Hotel Empress Zoe

A beautiful, magical hotel with fantastic staff. Thank you for making my holiday so special. I will remember my stay forever.

A very cute, family run hotel in the centre of Istanbul. Excellent location to be near the main cultural attractions, however the area is quite touristy and busy thus sometimes noisy. The hotel offers a nice breakfast and a relaxing garden.

We loved our stay at Empress Zoe. We had the corner room on the 2nd floor at the front of the building - it is very comfy and has wrap around windows and lots of interesting decorations. The breakfast in the gorgeous shady courtyard is a highlight. They have your standard eggs and toast but also lots of Turkish specialities such as Menemen, lentil koftas, local honey and yoghurt etc. The service is fantastic including quick response to emails and messages about transfers etc. Also a great location just a few hundred metres from Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia etc

We’ve just stayed for 2 nights at this hotel. It offers good value for our money. The breakfasts are very nice and you can enjoy them in a very pretty courtyard setting. The staff are lovely and very helpful and the location is terrific. There is a spiral staircase and we had to be very careful. The hotel staff carried our luggage to our room and vice versa when we left.

Boutique hotel in a very touristy area of Istanbul but had a nice homely feel with character. Breakfast is home-style but pretty much the same every day which is fine for a stay of a few days but could be improved if they offered eggs cooked to order. Highlight is eating breakfast in the courtyard next to an old dilapidated hammam - a wonderful peaceful haven. The room was a little expensive but to be expected for such a central location and a bit small but we had a room facing the main street with a small balcony which was lovely. Not too loud considering the location. Rooftop provides a nice view early morning/late evenings. Stairs are tricky but the staff are willing to help with bags. All the staff were very friendly, kind and willing to help. Plenty of restaurants nearby but a fair amount of hassle as you walk by. Not easy to casually peruse menus.

We wanted to like this hotel more but ended up being a bit disappointed. It has a lot of character but has seen it’s day. We got stuck in a basement room which really stunk- was very dark and dank but paid full price for a suite nonetheless. The hotel is very convenient to the Blue Mosque, Aya Sofia, etc. It is next to a street full of (touristy) restaurants but a great location. As other reviews have noted, the courtyard and public area are quaint but have acquired a bit of “patina” shall we say. Breakfast was great. If we had an above ground room we probably would have liked it more. So we give it a qualified recommendation if you like historical buildings and want to be in easy walking distance it’s a good choice.

Small hotel that gave more than the average.Assisted with bags, taxis ,recommendations to eat,advice on sightseeing and costs-which varied widely. The ladies who prepared breakfast in the gorgeous courtyard were lovely, their food home cooked and plentiful. THEHotel is on a corner on a busy road but in 4 nights it was never a problem as windows were solid and aircon efficient. Close to all sites and easy walk to the harbour and other areas surrounding.

If you are looking for a venue full of character then this is the place for you. Besides the fact that is exactly right next to the most obvious atractions, the hotel is cozy and welcoming and the breakfast is to die for. Istambul boasts of really yummy food but combined with the homey cozy feeling the food just tastes better.

Really enjoyed this little gem in the heart of the Sultanahmet district of Istanbul. Excellent room. The courtyard garden is beautiful and don't miss the roof top terrace with super views of the Bosphorus. Very helpful and friendly staff with good English.