Romance Hotel - Istanbul, Turkey     

The Romance Hotel did not disappoint. If you are on your own go for a twin with single occupancy. The reviews on Trip Advisor in particular were pretty accurate. The hotel's appeal grows with the length of stay. The roof terrace is a great area but under used, just feel they could do more with it. Something like a self service drinks or coffee machine would make it a great area to chill out, not that chilling out in the upper 20Cs is what you do! The gym is made up of a treadmill and a multi-gym, both good quality and in a nice environment. It just didn't feel right to go jogging around the area, others do though. Easy to trip as the sidewalks are very variable and sometimes non-existant. Plus there can be a strong wind off the water should you venture along the coastal road. Breakfast was good with a Middle Eastern twist which was fun. All the items were fresh and there was enough variety to set you up for a day of sightseeing. The staff could have been happier, but maybe it is the Turkish way. Location is the key to the hotel being a success. It is very well placed near the Galata Bridge and all the main attractions such as Haghia Sophia. The tram being virtually outside the door opens up Istanbul, cheap to use, easy to understand system,frequent and clean. Also, explore the side streets around the hotel. It is possible to avoid the tramway, useful as it is, and get to the Spice Market and other places. Cleanliness wise the hotel is great, no issues at all. I do wish they had more information on things to do that aren't touristy such as jazz clubs. The hotel does not do evening meals, but the area is full of restaurants and despite being tourist orientated they do offer up some nice fare.

We stayed at the Romance Hotel in June and had an wonderful time - the rooms were small, but clean and comfortable. The hotel breakfast is nice w/all the basics you can ask for (cereal, toast, eggs, coffee, oj, etc) and the staff at the hotel are really friendly and helpful. There was some construction going on outside of our room, but since we were out most of the day it didn't really bother us. The location is perfect - a very short walk to Aya Sophia, Blue Mosque, all the bazaars and the ferry dock and about a 12-15 lira cab ride to Taksim Square. All in all, we were quite happy with this hotel and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a mid-range hotel w/i walking distance of all the tourist attractions.