Kybele Hotel

I love this hotel and come back to it every visit.

This hotel has been featured in many Japanese travel magazines, so I had been looking forward to staying here. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a complete disappointment. The older man at the front desk remained silent throughout the check-in process. He gave no explanation about the hotel or its facilities, and I had to ask him myself what time breakfast was served. The room I was taken to was different from the one I had booked, yet no explanation was given for the change. The female staff did not even greet guests when passing by and instead glared at me. I couldn't tell whether it was discrimination or simply unfriendly behavior toward Japanese guests, but I certainly did not feel welcome. Breakfast was extremely poor. There was dried-out lettuce that looked like leftovers from the restaurant, which was quite disgusting. The hotel contains many beautiful antiques, but they had been left in a dark room cluttered with stacks of cardboard boxes. They certainly did not appear to be valued or properly cared for. The beautiful courtyard shown in the Booking.com photos no longer exists. It has been completely neglected and fallen into disrepair, and is now nothing more than a cluttered storage area. The area around the hotel is constantly congested with traffic, making it difficult even to get a taxi. The nearest tram stop is far away, the roads are uneven, and the location is extremely inconvenient. When I was making my reservation, I wondered why a supposedly popular hotel had so many rooms available. After staying here, I understood exactly why. It seems that everything the hotel's original owner had built over the years—the facilities, the antique collection, the loyal clientele, and the hotel's reputation—has fallen apart since the ownership changed.

Well positioned. Lovely staff. Querky.

Gutes Essen und freundliches Personal. Lage ist gut.

Frühstück war nicht so gut, wie früher. Frühstückstisch mit dreckigem Tischtuch und verwelkten Blumen wurde unverdrossen jeden Tag wieder aufgelegt. Hier fehlt eine Frauenhand. Waren schon ein paar Mal dort. Nicht einmal eine Tasse Tee oder ein Glas Wasser umsonst. Zimmer ziemlich abgewohnt und klein, Bad sauber, aber dringend renovierungsbedürftig.

So comfy clean and close to everything,we walked everywhere but also close to transport We ate local, very delicious good variety of food Staff were so friendly and helpful with advice on where to go and how to get there. Loved the breakfast Oh the decor /lights was so homely

No complaints

Rolig hotell midt i hjertet av gamlebyen. Alt en trenger for oppholdet, og veldig hyggelig personale.

La posizione ottima, il personale molto gentile

Niente

Stanza con arredamento tipico e particolare, bagno con grande doccia e posizione davvero a pochi minuti dalle principali attrazioni.

La colazione aveva davvero pochissima scelta, lato dolce solo 3 pezzi di dolce contati e basta e per le bevande solo caffè turco, Thè e latte. Non c'era una macchina espresso dove poter selezionare bevande.

Sehr zentrale Lage, sehr nett eingerichtet, sehr gutes Frühstück, sehr leckeres Abendessen

Everything so cute with all the Turkish decor. Great location, clean warm and comfortable. The staff are amazing so lovely and helpful,

Nothing it was perfect

異国情緒に溢れていました。 立地が非常に便利。

特になし

Posizione ottima e atmosfera fascinosa

Temperatura stanza di difficile regolazione, colazione non curata la struttura necessita un po' di rinnovamento

Sehr nett und sympathisch, tolle Lage, gemütliches Flair

Very quirky hotel in a great spot

Breakfast just okay

La atención del personal de recepción ha sido excepcional al hacer el check out. Ha sido muy atento al ayudarme con las maletas hasta subir al taxi. Es un hotel muy agradable y cerca al centro con los principales atractivos. El desayuno muy bien y variado. Las habitaciones super limpias.

El acceso a los pisos superiores solo es por escaleras.

Une décoration exceptionnelle ! Une immersion totale ! Un personnel sympathique Tout était parfait !

Great little quirky hotel, different than standard look alike hotels anywhere else.

Rooms are a bit small, but considering it is an old building it was fine.

The location of the hotel is really wonderful near to many of the well known sites such as Tokapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica cistern. The family room and the dining room had a lot of character.

I didn’t have the option of breakfast so can’t say hotel was small, cute and in the perfect spot, everything was located fast!

Small room but ok for 1, good shower, comfortable bed. Next time will ask for room in other side of building although soundproofing from pedestrian street quite adequate. Day staff better than night staff. Forgot to give me my special Breakfast packet for early flight,Breakfast chefs terrific!

Family run small hotel, lots of character. Excellent buffet breakfast included. Note there is no elevator. Good value.

Absolutely a beautiful Perl in the middle of tourist chaos. I loved this spot. This hotel was beautifully decorated & designed. It was a true Turkish experience. I loved being surrounded by antiques. I highly recommend this hotel because it was unique and wonderful.

Bathroom could be Modernised

Very attentive, helpful and friendly personnel. The receptionist helped to arrange all the activities i requested very quickly with the best experience. Much appreciated help with carrying the luggage. Will stay again at this place.

Groovy hotel walking distance to many site seeing and shopping.

Authentic decor, and on the doorstep.of the Hagia Sofia and Basilica Cistern

The breakfast buffet wasn't amazing.

La chambre, la baignoire, l'emplacement de l'hôtel.

Les escaliers pour monter dans la chambre sont un peu rudes.

The decor, location and staff

Wonderfully authentic experience, I loved Kybele

Beautiful aesthetics, location was excellent, staff are super friendly. Highly recommended 😊

Nothing. Everything was great

Breakfast was now all in packages and not as previously with homemade jam and typical Turkish breakfast

Size of room and tiredness of hotel. Whole place is looking very tired and needs a makeover.

The property has a unique decorative style with small Moroccan looking lamps hanging from the ceiling. Rafa, the hotel manager, is super nice and competent. Breakfast is perfectly Turkish simple, basic and delicious. The whole boutique hotel is decorated with antiques. Thank you Rafa for everything!!!

The location is excellent! We were close to all the main attractions and the T1 Tramline that takes you to the rest. The outside area is quaint and happy and even though we found the food there quite expensive, it was a great place to have breakfast or a night cap before going to bed.

The food is expensive and living on the third floor meant quite a walk upstairs every time, but that would not put me off from staying here again.

Fantastic location. Fresh towels and linen everyday. Very friendly and accommodating staff. Quirky decor

Not being able to flush toilet paper.

We thought that the traditional Turkish breakfast had suffered. Everything was in pre-packaged containers--no more pots of homemade jam, apparently because of health regulations.

The place was very tired and needed some renovating. The rooms were small but probably typical European size. Just generally run down and not nearly as good as 20 years ago.

They were very friendly, kind, and hospitable. Always willing to help.

Great location!! Everyone was so helpful and accommodating. We loved the Kybele restaurant too.

Excelente ubicación

Perfect location, excellent breakfast. The host was very friendly and helpful.

Kybele was great everything was easy and the staff was very friendly and helpful. Plus it is close to all the highlights

Location excellent, walkable for the blue mosque and bazaar. Very quirky and interesting hotel

Excellent staff

The staff was fantastic - I had many problems on my trip - including losing my wallet! But they helped me thru everything! I found my home in Istanbul...

We really liked the Kybele - or its location near the Sofia and the tram train. No cars on the street. Very good staff. Very good breakfast. Good beer on the hotel sidewalk cafe. All very enjoyable.

Perfect Service. Very friendly

Excellent hotel. Completely clean, comfortable. safe, all modern amenities. I ate breakfast here every day, and a relaxing happy hour every afternoon. Perfect location, walking distance to Hagia Sophia and the wonderful city tram. Wonderful staff, friendly and helpful. I would definitely stay here again.

Love the decor and lamps. Very special, I stood at the Kybele 15 years ago and it was fantastic.

