Istanbul is one of those bustling big cities that attract a lot of tourists. And for good reasons! Situated both in Europe and Asia, Istanbul offers a collection of culture, amazing views and some of the best foods you’ll ever eat. No wonder tourists travel to Istanbul by the dozens! But what is the best place to stay in Istanbul? The city is humongous and the offer of hostels and hotels is overwhelming. I spend a good portion of an evening combing through the different hotels on offer and finally selected a 2 night stay at Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul. Immediately after check in, I felt this would be the best place to stay in Istanbul and I’d like to share my review with you!
As I stayed in the Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul myself, all opinions are my own. My recommendation is based on my own personal experience and I was not paid or compensated to write anything about the hotel. I know how hard it can be to find the best place to stay in Istanbul, so I’d like to share my personal experiences with you. This post does contains affiliate links. If you decide to book through my link I will earn a small commission at no extra cost for you.
Read more: How to travel to Istanbul by train
Location review for Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul
Location is key in Istanbul. Where you’ll stay in Istanbul will determine your feelings and will have a huge impact on your stay. I was a bit nervous coming to Istanbul. So I wanted a place to stay in Istanbul that was near the main tourist attractions and easily accessible by local transport. I decided I wanted to stay in Sultanahmed in Istanbul. This is the touristic area of Istanbul and located on the European side of the city.
And the Agora Life Hotel is in the middle of Sultanahmed. It is only a 1-minute walk from the train, 2-minute walk from the Aya Sofia and Blue Mosque and 2 minutes from some good restaurants. I didn’t need to call for taxis and I didn’t feel unsafe walking the streets of Istanbul as a solo female traveler.
Read more: Istanbul during Ramadan; what is it like?
The location of the Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul is spot on. From my room, I could see the Bosporus and the Asian side of the city. And from the roof top terrace I could marvel at the grand Aya Sofia and the Topkapi Palace. Wow what a find! Although it was right in the centre of Istanbul, the entrance and rooms are situated in a side street. Only some occasional noise from the streets below came through the window but this was a pleasant distraction.
The location review for Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul: I give the hotel a 5/5 rating.
Prices review for Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul
I could have stayed in a cheap ass hostel in Istanbul, sharing my room with 7 other strangers. As I would arrive by train from the Netherlands, I figured I would want some privacy after such a long journey. I decided for a private room at the Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul.
The hotel offers double rooms, double deluxe rooms, suites and family rooms. Prices per night go up from €67,50 but I paid €78 for 2 nights. That is €39 per night!
Curious how I did that? See what price you can get for your dates.
The price included free parking (in case you’re crazy enough to attempt to drive in the centre of Istanbul) and it includes a full buffet style breakfast that I enjoyed very much.
For me, the value for money at the Agora Life Hotel made it the best place to stay in Istanbul. No wonder I give the hotel a full review as I loved it so much.
My prices review for Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul: I give the hotel a 5/5 rating for value for money.
Facilities review for Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul
The Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul was easy to find and only a few minutes on foot. I paid for my stay by credit card and felt happy about it. But the facilities at Agora Life Hotel really made me fall in love with the place!
Wi-Fi: I love it. I need it. I can’t live without it. Right upon check in, I received the Wi-Fi code with covered Wi-Fi-signals for each floor. It was fast and reliable and I could even stream some videos with it. 5/5 rating for Wi-Fi.
Cleanliness: From the reception to my room, from the roof top terrace to the down stairs restaurant, everything was clean and fresh. The room was cleaned daily, but the Agora Life Hotel offered the option to save your towels and avoid unnecessary waste of water. 5/5 rating for cleanliness.
Common area: The reception was nice and cozy. Big plush chairs and some nice places to sit and wait or use the internet. The restaurant was downstairs and had enough tables and served a very good breakfast. But what topped the charts was the rooftop terrace. The views across the Bosporus and the Golden Horn were amazing. I went there twice at sun set and once during the night. Just to look at all the little lights and hear the screaks of the seagulls and the honking horns of the ferries. The view of the back of Aya Sofia was also pretty impressive and shows why the Agora Life Hotel has the best location in Istanbul. 5/5 rating for common area.
