TURNIPSEED TRAVEL
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • New Visitors
  • Social Media

A View From The Top Hotel In Istanbul

17/1/2016

 

Istanbul's Hotel HHK is a heck of a deal - no matter how you get there!

​​This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, we may be paid a small commission.

Breakfast Hotel HHK Istanbul
A big breakfast and a beautiful view.
Have you ever seen a series of funny TV ads that shows travelers coming to the end of an arduous journey, finally seeing their amazing resort and incredible hotel suite? The catch line is that they 'booking' got it right. Of course, "booking" is a sub in for another, less family friendly word (hint: it begins with "f") and the ads are promoting the hotel website... I bet you can guess which one.

They're cute ads and I can relate to that 'booking yeah' feeling. I had my own "booking" moment in Istanbul. Nope, it had nothing to do with Booking.com! (In fact, we actually booked through Expedia - here's a direct link to the hotel) but all the other components were in place, from the crazy journey to the gorgeous hotel.

HHK Hotel (aka Hayriye Hanim Konagi Hotel) in Istanbul is one property we absolutely got 'booking' right and, best of all, we got it for an absolute steal! Here's why we loved it, how we got such a sweet deal, and why we were so darn happy to finally arrive at their doorstep. 
Halic Metro Station Istanbul
That's Halic Metro over water on the bridge.... remember this spot for later!
To fully appreciate our crazy journey, you need to know just how close HHK Hotel is to the Halic Metro station. It's a very short, easy, and fairly direct walk between the two, about 5-10 minutes in total. But all of this was lost on us because, on a map, the metro symbol indicating the location of Halic Station is easily overlooked. The station is on a bridge. So we naturally thought it the symbol was a mistake - there clearly couldn't be a metro in the middle of the water, could there?  Yep, there is! 
Picture
Outside Aksaray Metro station.
Picture
The journey begins!
We were ignorant of all this when we set out on our walk from what turned out to be the SECOND closest metro station. Aksaray Station has the advantage of being in the center of the city and on a direct line from the airport - but it's about a 45 minute walk to HHK Hotel. No mind! We were on an adventure, weren't we? ​
Picture
Picture
Picture
We were well prepared with a map but soon realized that the directions we printed out were based on the shortest walking distance, not the most direct route. Talk about adding a new dimension to our mission. Essentially every 100 meters or so we were turning onto a new street!

​While I definitely had moments of "what on earth am I doing", and it was a rather dusty and sweaty experience, it was a walk not without its compensations. Istanbul is a beautiful, colorful city and we got to see so many pockets of it.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
During my first trip to Istanbul, a layover 18 months earlier, I felt like the city got the better of me. There was a lot that I enjoyed about that visit, but I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. It was just a lot to take in during a short period of time and I left without feeling like I had a grasp on things.  I felt if I could just master this convoluted route across the city, Istanbul and I would be on good enough terms to start over again. So while our walk was tiring, it was also triumphant.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Finally! We see a sign! Until this point, we were never truly confident that we were on the right path.
Picture
Ryan outside the humble exterior doors of the hotel - which is actually a restored historic wooden mansion.
I don't think Ryan was QUITE as overwrought as I was about rectifying my relationship with the city but he still enjoyed the epic walk for its own sake. We really did get to see an entirely different side of the city, block by block, side street by side street.

Still, it was with no small measure of relief that we saw the first sign for the hotel and found the front door! Happily, we were about to have our "booking" yeah moment! 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Just how gorgeous is this inner courtyard? THIS is what awaited us beyond the exterior doors - that and a bemused staff who couldn't figure out why we were so sweaty, out of breath, and exhausted from a simple walk from the metro. How could we possibly have taken an entire hour to walk from the metro? This is when we found out about the Halic Metro station! Just five minutes, you say? Reeeaaaalllly?
Picture
I'm not sure if all guests are offered a welcome drink or if the staff were just taking pity on us because we looked so pathetic, but nevertheless their tea and coffee were most welcome and, while we were anxious to see our room, we couldn't tear our eyes away from the absolutely incredible views of the city. Istanbul  has never looked so good and HHK Hotel might just win the prize for having the best hotel view I've ever seen.
Picture
Darn you, Halic Metro!
Picture
Gulping tea and taking in the view.
At this point, we were already THRILLED with what the hotel offered considering how much money we had spent.  We stumbled upon HHK Hotel early in our online search. An initial glance told us it was "good enough" and we booked it through a third party site on a book now, pay later plan. We figured that if we didn't find anything better, we'd at least have something that was vaguely affordable and acceptable. Little did we realize how lucky we were.
Picture
In the other direction, there's the New Mosque and its neighbour, the Spice Market.
After an extensive search, we couldn't find anything that could compete with the hotel's location, price, and overall rating, so we decided to stick with our original reservation. That was until Ryan noticed it was $10 cheaper on another third party site.  SCORE!

