incredible garden where one can breakfast in, the cordial staff to the house cat Sophie and new ginger cat addition. Breakfast was simply amazing. We've been to hotels with more elaborate breakfast buffets, but this hotel's breakfast was simply excellent without going over the top with the choices. Delicious fresh bread, cheeses, olives, vegetables, spreads, sweet pastry, jams, honey and much more, prepared by two lovely ladies. It was a delicious start of the day, sitting in the peaceful and pretty garden with one of the two cats usually passing by as well. Room was cosy and full of character, making it unmistakable that you are in Istanbul and not in some generic looking room. We were super happy with the little balcony overlooking the quiet garden and also allowing view on the Bosphorus. It did include climbing 4 flights of stairs, but that was a good exercise given how hilly many parts of Istanbul are.

This has nothing to do with the hotel, but the neighbouring restaurant (the hotel is located in a touristic zone with many restaurants) had staff pestering us every time we passed to have dinner there, and although some heckling is to be expected, this man became really unfriendly over time.

Fabulous spread. Different treats every day. Lots of choice.

Little disappointed that Turkish coffee was extra.

Great location with views of Aya Sophia and the Blue Mosque from the roof. Great breakfast in the garden and very friendly and helpful staff.

The rooms are small and there is a winding staircase and no elevator. However the staff does carry the bags up and down.

Super breakfast, lovely building in great location. Helpful staff. Great garden area.

Courtyard was beautiful snd breakfast was a feast! Our room was a bit small but very charming. Staff were kind and helpful . Location was amazing, spitting distance to all the big sights but quiet and sweet

Beautiful details such as the marble bathrooms. Great location in a quiet street. The garden is next to the ruins of the old baths and is a lovely setting for breakfast. Great breakfast

Nothing

Great location, directly near Topkapi/Hagia Sophia. Clean facilities, very nice house and garden. Good breakfast.

Restaurant advice very uninspired Very touristy area Less ideal for Taksim/Galata

A beautiful quirky hotel just a 5 minute walk from Sultanahmet Square where 4 of the main tourist attractions are. The hotel is two oldish buildings that have been joined. We had the top floor room with a view of the Bosporus. If the weather is good, breakfast can be taken in a delightful courtyard. Breakfast is a great selection of fresh fruits, cereals, local delicacies & other goodies. However gluten free products are hard to get in Turkey so it’s worth taking corn cakes or something similar. The staff were very friendly and helpful with restaurant recommendations, public transport advice etc.

Nothing. However access to the bedrooms and meals area is up a spiral staircase so not good for people with mobility issues. The hotel warns you about this and there are very strong porters to take your luggage to your room!