Eminönü/Sultanahmet
Empress Zoe
Equally close to Sultanahmet’s major tourist sites as the Four Seasons, this boutique hotel is both quirkily charming and easy on the wallet. Centered on a Turkish bath dating from 1483, the property’s wood-and-brick townhouses contain 19 guest rooms, all decorated with hand-painted Byzantine-motif frescoes, Anatolian handicrafts, terracotta tiles, and Turkish kilims (some also have canopy beds and hammam-style bathrooms). Sunsets are wonderful on the roof terrace bedecked with wisteria vines; you can take breakfast either in a cozy dining nook or in the enclosed garden, a peaceful oasis of fountains, vines, and fruit trees. The one negligible downside to this property is that it smells like history—the Byzantine-era cistern gives many of the rooms a musty air.
Room to Book: Privacy-seekers should ask for the only unit with its own entrance.
Insider Tip:
Since guest rooms are accessible only via a narrow spiral staircase, this isn’t the best hotel choice for the disabled or those with cumbersome luggage.
Amenities
Open / Closes- Breakfast Included
- Concierge
- Family Friendly
- Maid Service
- Room Service
- WiFi
Number of Rooms: 25
Number of Suites: 8
Year Opened:
Other:
