Outdoor dining

Reviews of The Empress Theodora

3.5 out of 5
The Empress Theodora
Cankurtaran Mah. Alemdar Cad. 16, Istanbul, Istanbul

Reviews

8.4

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 28 out of 56 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 18 out of 56 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 4 out of 56 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 3 out of 56 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 56 reviews" "

8.8/10

Cleanliness

8.6/10

Staff & service

8.0/10

Amenities

8.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Zainab

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The best hotel staff and best hotel experience ever!!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 6 nights in May 2018

10/10 Excellent

A

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good stay
Very nice stay. Comfortable and good value for money
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2018

10/10 Excellent

A N MISTRY

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent location and cooperative stafg
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2018

8/10 Good

Sam, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel Good location
Good location near Gulhane tram station. Excellent reception staff. Nice new room. Breakfast basic good spread. Would stay here again.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good
Good hotel. Good service and location but very hard for taxis to reach

10/10 Excellent

Dimitar

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Highly Recommend
We stayed at The Empress of Theodora Hotel for 3 nights and this is the nicest hotel in the city!! The room was nice and clean, great bed and breakfast! We enjoyed our time there! We will definitely come back, because those 3 days were amazing!

10/10 Excellent

Safwan, Cairo, Egypt

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great small hotel
I liked the convenience of the location. Breakfast included in the rate was very well served People were nice and friendly I hoped there was a setting arrangement in the room; seat and coffee table

10/10 Excellent

Anita, New York

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The best place
I am so happy, my dream come true

8/10 Good

Carlos, Toronto, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A good one!
Unbeatable location. Very friendly staff. The carpet in my room was a old (a little worn out and stained) but the room was very clean. Breakfast was pretty good. Only that it didn't have real coffee (only instant coffee offered), and started at 8am (a little late, if you need to catch a tour).

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A nice hotel to stay in the center of Istanbul.
I feel lucky to have chosen this hotel when visiting Istanbul. A few things I really like about it. Hotel staff is friendly and knowledgeable. I consulted with them each morning about where to go and how to get there. It turned out the information they provided was very helpful. I also like the location of this hotel. It is quite convenient no matter where one wants to go. I will choose this hotel again if I visit Istanbul in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Leonid, Chicago

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We like it there
This was exactly what we were looking for. Right at the middle of the old city attractions. Those who used to or require more space may consider some other place - room is extremely minimalistic. However this was just what we needed for the two day stay. Included breakfast was really good and service was not only well organized but also friendly and cheerful.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good centre to see the Istanbul sights
Very comfortable. Good breakfast on the terrace. Very friendly and helpful staff. We were there for two nights, should have been longer. Easy to get around on the trams to the Bosphorus. Walking distance to Topkapi park. Good restaurants minutes away. We had a great stay.

8/10 Good

mark, oakland, california

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
great value
The good: Great location, nice mattress, robust breakfast, fantastic staff. The bad: tiny shower, street noise (although the muezin calls to prayer were a real treat and the trams and crowd quieted down after midnight).

10/10 Excellent

Monika, Singapore

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect place to be at!
The hotel location cannot get better than this - right at sultanahmet! Would recommend this place to anyone visiting Istanbul for three main reasons - knowledgeable staff, excellent hospitality and staff and the perfect location (walkable to aya sofia, blue mosque, topkapi palace, grand bazaar, basilica cistern, ferry station for bosphorus cruise, great eating places and to add to it, the tram station is right outside the hotel)!

10/10 Excellent

Yev, Edmonton, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Magic Location in the Heart of Old Istanbul
The location of the hotel is superb in the heart of the Sultanahmet area. It is located next to Ayasofya, Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace. Very convenient to get to the tram line. Lots of shops, restaurants, and historical places around. The hotel staff is very friendly and helpful. The breakfast is very diverse and tasty.

10/10 Excellent

Maurice, Greater Boston Area

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Location, Class, and Hospitality
If you come across looking for a vacation stay in Istanbul, look no further. Empress Theodora is it. This is a family owned hotel situated right on the TRAM line between the Hagia Sophia and the water front. Behind the hotel, it's the old palace wall in side of which are the Topkapi Palace, and the Archeological Museum. It's within a minute walk to the entrance of the Gulhane Park, and minutes to everything. Unlike some of the other hotels that are in the narrow small streets that are not accessible by taxi, Empress Theodora is right on the main road. Yet it is very quiet in the room. The hotel is very clean, has nice furniture and tastefully decorated. The rooms are larger than most hotels I've been. The beds are firm and comfortable. No tub, and the shower is rather small for a large person. But the hot water is always there. The free breakfast is very fresh and abundant with lots of selections. What I like the hotel the most is the people. The host is a young man by the name of Ersen - extremely friendly, and speaks perfect English. (His parents live by the Delaware River, and his uncle owns the hotel.) He works very hard. You will likely see him in the mornings and the evenings, day in and day out. He always greets you with a big smile. He has special business contacts that he takes responsibility for, so you won't be cheated. For example, if you order a Taxi to go to the airport, he trusted no one but the one he knows he can trust. Very satisfied!

