Flying Buccaneer

Introduction I arrived at IST from CDG on a Wednesday afternoon, and decided to take public transportation to the hotel. After a short metro ride to Zeytinburnu, I did the easy transfer and took the tram the Laleli-Üniversite stop. The tram was crowded, but someone offered me his seat. I guess I looked like a tired traveler. All in all, the trip took less than an hour and (because I had an Istanbulkart) cost 4TL. Check In Check in was quick and friendly. Ibrahim welcomed me and took my credit card and passport. He thanked me for being a HH Diamond member and told me that I had been upgraded to a suite. He gave me a voucher for breakfast along with coupons for discounts in the restaurant, bar, and spa and bonus points for eating at the restaurant. He wrote his name on a card with his extension and told me to contact him if I needed anything. Finally, he handed me my room keys and cookie. Room View of Divan YoluFull bath off the bedroomBedroomLiving areaFull bath off the entryI'll let the pictures do the talking:Even though the room fronted a busy street, I never noticed any noise from people walking or driving by or the tram. The room was a little warm when I walked in, but I adjusted the thermostats in the living area and bedroom to cool everything down pretty quickly.Room 210 faced Divan Yolu and had an entry hall, living area, bedroom, and two bathrooms... one off the entry hall and the other off the bedroom. There was a welcome letter along with a plate of fruit. Service I had no other issues that required attention during my stay.The only issue I encountered during my stay was a hiccup with the wifi. I called Ibrahim who checked into it with the IT person. After a restart, everything was fine. Speeds weren't blazing, but they did get as fast as 2Mbps on a couple of occasions. Dining The only meal I had at the hotel was breakfast, which was served on the 5th floor. I would consider it the average Turkish breakfast hotel... not up to the standards of a five-star hotel but certainly better than one would find at a typical Doubletree in the US. There was a nice variety of fruits, pastries, cold meats and cheeses, along with Turkish breakfast staples like olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, and pickles. Waiters brought beverages, and cooked items like eggs and omelets were also available upon request. Location There are quite a few shops in the immediate area as well as small restaurants. The more touristy areas are to the east of the hotel, while walking (or taking the tram) to the west gets you to more authentic (and much less expensive) restaurants.The location is one of the hotel's best features. It is a ten-minute walk (or one tram stop) to the Grand Bazaar, and about 15-20 minutes to the Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, and Aya Sofia. Having a stop on Istanbul's T1 tram line makes it easy to get to many of Istanbul's attractions. In addition, the hotel is about a five-minute walk to Vezneciler metro station, which is just three stops away from Taksim Square on the M2 line (a much faster alternative to taking the tram to Kabataş and funicular to Taksim). One could also get to the hotel from the airport by taking the M1a metro line to Yanikapi and tranferring to the M2 and taking it one stop to Yenikapi... though the walk to the hotel from there would be a little longer. Overall This hotel is an excellent option for anyone who wants to stay near the Old Town. I purchased my room during Hilton's Winter Sale and was able to get it for €72.90 including taxes. I would not hesitate to return.The only time I saw more than one other guest was at breakfast, where only three other tables were occupied.As someone else mentioned, part of the hotel is being renovated. Only the first and second floors were available for occupancy. Tourism in Istanbul, and all of Turkey, for that matter, has taken a huge hit due to security concerns and tension with Russia. At times I felt like the only guest. This photo was taken at about 5 p.m.: