Karakoy Rooms

The 12 generously sized rooms and studios (with kitchenettes) in this unsigned hotel just a short walk from the Old City just might be Istanbul's best-kept secret. Parquet floors, black-and-white-tiled baths, retro furnishings, and cozy linens are standard, and some rooms have sea views and small balconies. There isn’t an in-house restaurant—breakfast is served next door in the turquoise-tiled dining room at Karakoy Balik Lokantasi—but you're steps from Karakoy's countless dining, drinking, and caffeinating options.