8/10 Good

Isabella, Bucharest

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
good location, very client oriented staff
Excelent location if you want to be close to the Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace there are at 3-5 minutes walk We had the back home plane very late in the evening and we've been very pleasently surprised by the reception personell who assured us that we can check out at 8 PM without any extra charge. The room is comfortable, the bathroom clean and functional, the breakfast good, they have a nice terace

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Istanbul
We enjoyed our stay, breakfast on the rooftop was lovely.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Location is the best!
The hotel is located right up the street from Sophia Hague and the Blue Mosque. It is a great location. The hotel is right on a busy street. It does not have an elevator but they carried my bags to my room (they were heavy!) For the price, it was a great value. I chose a room without a window because it was quieter. The rooms on the street side are nice, but the trams and buses go from early in the day til late in the evening and I needed quiet. They have a fake window in the room and I was fine. They had a huge breakfast buffet which was included, plus free wifi, which I really appreciated. They gave me bottled water each day in the fridge for free, another plus. The room was clean and I had enough room to move about. The bed was fine. Lots of places to eat near by. Many great sites and bazaars not far. Try visiting a Turkish bath, I visited 2. Avoid the one next to the Grand Bazaar it is too busy, at least when I went. Great value for the money at this hotel.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Convenient place, helpful staff.
Good location. heloful staff. The room had no window but it was big enough and was clean. The breakfast was OUTSTANDING!!

10/10 Excellent

dsq, Maryland, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Thank you, Empress Theodora Hotel!
What can I say? The Empress Theodora Hotel met my expectations in every way! I am actually planning to visit again next summer, and I plan to stay here again! The room and bathroom were always clean and comfortable. The staff spoke very good English and were extremely helpful with recommendations and advice. Another added bonus was its location. It's across from the tram and near several major attractions, including souvenir shops and restaurants. The free breakfast buffet had enough variety to please any picky eater. Really, I can't think of anything negative to say! Thank you, Empress Theodora Hotel! Part of what made my visit to Istanbul so memorable was staying here!

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

P:E:S

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Thank you!
Perfect service and a breakfast buffé out of the ordinare! Thank you!

10/10 Excellent

Sayid, California

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing location
Excellent service, great quality for the price OMG I have nothing bad to say …. ill come back definitely

10/10 Excellent

Monawar, Houston, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel in Istanbul
A small hotel with all nice amenities. Walking distance from the Blue Mosque, grand bazar, topikapi palace and hagia Sofia. I enjoyed 2 very nice days over there. Hotel was clean, front desk staffs were very cooperative, and above all- we enjoyed their smiling face. Breakfast was free with lot of items and varieities. Will come back again. Monawar, USA Luna, USA

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Amenities
Nous avons réserver 4 jours dans cet établissement, on nous a donner une chambre au dernier étage qui était très très décevante l’équipement de la chambre était incomplet pas de chevet, les sols et les murs encore en travaux.......nous sommes parti à la réception pour un changement de chambre. Le buffet laisse à désir pas trop varié.Ensemble très décevant.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2019

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Cleanliness
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2019

6/10 Okay

jose, España

Liked: Staff & service
Hotel centrico, un poco ruidoso
Hotel céntrico, un poco ruidoso por el paso del tranvía
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
sauberes Zentrales Hotel
Das Hotel liegt sehr zentral. Die Sultan Ahmet Moschee und das Hagia Sophia Museum sind zu Fuß in 2 Minuten erreichbar. Außerdem liegt eine Tram Haltestelle in unmittelbarer Nähe, sodass man direkt zum Pier kommt, man könnte allerdings auch hin laufen. Das Hotel und die Zimmer waren sehr sauber. Das Personal Ahmet, Mahran und Mostafa, waren sehr sehr nett und immer hilfsbereit. Ich kann das Hotel auf jeden Fall weiterempfehlen und würde bei meinem nächsten Aufenthalt wieder das Hotel wählen.
Stayed 8 nights in Aug 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent location Great service
We stayed 4 nights here. It's a small hotel in a great location for sightseeing, walking, getting a tram. Service was outstanding. Whatever you needed the guys got it done and always watched out for whatever you need. No elevator but somebody took care of getting our luggages to and from room . Breakfast wa very good and satisfying lots of fruit , and food typical to a turkey.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2018

