Mina Boutique Hotel - Istanbul (self-classifiedThere is no official body operating a star rating scheme for accommodation in this city and therefore this hotel has been classified by the property itself.)

Average rating:  6.4

Guest type: Gay Couple

stayed in Apr 2008

not bead hotel

Guest name: YR, Ukraine

Average rating:  10.0

Guest type: Group

stayed in Apr 2008

I rate Mina Boutique Hotel as excellent for the location and price range. I especially commend the staff for their friendliness and competence. We (group of five) arranged via email two airport pickups at reasonable price. The staff also arranged taxis during our stay and told us the price to pay. Very helpful!

Guest name: EC, USA

Average rating:  2.8

Guest type: Family with older children

stayed in Apr 2008

Mina hotel is a pathetic hotel. I arrived at midnight, I must have paid the previous night not crossed in this hotel because I had problems with my flight. The following morning, when I opened the window, there was a wall at 20 centimeters. The following morning, I changed my hotel, I don't recommend this hotel.

Guest name: EL, France

Average rating:  5.8

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Apr 2008

The location of the Hotel is excellent very near from the Hipodrome and the gardens betweeen the two most famous mosques, but... The hotel is pretty normal, with small rooms and a little noisy. I would come back, but now I know what to expect.

Guest name: JM, Spain

Average rating:  8.0

Guest type: Not Specified

stayed in Mar 2008

It is a good choice if you want to stay in the Old city and to be 5 minutes away from most of the tourist attractions and also restaurants, cafes etc. I want also to praise the competence of the staff - not only they provided excellent service but also were extremely kind and gave good advice about places to visit in Istambul, things to do etc. Drawback - economy rooms are extremely small, too small for 2 people. We had problems with air-conditioning and were upgraded to a much better room after all. And breakfast room provides such a nice view over the city and the gulf. To sum up - I can totally recommend this hotel!

Guest name: LC, Belgium

Average rating:  8.9

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Mar 2008

nice hotel, nice people, prices very ok....nice to return anytime!

Guest name: IM, Romania

Average rating:  7.3

Guest type: Mature couple

stayed in Mar 2008

only no-view room available ( no view at all ! - just facing a very close ( 1 meter ) wall

Guest name: PR, France

Average rating:  5.9

Guest type: Mature couple

stayed in Feb 2008

Small and very hot rooms. No window to open. I have seen better breakfasts. But good location. Close to many interesting places. Helpful staff even if not everyone speak English.

Guest name: LR, Sweden

Average rating:  8.4

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Jan 2008

Breakfast room was too crowded around 9 to 10 a.m.and also for the food there was not many opptions.

Guest name: BA, Romania

Average rating:  8.1

Guest type: Single traveller

stayed in Oct 2007

I had a wonderful stay at Mina. Location was wonderful. Only a minor problem during the stay was the internet connection. I tried to connect my laptop with the WIFI provided by the hotel free of charge. It was quite difficult to have constant and stable connection. But it was OK.

Guest name: Daisuke Usui, Germany

Average rating:  3.1

Guest type: Single traveller

stayed in Sep 2007

everything would be ok,except the room... They said,the room they rent by internet was all of that type.;small,without view.;except of a wall just in front!!!however,80 euros!!!

Guest name: Alain Geneste, France

Average rating:  7.8

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Aug 2007

Ho trovato disponibilità e cortesia da parte di tutti. Ho richiesto la stanza con vista sul bosforo che ho avuto, unico neo un po troppo piccola e con i letti separati, mi hanno riferito che il taglio per le altre stanze era diverso. Bella la terrazza ristorante all'ultimo piano. Posizione eccellente, a due passi da tutti i monumenti principali e dal tram. Sono rimasto abbastanza soddisfatto

Guest name: Emanuele Casinelli, Italy

Average rating:  8.6

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Aug 2007

I've been three hotels in Istanbul. It's the best of the. Not so expensive. Near city center. Good service. Good Facilities. Very nice sea view in restaurant(Breakfirst). Only one problem, they don't understand Taiwan, my friend called me to hotel, staff answered no one from Taiwan. Even though my friend said my name, hotel staff still answered no. They could enhance this ability.

Guest name: Chun-Yan Chang, Taiwan

Average rating:  8.5

Guest type: Single traveller

stayed in Jul 2007

Excellent place to stay...rooms are small in size, but compact. The people at the reception are very friendly and helpful and responsive. Ambience is just right. Feels like Home away from home. Breakfast spread is good. Thanks Mina Hotel for making my stay comfortable.

Guest name: PRAKASH HEGDE, India

Average rating:  6.4

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Jul 2007

everything fine but not the bathroom. The shower was not very clean and the water float under the bassin. But for 2 nights ok. Beds fine! Room fine.

