Deniz Houses Hotel is an inviting small Istanbul hotel hidden down a side street away from the main hustle of Sultanahmet but just a pleasant ten-minute stroll () from the main sights— Aya Sofya, the Blue Mosque and the Topkapı Palace.
NOTE: In June, July and most of August 2016, the Deniz Houses are offering their rooms at promotional prices: 32€ single, 37€ double, an amazing bargain.
The hotel boasts 18 comfortable rooms, many renovated in 2015, on four floors reached by stairs (no elevator/lift). All are decorated with Turkish carpets and kilims adorning wooden floors, flat-screen TVs (most channels in Turkish, three in English, one in French, one in German), individually-controllable air-conditioning units, private bathrooms with showers or tub/shower combinations. Each room has an electric kettle and coffee- and tea-making supplies, and a small refrigerator into which you may put anything you like.
From some of its rooms, the Deniz Houses offer that priceless Istanbul asset—views of the Sea of Marmara. Traffic noise from busy Kennedy Caddesi, the shore road that passes between the hotel and the water, is muted by double-glazed windows and subsides at night.
Rooms on the side facing the quiet street give a view of neighborhood life.
Three deluxe sea-view rooms, in their own building, are larger. All have expansive views of the Sea of Marmara. The ground-floor room has its own patio terrace. The two upper rooms have balconies with the view. The top-floor room is the largest, with a double bed and two single beds capable of accommodating a couple with one or two children.
The staff at the Deniz Houses are especially friendly and accommodating. They'll make you feel welcome.
The Deniz Houses' cozy rooftop breakfast room looks out towards the Sea of Marmara. Its small open-air terrace has views of the Blue Mosque and the Küçük Ayasofya Mosque which is just down the street from the hotel.
The hotel was opened by the same family partnership – Fatih Sapçı, and Lütfiye and Temel Turgut – that owns the nearby Sultan’s Inn, Naz Wooden House Inn, Efendi Apartments, and Efendi & Backpackers Travel Agencies (which operates a good value-for-money airport transfer service.) They bring more than 20 years experience in the tourism business to their hotels which are managed with enthusiasm and attention to detail.
When you contact the Deniz Houses, please mention TTP. Here’s why. If you mention TTP, you'll receive a free fruit plate in your room when you arrive.
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Deniz Houses Hotel
Küçük Ayasofya Caddesi
Cayıroğlu Sokak No. 14 ()
Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey
Tel: +90 (212) 518 9595
Fax: +90 (212) 638 3922
—by Tom Brosnahan