Taksim la Marino Hotel

The hotel isn't far from Taksim Square, but it's quite a trek if you're lugging suitcases up and down the hills. The rooms were clean, but I doubt the two rooms combined were 55 square meters. The front desk staff's English was limited, so communication was mostly through gestures. They advertised a kitchen and cookware, but there was no stove or pots, so it was pretty much useless.

Great location! It's about a 7-8 minute walk from Taksim Metro Station, with no steep hills, and there's a SOK supermarket nearby. It must have been pretty empty because they gave me a suite with two king-size beds, which was a pleasant surprise! The underfloor heating was incredibly powerful – a bit too much for a southerner like me, so I had to turn on the AC. Since it's not facing the street, it's relatively quiet. The staff were also very friendly.

The room was fantastic, and the owner was incredibly nice. They personally showed us to our room and even upgraded our room type! The room was spacious and very comfortable. The location is also very convenient, right near Taksim Square and Taksim Metro Station.

Has a balcony, which is great for smokers.

We booked a two-bedroom apartment, but it turned out to be a partitioned room, not a proper two-bedroom. One room had no window and was very stuffy. The room was tiny; once we opened our suitcases, there was barely any space to move around. It was advertised with a kitchen, but the stovetop had no burners or basic kitchen utensils, making it completely useless. We were very disappointed with our stay.