Originally Posted by
EXLEFTSEAT
We will be staying somewhere in the downtown area, I hope there is such a place,
at a IHG or Hilton property for the simple fact that I am a point slave. Not yet decided, I am looking into a convenient location accessible by public transportation to/from the airport and conducive to walking excursions. Thanks for your help.
I don't think anyone's answered this part of your question. "Downtown" is a bit hard to define in Istanbul, which is a large city with complicated geography and a long and complicated history. As with London (for example), no single area really qualifies as "downtown".
The best place to stay (for a first-time visitor, anyway, which I assume you are) is somewhere in the Sultanahmet area. Many of the main sites are within this area – Sancta Sophia, the Blue Mosque (aka the Sultan Ahmet Mosque), the Topkapı Palace, the underground cisterns (Yerebatan Sarayı), a number of worthwhile museums; and the Grand Bazaar/Covered Market/Kapalıçarşı and the Spice Bazaar/Egyptian Bazaar/Mısır Çarşısı are within easy walking distance, as is Eminönü and the big ferry wharf there. There are lots of hotels in this area but whether either of the ones you want I can't say off-hand.
Another popular place to stay is the Taksim area, which is much less interesting than Sultanahmet but it does have a lot of the modern chain hotels (as well as copious restaurants and shops nearby).
There are a number of very fine hotels, with prices to match, along the Bosphorus north of the Golden Horn on the European side too. Some of these are in old palaces and are very grand indeed, and a lot of the suburbs along this part of the Bosphorus are lovely, and quite interesting –.but they are suburbs.
As to getting in from the airport – I assume you will be arriving at Atatürk Airport – taxis are plentiful and not expensive. You can get one easily from outside the airport terminal. That will be much the easiest way – the airport is on the metro, but you would need to change (and change modes of transport) at least once to get you to any of the places you're likely to be staying. But you will need Turkish lira (but then, you'll need Turkish lira to take public transport too.)
ETA: Of course, if you see one of the main banks at the airport offering money exchange services, the rate there will be the same as one of their branches in town too. But most of the bureaux de change at the airport are not run by the banks (as is so often the case).