The hotel, as beautiful as its interior is, is in a run-down state. In the first night 15 minutes after checking in, there was a huge water leak, and my room flooded. After that, I was moved to third floor. Rooms not cleaned properly - found hair on bed, old face mask and a tube of cream beside bedside table. The AC worked intermittently. No wifi reach in third floor. This place deserves to be looked after better.

This is my favourite place to stay in Istanbul. I have been staying there for years and it never disappoints.

I wish I could have stayed longer.

Loved the quirky nature of this small - 16 rooms - family run hotel. Easy walk to all the key sights in Istanbul. Friendly staff. Highly recommend if you are looking for something different to the stock standard offerings

Great location. Within walking distance of all the major attractions in Sultanahmet. Older charming property. We stayed 2 nights and were very pleased.

Special. Characterful. Friendly, welcoming staff. Can recommend. Central and close to many places to visit.

The location was perfect, the decor was charming, and the staff took excellent care of us!

A very good hotel in a great location to access all the main sights. Our first room had a few issues, eg, tv & kettle didn't work, however we were offered another room without any hassle. Breakfast ok, just not like an English one!! Would recommend but as it's a tourist area, drinking & eating out is expensive.

Nice stay. Lovely staff.

Absolutely AMAZING from start to finish. It’s a unique gem of a place with incredible decor and super friendly and helpful staff. I had a solo room and it was perfect-nice size (is bigger than some of the photos seem), enough space to comfortably walk around the bed. Linens were clean and comfortable and the bed was as well. Instant hot water with good pressure. Breakfast buffet (included) was delicious and had good options of hot and cold. I would stay here any and every time I come.

Great hotel and great staff.

It felt authentic with many antiques

The location is of course exceptional! A stone's throw from the major sights including two bazaars. The hotel decor is fascinating - thoughts going to 1001 Arabian Nights and whatnot. Quirky and a bit run down yes, but still - I liked it. It's not a five star hotel anyway. The manager was helpful and we needed his advice since it was the first time in this crowded and confusing city! His language skills are essential. The staff in the restaurant was very nice indeed! Our room was facing the back so the nights were pleasantly quiet! Should I go back to Istanbul I'd look no further than The Kybele!

Our room was small, no tiny. We could hardly open our luggage, and we had only a carry-on. But OK, I have stayed in rooms that size before. And the room had a small balcony which meant that we could keep that door wide open - which made the room seem bigger (and cooler). The booking confirmation said that our room had a view towards the garden. Well, it looked more like a garbage dump to me. I don't know much about Turkish food so I'm in no position to judge the breakfast. But please, get a toaster ...! And some healthy cereal and I'd be 100 % happy! I didn't leave the table hungry anyway and there was plenty of fruit!

Very good location for tourists, very friendly and helpful staff, and a cute place

The Kybele has an excellent location and terrific staff. It is a bit of an older hotel and due to its location a bit noisy at night, but we really enjoyed our stay there and would recommend it.

A little noisy at night

Perfect location so central, this was my 4th stay at the Kybele and still love the ambiance of the hotel and especially the accommodating and helpful staff Would highly recommend and would return again !

Location location location! Plus the kindest most helpful and sincere owners and staff! Such a cool place with amazing Turkish flare!

Kybele hotel is perfectly located in Istanbul's city center. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Their restaurant is one of Istanbul's best. I would definitely stay here again!

This is my 3rd stay over 37 years. Excellent respectful staff. Unfortunately they use a terrible driving company for pickups. My driver pulled over 3 blocks from the hotel and wanted to see my airline ticket and jumped in the back seat next to me. He badgered me with personal questions and despite my carrying my own water offered me water 10 separate times. When I asked for him to be quiet, he would not stop asking personal a. I was a single woman travelling alone. When I started to shake and cry he started wreckless driving in a rainstorm. He followed 2 feet behind cars in the fast lane and was furious I would not accept his flirtation. I thought I was going to die in a car wreck. I texted my family. I called the hotel and begged that he slow down. The hotel should ensure women travelling alone never experience a driver seeking attention from a single woman. It was terrifying.

I hated the driving service they used.

a real "cool" little hotel that is very different from rest. Very friendly and helpful staff. THe restaurant is very expensive

Not sure if the man that checked us in spoke much English, check in was easy. We have him our passports and then he handed them back with the key. He called over a young man to carry our bags upstairs and that was that. Room was quaint but adequate with a mini refrigerator, wall unit AC (necessity in July), and fully functional bathroom. Bring a sound machine if noise bothers you, I used mine and slept like the dead; the room was extremely bright (no blackout curtains) so an eye shade would also be useful. The toilet made a racket when you flushed it, super high pitched and it went on and on.. but it flushed and the AC worked great. The shower head is directly over the faucet which ends up in your butt, annoying but the head is removable so you can stand where you like and use it. Honestly, zero complaints. Great price for the stay and soooo convenient to all of the touristy stuff, extremely walkable. It was awesome to have a place so close for a mid-day cool off shower/water bottle refill.

Hotel has character and charm, very conveniently located.. the staff is very accommodating.

Nothing

Quirky, bohemian type place. Very close to blue mosque and Topkapi palace.

Very dark interior and a bit shabby. Prime tourist area therefore high prices for food and drink and very pushy staff outside all the Tourist restaurants.

The staff are great and create a lovely atmosphere. I love the decor- so colourful. The breakfast was really nice. Great location, walking distance to Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar and many restaurants.

Nothing

The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful.. The location was perfect for all the sites

This family owned hotel has a great location and the owners and staff are friendly, helpful and quick to respond to any requests. The rooms have modern bathrooms and decent air conditioning. The decor is 'old turkish antique' and interestingly funky but the common areas could use a little decluttering and better lighting and air to make them more inviting to sit in and enjoy. We had paid for a standard double and it was a little small for us but we upgraded to an available triple that was just right. The breakfast buffet was fresh, varied and tasty. The restaurant is open all day and offers a variety of dishes.

The Kybele Hotel is the perfect choice wheter if you travel alone or in company. Located in Sulthanamet, just a minute away from the two mosques of Istanbul and all the most beautiful attractions, is perfect for your staying in this big, enormous city that never sleeps. The building is beautifully painted of different colors while inside has a charming rètro look with a glimpse of caravanserai, with all his beautiful clinging lanterns. The owner is very kind and helpful as all the staff, excellent wifi service. The rooms are perfect, clean and very comfortable. Breakfast is both turkish and european and you can enjoy it inside or outside. Waking up with the morning adhān has been ravishing. Highly recommended. I'll be back.

The main negative about the hotel is the arrival. The taxi got close within an hour, but the roads are so narrow and busy that the final short distance took ages. The location is so convenient to walk to all the main sites, and within easy reach of good places to eat and drink. The hotel is quirky and has many interesting artifacts including traditional lights. There is a small courtyard that is a lovely place to relax. We didn't eat there, as it is more expensive than nearby locations, but none are far away. The staff are all so helpful in organising any tours, taxis and generally.

Perfect central location, comfortable rooms, friendly staff, great breakfast included.

Everything was great about our stay

The location of the hotel is perfect. Few minutes walking from Blue Mosque, Ahya Sophia, Cistern and the Grand Bazaar. The employees were very friendly and attentious.

The rooms are very small and dark. There is no elevator and they gave us a room at the third floor. We do not recommend this hotel for people over 60.

We chose this hotel for the Turkish decor Which was stunning. Great location

Other than the decor it was average Stairs were challenging an accident waiting to happen

Friendly helpful staff

Our room only has a few lamps on the ceiling. There was just a kettle in the room but no where to plug in and no tea or coffee or mugs.

Tiny rooms. Absolutely mediocre breakfast and worst of all lots of steep stairs and no elevator

The biggest selling point is the location of the hotel. It is really close to Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cisterns. Many nice restaurants nearby as well.

While the bathroom was clean, the shower was mouldy along the walls and the grout and overall the shower and attachments should be changed. The furniture was very dated and could do with a refresh.