We cancelled the first reservation on site #1 and rebooked at the cheaper price on site #2.  Our total cost? $50 US. Yep, you read that right. It was worth it for the view alone. But what was the room like? 
Picture
What you see is what you get - this was the whole room, as taken from the doorway. The bathroom entrance is on the right.
From the hotel website, we gleaned that they had three categories of rooms. They have suites, they have superior rooms (both of which look very nice indeed and boost spectacular views of the city), and they have standard rooms. And, unofficially, there's the fourth category of room, the leftovers.

As is usually the case with killer online bargains, the rooms available at our price point were "economy standards". These are the leftover rooms, the smallest and least desirable rooms reserved for those who book online, as the nicest regular standard rooms are assigned to guests who book directly with the hotel and pay a non-discounted price.

​And there's nothing wrong with that. We knew exactly why our room was so cheap and had no illusions about what would be offered.
Picture
Picture
The staff very courteously gave us a choice between a small room with nice courtyard views, which was located next to the reception desk (a convenient location but potentially a loud one), and a more spacious room on the lower level.  We chose the first room and were happy with our selection. As predicted, we heard every word spoken at  reception, but it generally very quiet and we enjoyed being able to easily come and go from the courtyard. 

The room was clean, comfortable, and elegantly decorated. It was a bit shabby around the edges and the clashing red carpet had seen better days but, overall, it was a superb value for $50. The bathroom was tiny but it included luxurious little touches, like a loofah mitt and a towel warmer. 
Picture
Picture
We had one small problem during our visit. We ordered dinner from their limited room service menu and the food took a long time to arrive - nearly an hour. When it arrived it was cold. The meat was lukewarm, but the rice was very cold, as if it has just come out of the refrigerator. The staff were very apologetic but also a bit bemused, as if they couldn't possibly understand how it had happened. It took a while to convince them that things really were COLD.

​So there was a bit of confusion and muddled communication for a moment but they did send us fresh meals, which were greatly improved and very tasty. And later, when we were sitting on the roof top patio, they brought us complimentary Turkish coffee and cookies by way of apology and we were very grateful for this kind gesture.
Picture
Picture
Relaxing on the rooftop patio was one of the highlights of my time in Istanbul. The view of the city was absolutely magnificent and the adjacent courtyard was charming. Listening to the call to prayer reverberate from all of the nearby mosques and seeing the twinkling lights of the city was such a peaceful way to end an epic day and mark the beginning of a wonderful trip.

​I spent over an hour on the patio, catching up on work (note: the Wi-Fi was great!) and I had to keep pinching myself that I was so lucky to call this spot my office, if only for a night.
Picture
Picture
After a jet lag defying sleep, we woke to the sounds of other guests checking out, just steps from our bedroom door (the reception desk really was close by!) We had a beautiful breakfast on the courtyard balcony, with Ryan indulging in the traditional Turkish breakfast food of.... cocoa puffs!

​In all seriousness, there was a huge selection of breakfast foods and I was a huge fan of the pan fried potatoes cooked in  chili oil. We each had several plates of food before saying a sad farewell and heading on to our next destination - this time, via the very close Halic Metro!
Picture
Would I stay at HHK Hotel again? You 'booking' bet I would! In fact, I tried to do just that a week later, when I found myself with an unexpected extra night in the city. By that time, prices had increased to nearly $500! I sadly had to look elsewhere. 

My advice for those looking to replicate our $50 steal is to search early, search often, and, if you're hoping for a last minute sell-off price, consider stealing our strategy of making a temporary reservation that can always be cancelled as a back up plan while you continue your search.
​ 
Picture
Happily, Istanbul and I are once again on the best of terms. Spending a wonderful night at HHK Hotel was a big part of that, but so was our wild walk to get there in the first place. Sometimes, it really is about both the journey AND the destination! 
​​
Heading to Turkey? Here's some inspiration! 

The Ancient Art of Ebru Painting in Istanbul
Holy Wisdom and Heavenly Food in Trabzon
Spirituality and Sanctuary in Southeast Turkey

PS: You can read more reviews on HHK here!
Lian Wright
18/1/2016 07:00:33 am

Loved following you through your travels around Istanbul! It was great of the hotel to give you those little extras when your meal was cold, and your room was really nice for $50 US. My favourite part of your post was looking at the magnificent views of the city. they were gorgeous!