Guest name: PK, Germany

Average rating:  9.9

Guest type: Group

stayed in Jun 2007

We took a chance making a reservation in a different country and were pleasantly pleased at the location, cleaniness, and the friendly staff. The location was very close to many of Istanbul's famous sights and mosques.

Guest name: TS, USA

Average rating:  7.5

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in May 2007

It was my first time in this hotel. I stayed in istanbul 3 days. The landascape frome the breakfast room was amazing.

Guest name: MB, Italy

Average rating:  8.9

Guest type: Single traveller

stayed in Mar 2007

Nice and friendly, excellent breakfast

Guest name: Monique Hugo, France

Average rating:  8.8

Guest type: Single traveller

stayed in Mar 2007

Great Hotel, great location if you don't mind call prayer right outside your window..Beautiful view of the Bosphourus, try to get a room on that side. Great top floor restaurant, for breakfast. Staff were super. No complaints from me..would stay here again.

Guest name: William Gregory, USA

Average rating:  9.1

Guest type: Mature couple

stayed in Jan 2007

Excellent views from dining room at breakfast and dinner. Good selection of breakfast foods and very good choices and value for money pricing for dinner service there. Outstanding staff in terms of meeting needs and answering tourist questions.

Guest name: George Parrott, USA

Average rating:  6.5

Guest type: 

stayed in Jan 2007

Staff very friendly and accomodating. Biggest criticism is with the cleanliness of room and especially the bathroom. Location is good. Free wireless internet is an added and welcomed bonus.

Guest name: PM, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Average rating:  8.8

Guest type: Mature couple

stayed in Dec 2006

Beautiful breakfast/dining room. Good food and value for dinner too there. Upper floor rooms have excellent views. Very well-serviced and staffed with caring employees.

Guest name: George Parrott, USA

Average rating:  8.6

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Jan 2007

The hotel is perfectly located in Sultanahmet area. You can reach it by metro and tram 38, stop Sultanahment. We paid 30 euros for the transfert organized by the hotel... too much. The rooms are really small, but nice, quiet and clean. the breakfast is good and located in a room with a wonderful view on Bosphorus.The staff is kind and caring. Good relationship between price and quality.

Guest name: Amanda Bottacchi, Italy

Average rating:  7.4

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Dec 2006

Good situation, near of main sights and public transporter

Guest name: Miguel Gonzalez, Spain

Average rating:  3.1

Guest type: Not Specified

stayed in Nov 2006

I would like to notice to everybody who will stay in the hotel. I have bought two ticket for one of tours introduced by the hotel. It was shit. The tour had planned to look around spice market by walk and Bosphorus by boat but it was not completely served due to coming the Pope in Istanbul. We have only taken a boat for one and a half hours with rubish guide speaking. That's fine. The problem was that I paid 95 TYL only for it but two Turkish people who bought tickets in front of the boat paid 16 TYL. This is ridiculous. After the tour, they pushed us to take a transportation (boatbus or trem) due to blocking streets. We expected guide to send us in front of the hotel but they just said goodbye to us in front of boatbus. After we got off the transportation, we could not find the hotel. We had spent for 40 mins to find the hotel. I am sure that the other tours may also be shit if the same travel agency serves. You should know that Turkish seller have two different prices for one item. One for Turkish people, and the other for travellers. A lot of Turkish seller cheat on you especially in Istanbul. They do not have a word "REFUND" in their dictionary either. BE CAREFUL IN TURKEY.

Guest name: KC, United Kingdom

Average rating:  7.1

Guest type: Group

stayed in Nov 2006

The restaurant is very nice with a beautiful view. The public areas are very nice. The rooms are definitive too small (only the bathroom has a decent dimension).

Guest name: Bormioli Marta, Italy

Average rating:  9.4

Guest type: Single traveller

stayed in Nov 2006

Excellent value for money. I'm absolutely delighted about my stay. Nice personnel and hotel room was great.

Guest name: Marko Napari, Ireland

Average rating:  9.0

Guest type: Not Specified

stayed in Aug 2006

The location of this hotel is excellent. Less than 5 minutes from the blue mosque and the tourist part of istanbul. We could see the mosque from our bedroom window. Breakfast was self service and a really good selection, and the staff were really friendly and knowledgeable. Would definately recommend the Mina as a good value for money hotel.

Guest name: Victoria Barnett, United Kingdom

Average rating:  6.1

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Oct 2006

I was influenced by other past reviews to use this hotel. Many gave high ratings for cleanliness of the room and hotel's convenient location to everything on the tourist sightseeing list. I agree that the hotel is conveniently located, overall front desk and dining room service was very good, but....be aware that the cleanliness of bathrooms is poor. Also AC does not work properly and only recirculates smelly cigarette air into room. Bed sheets used for queen and king beds are too small so you'll be doing a tug-of-war with your partner if you want coverage while sleeping. Breakfast buffet is excellent and dining room has great view of Bosphoros and rooftops of neighborhood. Staff at front desk always accommodating and able to speak English. There are many other hotels within or close to this price range that we felt are nicer and just as conveniently located to everything. Mina Hotel has a 4-star rating, but that's only because an elevator is available.

