Monday, June 30, 2008

Tulip and Marmara Guesthouses in Istanbul



I hope that at least someone will benefit from this post. I looked online for a hostel or guesthouse in which to stay when I arrived in Istanbul. Upon finding a few reviews on the Tulip Guesthouse, I finally booked a room there. Being out of singles, I chose a double for 45 Euro. When I arrived Emret, the manager, informed me that he was out of rooms but had gotten me one next door at the Marmara Guesthouse for 40 Euro a night.



Well, that ended up being a blessing as well, because the manager Elif was very nice. She told me about a few places to eat that were within walking distance. She also arranged for her brother to take me to the airport at 3am. The room and bathroom were very clean. There were towels laid out on the bed.



The two windows opened over a ledge with another bright orange guest house across the way. The guest house across the street on the other side, is a night club until about 1am. They play American music which was a nice feeling to hear something from home. All in all, the ambiance was really quite amazing. I had never been so relaxed in my life. With the breeze coming off the Black Sea, the air was just cool enough to be comfortable. I would definitely recommend either of these guesthouses if you are ever going to stay in Istanbul.

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