Location

There are better views from this hotel than from the Marriott Asia, in my opinion, because the plots immediately nearby are not industrial.

However, this are is plagued by seemingly incredibly bad traffic and it was not that easy to get a taxi.

They are building a metro station which is contributing to the traffic problem and will overall help long-term. No idea about the construction timescale.

The trip to the SAW airport (also called the Old Airport) took about 25 minutes, but this was at around 09:45 am after the morning rush hour. The cost including tolls was around 100 Lira.

Room

An entry level room was booked and I was upgraded to a higher-level room. The room had what was needed for a longer stay, including a fully furnished kitchen with dishwasher. Sorry about the messy pictures.

When we entered the room the heating had been set to 29 C. We turned it off and noticed in the night that turning in the air conditioning was necessary due to the good insulation, despite a lower outdoor temperature

We did notice an odor next to the bed that suggested they might have a plumbing issue. It did not really bother me, but my travel partner kept complaining about it.

Amenities

There is a convenient washing room with machines that look brand new. Remember this is a long stay property, so this is definitely a plus without having to send everything to the hotel laundry service.

There was also a small gym that probably would be suitable for the average person.

Dining

Breakfast was served at the A level of the hotel. I was not a big fan of what was served. It was buffet style without and omelette station. The two scrambled egg options were sitting in their own moisture, which is always a turn off for me. Overall the selection was limited. There was some cheese, fresh fruit, cereals, local speciailities and onion rings. The onion rings struck me as odd for breakfast. The orange juice seemed to potentially be orange drink and the coffee was not so tasty..

They have a Starbucks in the lobby, but it seemed to be closed. The menu seem to have permanent prices on it in Turkish Lira. Given the high inflation, I suspect that they might raise their prices. Or perhaps this is also the reason they are closed?

I did notice a major street nearby that had a bunch of cafes and restaurants, but also McDonalds and Burger King. I did not get a chance to explore them, but there is probably something good on that road.

Check In

Although I had done web check in, not everything had been prepared. They wanted to see passports and a signature was required. This was all dealt with speedily. There was no waiting required.

I did not receive any mention of my Ambassador status. I only noticed it through the upgraded room.