4/10 Poor

Rafael

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nao me entregaram o oferecido
Quarto nao confere com o descrito. Fomos acomodados em um quarto no anexo do hotel, sem guarda roupa, sem escrivaninha, sem minibar e sem mesa, sendo que tudo deveria estar incluido. O quarto era minúsculo, mal cabia a cama. O funcionário prometeu fazer a troca no dia seguinte, mas quando chegou o dia, disse que tava cheio e prometeu novamente para o dia seguinte e aconteceu a mesma coisa. A agua que caia do chuveiro invadia todo o banheiro, pois passava por debaixo do box.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2018

8/10 Good

Ali, Berlin

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Guten laufweg
Guten laufweg Central schönes Hotel immer wieder gerne
Stayed 3 nights in May 2018

10/10 Excellent

Amir, Amsterdam

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
zeer vriendelijke personeel, perfecte ligging.
wij hebben een zeer aangename verblijf gehad. hotel personeel waren erg vriendelijk en behulpzaam. ligging was echt perfect. mooi centraal, dicht bij de meest belangrijke bezienswaardigheden en tramstation. zeker een aanrader!
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2018

10/10 Excellent

Sinan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Güzel otel
Otelin konumu çok iyi gülhane parkı ile Sultan Ahmet meydanı arasında tramvay yolu üzerinde temiz sorun yaşanmayacak bir yer
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018

2/10 Terrible

Reijo, Finland

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Bought a hotel for hyandicap
When I was selecting the hotel, the picture in the net was from an other hotel. I needed a handicap room and there was noy even a lift. I had to claim to the first level. Breakfast was on the 3rd florr. Impossible for me. I had to change the fotel for second night and pay it on top. I newer got my money back from the first hotel. Out of any classification!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2017

6/10 Okay

Harry, Vught

Liked: Staff & service
Gunstige ligging ten opzichte van de highlights.
Personeel aardig en attent. Moet beter aangegeven worden dat er geen lift is. Vooral ontbijt is op de 3e verdieping. De kamer was op onderdelen niet schoon (haren in de douche, doodgeslagen muggen op de muur en zeer vuile vloerbedekking). Fijn dat er een kluisje was. Minibar werd niet koud. Personeel erbij geweest maar werd toch niet koud.

8/10 Good

Stefan

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Netter Service und Hotel sehr zentral!
Sehr schöne Woche verbracht. Sonnig und viele Sehenswürdigkeiten.

10/10 Excellent

hichem, tunis

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Petit hôtel agréable et confortable pour un repos
Petit hôtel agréable et confortable pour un repos bien mérité après de chaudes visites, idéalement situé pour un accès rapide aux principaux monuments de la vieille ville, personnel dévoué, buffet du petit déjeuner très copieux, terrasse bien agréable.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
VOYAGE A ISTANBUL
ISTANBUL EST UNE BELLE VILLE TOURISTIQUE AVEC UNE BELLE CULTURE, DE MERVEILLEUX MUSEES ET MONUMENTS A VISITER. A VOIR IMPERATIF.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Location is Good
Very near by Ayasofya. Staff kindly explained valuable points for sightseeing and concerns for tourist, it was quite helpful for me.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good Location
There are many tourism, so easy to manage trip plan. (Especially for Japanese because Japanese staff is in Overseas Travel next to the hotel)

8/10 Good

ibrahim, erzurum

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Hoş bir konaklama
otomobille gidecekler için park ciddi problem. Ama çalışan personel, otel hizmeti ve kahvaltı süperdi..

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Disliked: Room comfort
Bon séjour. Accueil agréable. Situation privilégiée.

10/10 Excellent

Peter, Hamburg/Aarhus

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Ein wirklich nettes Hotel zwischen dem Sultanspalast und der Hagia Sophia gelegen. Tolle Dachterasse. Die Zimmer frisch renoviert und sauber.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
不會後悔的選擇
飯店位置非常棒, 房間也非常舒服,但住宿期間樓梯間會不時充滿煙味, 網路也不太穩定, 不過只要反應飯店員工都會儘量處裡幫忙.

10/10 Excellent

Miquelante

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

Anders, Sweden

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Recommended near the tourist sites
It was a bit hard to find the hotel since there is no sign on the building. So we walked past it a few times without finding it. Once we got there we had a great reception although late at night. Room was classy and had everything I needed. Sleeping quality also excellent. Great staff working here. Much recommended it you want to stay near the major tourist sites.

10/10 Excellent

John, Ikast, Danmark

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfekt beliggenhed og rigtig god service
Hotellet har en central beliggenhed i den gamle bydel af Istanbul. Er i gåafstand til mange seværdigheder. Personalet på hotellet var meget hjælpsomme og altid med et smil. Morgenmadsbuffeten var rigtig god med et stort og rigeligt udvalg. Flere af værelserne er dog lidt små, men meget hyggelige. Jeg kan kun anbefale hotellet og vil gerne selv vende tilbage på et senere tidspunkt.