BotB

I'll be staying at the DT in the Old Town area at the end of May and will post some pictures of the place shortly afterwards but that will likely be too late for you to change anything by that time...

Reviews of the DT seem mixed at best so unless you are feeling adventurous it is likely best to stay at the Conrad from the limited info I have received from those that have been in the area...

msc75

As a previous Istanbul local, I can tell you that the Conrad is in a much better part of the city compared to Old Town. I suppose staying in Old Town would be practical if you're visiting for a very limited time and your priorities are to see the top tourist attractions such as Topkapi, Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. (The other Hiltons are not geographically far and public transport options are plenty, but Istanbul traffic can be horrendous at times.) For everything else including shopping, dining, night life, and just getting a feel for residential life, Conrad is the better choice. I also don't know if I'd deal with the hassle of moving hotels when you're staying just three nights.

sbams

My last stay at the Conrad IST was fine, but it's not at the same standard as SIN and HKG. Taking 2 ferries over the Bosphorus and back (see other threads) to get to the Old Town is fun and a lot less hassle than by road.

johndoe123

The main Hilton Istanbul

Just be aware, nobody is joking when they say traffic is hideous, at least getting up into the Taksim area.

gaga1981

I think the Doubletree is the best Hotel for sightseeing in Istanbul. It is directly on a train station and near to the bazar. And it is a very new and very nice hotel.

fromrec

I've been at the DT for 6 nights one month ago and, for sightseeing, the DT Old Town is definitely the best option. From the hotel, you are a 20 min walk away from Aya Sofia, Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. If you prefer the tram, there's a stop right in front of the hotel and you can get to all of this places in 5-10 minutes. The tram is also very useful if you want to go towards Galata Bridge and the nicest neighborhoods, where the best restaurants are.

Regarding the hotel itself, it is brand new and rooms are very nice. Breakfast is great and service is very good - as in most places in Istanbul.

Just one thing: beware of taxi drivers. Even the ones arranged by the hotel did not speak any English and we've had miscommunications problems twice (asked the hotel guys to tell the taxi driver where we wanted to go, but he took us to a different place and we had trouble telling him that we did not want to go there).

inasmuchas

I stayed at both the Conrad and Hilton Istanbul in December 2012. Both were perfectly fine, although of the two the Conrad in particular is showing it's age. Service at both was first class.

The Exec Lounge at the Conrad has stunning views across the Bosphorus. It's a relatively small lounge, but I found it fine for breakfast and drinks in the evening. They are currently renovating the rooms, so if you can get a newly renovated room I would recommend doing so. My room was not renovated, and whilst perfectly comfortable and clean, it was nothing particularly flash.

The Hilton is closer to the centre of town for sightseeing, and was an enjoyable walk from the hotel to the old town. It also has pleasant views out across the Bosphorus, but the Conrad is blessed with a superior and unobstructed vista. The rooms are more up to date, but they are not cutting edge either.

Enjoy your visit, Istanbul is a spectacular city and I cannot wait to return.

Time traveller

After reading other reviews on Hilton properties in Istanbul, I booked an AXON stay at the Hilton Istanbul. Conrad is a nice hotel, but apparently you have to take a taxi to go anywhere, which is somewhat limiting. Hilton is not downtown, but is close to Taksim and has a nice lounge. DT Downtown is newer and closer to tourist attractions, but no lounge if that is important to you.

PaxCGN

Just tried the DT Avcilar. Very nice lobby, very nice rooms, very big breakfast buffet. My sleep was slightly disturbed by a lot of cracking noises in the ceiling (the building still seems to be settling).
The location is totally useless for the city (I booked it by intention to visit a factory nearby), but the best of Hilton's properties for the airport. That said I saw no indication of an airport shuttle, but didn't look out or ask for it.

DFWFairy

I'll be arriving IST in May and wonder how to get to the hotel by Metro. It seems to involve multiple transfers. If I opt for airport transfer shuttle (efendi travel @ ataturkairporttransfer.com) they have an on-line rate of 25Euros for 2 ppl. Any thoughts?

SkyTeam777

When did the ParkSA lounge close? Do Executive level rooms get any type of free drinks or snacks in the evening?

skrosvik

It should be open. They are still selling executive rooms with executive lounge access online

When I was there a couple of years back they had a pretty okey "buffet" in the evening, and also wine and beer.

westcoastbmx

How long does it take to get to Old Town from the Hilton? Thanks!

gav0106

Hello G-ARVE

We stayed at Hilton, walked to Taksim square, around 10 minutes, took fenicular railway to Tram 1, then tram 1 to blue mosque etc, around 40 minutes total. Other way is to Taksim square, then the old tram and then the old fenicular down to river and walk or tram from there, around 1 hour.

Hilton nice hotel, but awful issues with noise if you are on river facing room from nightclub across road, which Hilton are in legal fight with to get them to stop music are set hour, out of 4 nights, we had noise 3 night till past 0200

Chrisinhouston

My wife and I are staying at the Hilton ParkSA later this week and was wondering if anyone can tell me whether the guest rooms have WIFI or LAN internet access. Just wondering because we mostly travel with tablets that need WIFI.

Thanks!