Vanessa
18/1/2016 01:00:23 pm

Weren't those views amazing? Honestly, this one day really got me so excited about the city and I needed that recharge.

Jessie Voigts link
19/1/2016 08:13:10 pm

What a great view - and story!

Vanessa
19/1/2016 08:33:20 pm

Thank you!

Trisha Velarmino link
24/1/2016 12:44:25 am

The pool looks stunning! V, I really love the hotels you go to!!!

Vanessa
24/1/2016 07:56:59 pm

We've been so lucky to find some really amazing properties (and deals!)

noel link
24/1/2016 12:50:26 am

Wow, it looks like you really did score and what an amazing view. It's good to be relatively close to public transportation considering how much walking you'll do in the city and yes I also did get lost countless times because of all the narrow streets everywhere.

Vanessa
24/1/2016 07:58:29 pm

I feel better knowing I wasn't the only one who found the streets to be a bit much. Yes, I agree about being near to public transit. This time our epic walk worked out for the best but I love being close to bus or metro station so you can explore to your heart's content and then easily get back home if you overdo it.

Stefan link
24/1/2016 03:02:18 am

That hotel looks gorgeous and that pool - after a day sightseeing in the big city, you just wanna slip into it right? You booking nailed it :)

Vanessa
24/1/2016 08:26:31 pm

Thank you! Bonus points for use of the word 'booking' ;-) (Seriously - I should contact them and see if they want to buy ad space!)

Erica link
24/1/2016 07:58:36 am

I can't agree more. MANY times, it's about the journey AND the destination. Other times, though very rarely, I could skip the journey and just indulge in the destination asap.

And PS that is indeed a great view!

Vanessa
24/1/2016 10:25:04 pm

Yep, I've had a few journeys I wish I could have skipped in the past.

melody pittman link
24/1/2016 10:59:08 am

All's well that ends well. Looks like your trip ended up being awesome plus you saved $10 and got all that exercise. Reading maps in crazy busy cities like Istanbul can be a bear. My friend and I had a similar encounter going to a tour in Athens and were at the wrong shop. After an hour of power walking through the city, turn here, turn there, just like you said, we finally caught up with the group and settled in to learn about the food but we were exhausted.

Vanessa
24/1/2016 10:29:33 pm

I feel your pain - it always seems to make sense once you actually arrive at the destination but while you're in the middle of it you start to doubt yourself and wonder if you'll ever arrive.

Priya link
25/1/2016 12:26:41 am

What a find for $50... and with greats view and a pool - major score!!

Vanessa
3/4/2016 09:11:46 pm

We still consider it one of our gold standard hotels.

Lindsay Nieminen link
25/1/2016 02:11:47 pm

What a find! we are hoping to head to Easern Europe in the near future and i will be keeping an eye out for a deal like this! thanks for sharing your experience!

Vanessa
3/4/2016 09:12:19 pm

Good luck with your bargain hunting!


Comments are closed.
    Recent Posts
    Posts by Location
    Turnipseed Travel Category Canada
    Turnipseed Travel Category USA
    Turnipseed Travel Category Europe
    Turnipseed Travel Category Africa
    Turnipseed Travel Category Australia
    Turnipseed Travel Category Asia

    Post Categories

    All
    $200 Challenge
    200m Challenge
    Accommodation
    Africa
    Amsterdam
    Anti Adventurist
    Asia
    Australia
    Belgium
    Business Travel
    Camping
    Canada
    Central Counties
    Cozy Travel
    Destinations
    Europe
    Experiences & Activities
    Female Travel
    Food And Drink
    Gear And Packing
    Golf
    Greece
    Guest Posts & Interviews
    Health
    Inspiration
    Making Travel Memories
    Montreal
    Most Popular Posts
    National Parks
    Norfolk County
    Ontario
    Ottawa
    Paris
    Partners
    Pet Travel
    Photo Essay
    Preparation
    Press Trip Portfolio
    Reviews Accommodation
    Reviews Gear Packing
    Round The World
    Saving
    Toronto
    Transportation
    Travel Cooking
    Travel Memories Series
    UK & Ireland
    United States

    Posts by Date

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

Disclaimers, Privacy, and Cookie Policy

Top 100 Travel Influencer
As named by the Obama White House in 2014.​
White House Study Abroad Logo 2014
Turnipseed Travel Logo 2019
DMCA.com Protection Status
© COPYRIGHT 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • New Visitors
  • Social Media