Guest name: Betty Hong, USA

Average rating:  5.3

Guest type: Mature couple

stayed in Oct 2006

This is a nice hotel, but not nearly as nice as it thinks it is. The problems began as soon as we arrived - the receptionist informed me that my reservation had been cancelled and that they had no rooms available. He was unable to tell me exactly how, why or when it had been cancelled, and was unswayed by the fact that I had a copy of the confirmation email in my hand. Luckily, while we were standing there another guest decided to check out a couple of days early... and then, having told that guest that he could not have a refund, they promptly resold the room to us. The room was nice enough - small, but all we needed was somewhere to sleep so that wasn't so important. The window looked out onto a blank wall about a metre away. The bathroom was quite smart, but there was some mould around the bath and shower, and the towels were very rough to the skin. The location of the hotel cannot be faulted - it's in a very quiet street just moments from a tram stop, 10 minutes' walk from the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar, and a few minutes further from other main sights. Nights were a bit of a problem. The air conditioning in the room was ineffective, but if you open the window the mosquitos fly in. Conversation in the adjoining room was clearly audible in the early hours (which meant that we were rather reluctant to "get romantic" for fear of being heard), and their 4am alarm call woke us up too. The beds were comfortable but small - I'm only 1.80 m (5'11") but my feet were sticking over the end of the bed. The breakfast buffet was plentiful but uninspiring, with dreadful coffee, and you have to pay for "extras" such as egg or real orange juice. At check out the bill was a little higher than expected (taxes?). In summary, this is most definitely not a "boutique" hotel but if you lower your expectations and think of it as a rather good budget hotel you probably won't be disappointed.

Guest name: Michael Scott, United Kingdom

Average rating:  8.9

Guest type: 

stayed in Oct 2006

Very welcoming reception staff, nice and well-equipped rooms, excellent location in Sultanhamet. Breakfast was ok - but restaurant personnel should speak a better English... Several nationalities of guests during our stay - mostly tourists. Price/quality rate was really outstanding - we had a double twin room plus breakfast for Eur 55 per day! I would recommend this hotel to anyone going to Istanbul on a leisure travel.

Guest name: Viviana La Morgia, Italy

Average rating:  7.6

Guest type: Single traveller

stayed in Sep 2006

Pros: great location (3 blocks from Sultanahmet square and tram stop, walking distance from major tourist attractions), great staff, great price through Venere (Euro 40/night) Contras: Although clean on surface, rooms need some deeper cleaning (i.e. carpets really dirty). Rooms not appropiate for families due to their spaciousness.

Guest name: Rodrigo Fresco, Uruguay

Average rating:  9.2

Guest type: Single traveller

stayed in Sep 2006

I must give credit to the hotel staff for their promptness in replying to all my queries,they were very helpful in every which way.Excellent value for money and tremendous service.Will certainly go back to stay with them. Special thanks to Venere for helping me get there.

Guest name: Ashish Jaiswal, India

Average rating:  9.6

Guest type: Single traveller

stayed in Aug 2006

i stayed at the mina boutique hotel in august 2006 for 3 nights. my room was on the first floor at the back with a view of a wall 30cm away; however, this also meant that i had no noise disturbing my sleep and i definitely was not in istanbul to stare out the window of my hotel. the breakfast was, by western standards, not the best but it was adequate and the view from the breakfast room stunning. the hotel is only 5 mins by cab from the train station (although watch out for the cab drivers who will try to drive you all over town ...) and proximity to all the sights (blue mosque, hagia sofya, topkapi, etc) can not be beat. the staff when i arrived seemed a little 'snooty' but they warmed up quickly and were extremely helpful my whole stay. it was very hot at the time (45c+) and although i had no problem with a/c, i did hear from others on higher floors that their a/c stopped working in the middle of the night. hopefully this has been addressed. regardless, i definitely recommend the mina boutique hotel in istanbul.

Guest name: KAREN SKADSHEIM, Canada

Average rating:  9.6

Guest type: with a friend

stayed in Jul 2006

I will definitely stay there again, and have recommended to my friends. The staff was excellent and helped us with everything (it was my first trip to Turkey). Absolutely recommend.

Guest name: Patricia Fitzhugh, Egypt

Average rating:  9.9

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Jul 2006

Excellent accomodation. Impossible to find anything better in Istanbul!

Guest name: Daniele Scaggiante, Italy