Radisson Hotel President Old Town Istanbul

Rooms and decor

If you booked this place years ago, the name Best Western Plus The President might ring a bell. It is now rebranded as the Radisson Hotel President Old Town Istanbul, a new chain with raised standards. The rooms run noticeably more spacious than the usual 4-star, with tasteful furnishings and marble bathrooms, and most reviews praise the comfort and the cleanliness. One thing to brace for: a handful of guests say the AC is hard to set the way you want, so if that matters to you, flag it the moment you check in and the team will sort it out.

Food and amenities

The rooftop is the highlight you have to make time for. It looks straight out over the Blue Mosque and the Marmara Sea, and sunset up there with a cold drink is the moment nearly every review ends up describing. Downstairs there is an indoor pool with a sauna and spa, which is a real advantage here, because they work all year rather than leaving you waiting on the season the way an outdoor pool does. Istanbul winters get genuinely cold, so an indoor pool earns its keep. Breakfast is included in the rate and the quality is good, with guests calling out the variety, and the staff draw across-the-board praise for how helpful they are. It reads like a well-trained team.

Location and getting there

The real strength is the transport. The hotel sits right beside Beyazıt metro station, the Grand Bazaar is a few minutes on foot, and hopping the metro to other parts of the city or out toward the airport is easy. If you plan to shop hard, this is the base that keeps your bags off your shoulders. The thing to know is that the district leans on the Grand Bazaar, so walking straight to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia is a longer trek than from a hotel inside Sultanahmet. That said, the T1 tram runs close by and gets you there in a few stops.

Things to know before booking

Three honest notes. First, some reviews say the in-room AC underperforms and is fiddly to set, so raise it at check-in if you are sensitive to temperature. Second, it is not cheap for a 4-star compared with others in the district, and what you are really paying for is the location. Third, because Beyazıt centers on the bazaar, the headline Sultanahmet sights are a bit farther on foot. Rates open around $97 a night.

Our take

For families and shoppers who want an international 4-star chain with an indoor pool and easy metro access, Radisson President is a tidy fit. If you weight walking to the Grand Bazaar and hopping a train anywhere over being steps from Hagia Sophia, it delivers in full. The trade-off is that the Sultanahmet headliners sit a little farther out, which, for a shopper, reads as a win rather than a loss.