Merit Halki Palace Hotel

We stayed here in summer time. It has very nice ppol and the room was amazing. it is really historucal palaca and decorated in a very ellagant way. Not far from the pier. The breakfast was in the garden and quite nice. All was good. The view from the window was amazing. I never seen such a nice view any other place of Istanbul. The hotel is really really advisory. At the evening you can explore the Heybeliada.

After Istanbul noise, this is a real respite. This is an old colonial type of place. Rooms are OK. Mine was on the side, with no specific view. Be sure to request a room with a view on the sea. You'll get your wake up call at 5 am by the muezzin, but you should be used to it by now. One con: there is no air-con, and some rooms can be very hot. They have a very nice swimming pool, and rest areas around it (hammocks, corners to chat quietly). Really charming. The hotel has great views from the terrace (sea and Istanbul - asian part). Staff is really nice and helpful. The hotel is 10 min walk away from the pier, easy to find. You can swim in the sea. If you go down past the swimming pool, there is a gate (they will open it for you). You reach the street, go down to the sea shore. There is a private beach (we were told it was 20$/30 min!!!), we went left on a trail, and there was a private beach for locals, for 20 TL per day! Note: there were zillions of jellyfish. I hate them. But these white ones are not poisonous, and you can swim with them if you can stand the weird feeling when you touch them. From the hotel, you can have a nice early run around the island (turn right on the road). You'll see the sun rise on the other islands and Istanbul. It is a 6-7 km run. Following the road, you'll end up at the pier. One variant. Once on the other side (after a steep climb and a veer to the left, you'll see on your right a guarded building. 100m further, there is paved road, sharp left. Follow it, along a cemetery. Continue climbing (steep). You'll reach the big flag at the top. Fantastic views from there, in particular at sunrise and sunset.

This old style hotel enjoys a wonderful setting and views of the sea and the Asian side of Istanbul. On its terrace and the pool area, one feels miles away from a bustling city, as if strapped inside a time capsule where time stopped. One can see some parts of the hotel were refurbished, but the rooms would need a bit of updating but it still feels very classical and comfortable. We had very good dinners but the breakfast would need a bit more variety. The staff was friendly and pleasant, but little bit more training would add to the professionalism of the service. For a 4 star, i would also recommend some arrangements in the port to take your luggage up the hill. I have seen it on other places such as small islands in Greece and Croatia. It would certainly improve the overall feeling of classy luxury. Overall, certainly a place worth of a stay.