We stayed at the Orient Express hotel which is in the Sultanahmet district, the hotel is not the poshest place we have ever stayed at but the rooms are absolutely fine for a short break, they are really clean, our bed linen was changed daily. What sets this hotel apart for us was the staff, from reception to the cleaning team, they were possibly the nicest and most helpful staff we have ever encountered and they made our stay just about perfect in every way.
The hotel itself is situated near to Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Grand, Spice Bazaar and ferry terminal. It has a lovely roof top bar and restaurant with great views over the city and across the Bosporus. The food there was excellent andvgreat value for money. If you want a river view then you need to be on the 6 or 7th floor, the rooms at the rear of the hotel below those floors have a pretty restricted view. The rooms at the front of the hotel look onto a really busy street which is good if you like to watch the world go by.
The hotel was fantastic value for money in a city where prices could be sky high, but we also found that great value for money was never too far away either if you were prepared to look for it.
We will definitely return to the Orient Express as we both fell in love with Istanbul, I should also mention that the hotel will organise you a private transfer from and to the airport.