Read more: Dolmabahçe or Topkapi Palace in Istanbul
Tours: The hotel manager helped me a lot to figure out things to do. I originally planned to stay 4 days in Istanbul but I ended up with only 2,5 days. The manager helped me with maps and explained a lot about the tours and things to do in Istanbul. The hotel doesn’t operate their own tours, but they worked together with a tour agency and I was happy to book a full city day trip with them. A bit on the pricy side, the tour did offer a lot of sightseeing, so I’ll rate it with a 4/5 for their tours.
My facilities review for Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul: I give the hotel a 5/5 rating for overall facilities.
Review for Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul double bedroom
Well this is a bit of a hard one to judge. I booked a standard double bedroom for single use. Upon my arrival, I was offered an upgrade and got a deluxe double bedroom with views of the Bosporus. The best place to stay in Istanbul, is a hotel with views of the Bosporus!
This room was grand! It had so much closet space, even the Kardashian’s would be able to fit their entire wardrobe in it. It had a safe and enough hangers. The double bed was gigantic. Pillows, cushions, duvet. I sank right into a much needed deep sleep!
Read more: Istanbul Museum Pass, is it worth it?
The bathroom was standard fitted with shampoos, soaps and all the other facilities you need to freshen up after 1.5 weeks of travel. There was a small seating area with some comfortable chairs and some fruit and water for the taking. The mini bar was stuffed but I didn’t take anything from it. There was a TV and heater in the room but I didn’t use them as the views of the Bosporus were entertainment enough.
I have to confess; I spend more time in the room than I wanted too. Because I was so tired after my sleep deprived train journey from Romania, I just needed some shut eye.
Room review for Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul: I give the room a 5/5 rating.
Staff review for Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul
As soon as you travel to Turkey, you’ll notice that the people play a huge role in if you like the place or not. Most people are very friendly and super hospitable, but sometimes, their need to make money is so obvious and it can get annoying. Turkey is my favorite travel destination and I love it every time I travel to the country. But I sometimes I get overwhelmed by the need of attention and the need to sell you anything at all times.
This wasn’t the case for the staff of the Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul. I arrived at 9 am in the morning, well before check in time. I figured I would just check the place out and see if I could leave my bag there until I could access my room.
As soon as I walked in, the manager immediately saw I was exhausted. He gave me something to drink and said he would be able to give me the key to my room in a few moments. I was delighted!
After this, the manager went out of his way to explain my surroundings and provide me with useful tips of things to do in Istanbul and how to get there. After his raving review of one of the tours, I decided to book a tour via the hotel.
The staff at the breakfast restaurant were also very friendly. They didn’t speak English very well, but made me feel welcome. The boys at the reception answered any questions I had and it was nice to be greeted upon arrival at the hotel.
Rating for the staff at Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul: 5/5 rating.
Why the Agora Life Hotel is the best place to stay in Istanbul
From the above, it is very clear that I absolutely loved my stay at the Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul. I think it is the best place to stay in Istanbul, for solo travelers, couples and families. It doesn’t matter if you’re on a short lay-over or a weekend trip to Istanbul, the Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul is a great place to call home for a few nights. The location is unsurpassable, the value for money exceeded my expectations, the services on offer are outstanding. To add to that, the rooms at Agora Life Hotel will make you stay longer than you wish for and the staff will go out of their way to help you.
My overall rating for the review of Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul is 25/25 points. That’s 100% satisfaction rating.
Do you want to secure your stay at Agora Life Hotel in Istabul?
Are you travelling to Istanbul soon? Do you want the best place to stay in Istanbul? Book your room in Istanbul!
Check Prices and Availability for Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul
Have you stayed at Agora Life Hotel in Istanbul? Tell me what did you think of your stay there? Or have you stayed somewhere else in Istanbul, which you also want to recommend? Let me know.
We are travelling there this June from South Africa and chose the Agora Life hotel based on your review.
I hope you have a lovely time in Istanbul. Feel free to book your hotel stays via my link.