The Magnaura Palace Hotel

✓This hotel is in a great location, near most of the attractions in Istanbul. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. The room was clean and quiet. The wonderful breakfast is served on the top floor, with open views to ocean and its breeze. It met all my expectations and accommodations mentioned in the booking.com. Thank you Note to Mr. Owner: We arrived early AM (~8:30 AM) from USA and ate breakfast in the restaurant there, I stated to him that we will pay or it could be charged to the room. He did not charge for breakfast and I thank him for that.

!This is not a complaint at all, but a suggestion for improvement, so please do not take it personally or the wrong way: I found out on the second of the stay :). The owner of the Hotel was usually present during breakfast hours, probably making sure the breakfast is served well. However, he had loud conversation with a lady (chef? most likely) in the restaurant, which was distracting, furthermore, I felt he was watching customers eating BF (kind of :), which did not feel comfortable.

✓Not only was the staff very friendly and very helpful, so too was the owner of the hotel. I thought the man at the morning breakfast buffet supervising things was the restaurant manager. No. He was the owner of the hotel, on premises, making sure everything was functioning as it should. And it was! The selection and quality of the food on the breakfast buffet was exceptional, especially when you consider the size of the hotel. The room was nice and large, and clean. My "sea view" room had a clear view of the Bosphorus even from the 1st floor (or, as us Americans would call it, the second floor). The location was near a number of tourist sites, restaurants, and bars, yet the streets right around the hotel were quiet.

!The one guest who shushed me when I was talking in the hallway. I wasn't that loud! Really. Other than that, I would only point out that the price was on the expensive side, but given that the hotel was very close to the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the Basilica Cistern, and the room was comfortably-sized, this price point was somewhat to be expected. I would have preferred a better bargain, but still maintaining the same room size, location, and exceptional level of hospitality, but, then again, who wouldn't?

✓Tout. Chambre vue sur mer et sdb parfaites. Très propre. Articles de toilettes ajoutés chaque jour en suffisance. Essuies changés tous les jours. Douche super. Literie impeccable. Petites eaux fournies chaque jour. Très bon petit déjeuner. Et resto aussi. Personnel super agréable et sympathique. Terrasse magnifique. Avec vues de toutes parts. Environnement de l’hôtel agréable et calme. Emplacement exceptionnel, à peine deux minutes à pieds de la Mosquée bleue et très proche de tout le reste. Nous reviendrons!

!Rien.

✓Wonderful location, very fine service from everyone, restaurant food, service, and view were absolutely first rate. We are very adventurous eating out, but ate several meals at the hotel because their restaurant was so superior.

!The rooms are just a bit small: a few strategic hooks would be useful.The perfectly good shower requires a bit of grout cleaning. These were small marks on a very pleasant and perfectly placed hotel with a fine staff.