Sumengen Hotel, Istanbul

In Istanbul, I highly recommend the Sumengen Hotel (Mimar Mehmet Aga Caddesi Amiral Tafdil Sokak 21, Istanbul, Turkey; phone 0212 517 6869).

For six nights, Dec. 20-26, 2010, our twin room cost €90 (near $129) per night and we were very pleased. (In 2012 it’s €105 per night for a twin room.)

The rooms were spacious, the breakfast was plentiful and the location excellent, just a few blocks from the Sultanahmet Mosque. Tea and cake were served in the lobby in the afternoons.

The highest accolade goes for the service, especially to staff members Okan and Memo. Every question was answered, every reservation booked and every effort made to ensure that we were satisfied with both the hotel and our visit to Istanbul.

Only one small irritation — WiFi didn’t work in the rooms, and there wasn’t always a strong signal in the lobby, but it was available in the lobby, as was a computer for guests’ use.

VICKI SCHELL
Pensacola, FL