Introduction I had a short stay at AC Hotel Istanbul which is the cheapest of the 20+ Marriott choices in the city besides Courtyard near the old airport which is not a convenient location anymore. In the city proper, I found that AC is an excellent budget option considering the price. Location AC Hotel is located in an upscale neighborhood only a 10-minute walk from St.Regis and Park Hyatt nearby. AC is also close to the Besiktas neighborhood which is one of my favorites in the city with its numerous restaurants and pubs. Room I booked the entry level room (listed at 23-25 sqm) and was upgraded as Ambassador Elite to a junior suite (25-30 sqm). The room was of excellent quality considering AC is not a premium brand – I especially liked the sturdy hardwood floors and the large window and blinds in the stand-alone shower. The problem was that while called a junior suite, many hotels in Istanbul have entry level rooms which are more spacious than 30 sqm so for people who value space this is probably not an ideal hotel. Also one issue was that the working desk oddly had a large air conditioning vent which resulted in my hands being cold if working from there. The room had the amenities of full service hotels including bathrobes and slippers. The bathroom toiletries of AC brand are not my favorite, for instance the golf ball-shaped soap is possibly the least convenient of all hotel soaps since it rolls in the hands rather than rub properly. Dining Breakfast was traditional Turkish, they had a staff-served buffet which was decent but nothing that stood out except for the venue which had a quaint and enjoyable outdoor terrace in the back in addition to seating indoors. They also had egg dishes prepared from the kitchen in addition to the buffet. As a welcome gift, in addition to breakfast I could choose between 10 USD credit or bonus points. For a 1-night stay having the food credit worked out ok compared to hotels with lounges but for longer stays it would be more difficult for AC to provide superior value for the money. Service Service in the restaurant was good, room service was available just like pre-covid, and I did not notice any covid service cuts generally speaking. The one small misstep was that they could not take payment via gift card, at first they said AC does not participate (which is not true, only Design Hotels are excluded) and later another staff member said they had a temporary issue that will get fixed. Wifi Wifi worked well with speeds of 15-20 Mbps. Overall Overall AC is a solid budget choice with excellent hardware in a good location. The main drawback is for stays where I care about having more space for multiple nights then it’s probably not the best choice considering the generous upgrades to large suites at other properties in the city. In addition many hotels in a slightly higher price range which have a lounge such as Sheraton, Le Meridien, Renaissance, etc. can provide better value to people who want a couple of drinks in the evening.