Special Artemis Hotel, Istanbul

On a cobblestone street in the heart of Sultanahmet, the historic Old City of Istanbul, is Special Artemis Hotel (Kücük Ayasofya Cad, Cayiroglu Sok, No. 25, 34400 Sultanahmet-Istanbul, Turkey; phone +90 212 516 58 65, fax +90 212 638 25 58, e-mail artemis@artemishotel.com or visit www.artemishotel.com).

Indeed a special hotel in every way, this is a relatively new, 24-room boutique hotel (which was being refurbished and renovated).

We visited Istanbul, Dec. 26, ’03-Jan. 1, ’04, and I had made reservations several months ahead through www.hotels.com on the Internet, but the hotel’s website itself can also accommodate visitors wishing to make reservations. Prices vary with the seasons. For a triple, I paid approximately $75 per night plus tax, and our son and his wife’s double room cost approximately $65 per night plus tax. The rates included a wonderful buffet breakfast daily. Major credit cards are accepted.

The lobby’s polished natural wood reception desk and floor accented the tastefully appointed furniture and draperies. The hotel rooms were quite comfortable, each with beautiful kilims on natural finished wood floors, plus an adequately sized closet, dressing table and mini-bar. Each room also had a modern, ceramic-tile bathroom with a glass-enclosed shower and marble sink as well as a hair dryer.

“Gracious and accommodating” best describes the staff. The hotel provided transfers to and from Ataturk International Airport for approximately $6 per person each way. The managers arranged private sightseeing tours for our family and even walked us to the nearby travel agency when we needed to make payment for a last-minute tour. The staff also searched out possibilities for a New Year’s Eve celebration to suit our tastes and budget.

The hotel’s attractive restaurant provided a variety of entrée choices for less than $10 each. We didn’t arrive at the hotel until about 1:30 a.m. because of a flight cancellation, but upon arrival we were told that they would be happy to prepare something for us to eat. Expecting merely a snack to tide us over until breakfast, we were quite surprised to have the entire menu offered to us by a pleasant young man, who happily prepared a wonderful Turkish meal for our ravenous appetites!

And when the staff learned that we had a very early morning departure, they accommodated us with a complete breakfast before their restaurant opened that morning.

During warmer seasons, hotel guests can enjoy views of Sultanahmet and the Marmara Sea at the Roof Bar & Restaurant. Although rooftop dining was not available during our stay, we did walk up to see the fantastic views and a panorama of the city.

The hotel’s location was ideal for sightseeing. The Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, the Underground Cistern, Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar and the Museum of Turkish & Islamic Art all were within walking distance of the hotel. The docks where we boarded the Bosphorus ferries were farther away but also were close enough to walk to if we chose not to take taxis, which were literally minutes away from the hotel and readily available.

The hotel was, as its name states, “special,” and when we return to Istanbul we will look forward to returning to the Artemis.

NANCY McCASLIN
South Bend, IN