Hotels with a bar for an evening drink in the old city

Nia Sultanahmet Hotel

9.0 guest score · about 1 reviews

Nia is the smallest hotel on this list, with six rooms on Oyuncu Sokak in the Cankurtaran streets. It is unrated by stars and has a bar and family rooms, plus airport transfers.

The Blue Mosque is five minutes away and the shore path six, so an evening walk by the sea is easy. Its 9.0 out of 10 comes from a single review, so read that number lightly. With so few rooms, it is worth writing ahead.

Good to know The 9.0 score rests on a single review, and with six rooms it fills early in spring and autumn.

Recital Hotel

8.9 guest score · about 243 reviews

Recital, at 21 Piyer Loti Caddesi, is a three-star with 38 rooms and one of the broader facility lists in this roundup: a bar plus a garden and a terrace for outdoor evenings, accessible rooms, family rooms and a 24-hour desk.

It sits on the Grand Bazaar side, eight minutes from the bazaar and five from the tram, while Hagia Sophia is 12. Guests score it 8.9 out of 10 across about 240 reviews, the best-tested high score here.

Genius Hotel Istanbul

8.9 guest score · about 182 reviews

Three minutes from Hagia Sophia, Genius Hotel on Kutlugün Sokak is the closest to it of all sixteen. Topkapı is nine minutes and the Cistern five, so the big three sights are all a short stroll.

It is a three-star with nine rooms, a bar, family rooms, a 24-hour desk and airport transfers. Guests score it 8.9 out of 10 across about 180 reviews. The tram is nine minutes away, a little further than you might expect.

Sokullu Pasa Hotel Special Class

8.8 guest score · about 175 reviews

Sokullu Paşa is a four-star with 24 rooms on Şehit Mehmet Paşa Sokak. Along with the bar it has a garden, accessible rooms, family rooms and a 24-hour desk.

The tram is five minutes away and the Blue Mosque seven, while Hagia Sophia is a 14-minute walk. Guests give it 8.8 out of 10 across about 175 reviews, a strong result for a mid-sized hotel in the Küçük Ayasofya lanes.

Akbiyik Suite Boutique Hotel

8.7 guest score · about 146 reviews

On Mimar Mehmet Ağa Caddesi in Cankurtaran, this 11-room hotel puts the Blue Mosque four minutes away and the shore path five. It has no star rating but a good set of facilities: bar, garden, terrace, family rooms and a 24-hour desk.

That garden-plus-terrace pairing gives you a choice of places to sit with a drink. Guests score it 8.7 out of 10 across about 146 reviews.

City Hall Hotel Sultanahmet

8.7 guest score · about 127 reviews

Nine rooms at 39 Pertev Paşa Sokak, on the western edge of the district. City Hall is a three-star with a bar and a terrace, plus accessible rooms and family rooms.

It suits a trip centred on the Grand Bazaar, eight minutes away. The tram is seven minutes, but the Blue Mosque is ten and Hagia Sophia 15. Guests give it 8.7 out of 10 across about 127 reviews.

Sultanahmet Newport Hotel

8.7 guest score · about 71 reviews

Of the hotels here, the Newport is closest to the Grand Bazaar, seven minutes from Peykhane Sokak in the Çemberlitaş corner. Sirkeci station is 15 minutes, also among the shorter walks in this group.

It is a three-star with 18 rooms, a bar, accessible rooms, family rooms and a 24-hour desk. Guests score it 8.7 out of 10, though from a smaller base of about 70 reviews. Check-out is at 11:30.

Arena Hotel - Special Class

8.6 guest score · about 516 reviews

Arena pairs its bar with a spa, so you can go from hammam to a nightcap without leaving the building. It is a four-star with 32 rooms on Üçler Hamamı Sokak, off the Şehit Mehmet Paşa slope.

The tram is four minutes away and the Blue Mosque six. Accessible rooms, family rooms and airport transfers are listed. More than 500 reviews give it 8.6 out of 10.

Kybele Hotel

8.6 guest score · about 160 reviews

Kybele, at 23 Yerebatan Caddesi, is two minutes from the Basilica Cistern, the closest on the list. Hagia Sophia is five minutes, Topkapı ten and Sirkeci 11.

A three-star with 14 rooms, it lists a bar, a restaurant, a garden and a terrace, an unusually full set for its size. Family rooms, a 24-hour desk and airport transfers are listed too. Guests score it 8.6 out of 10 across about 160 reviews.

Adamar Hotel-Special Category

8.6 guest score · about 218 reviews

A few doors up Yerebatan Caddesi from Kybele, at number 37, Adamar is the larger of the two with 28 rooms. It has no star rating but lists a bar, a restaurant, a terrace and accessible rooms.

The Cistern is three minutes away, Hagia Sophia six, and Sirkeci ten, the shortest station walk in this roundup. Check-in starts at 13:00. Guests score it 8.6 out of 10 across about 220 reviews.

Good to know Check-in opens at 13:00, and Sirkeci station is a ten-minute walk.

Yakut Hotel

8.5 guest score · about 92 reviews

The only two-star on the list, Yakut has nine rooms on Kadırga Limanı Caddesi. It still lists a bar and a restaurant, plus family rooms, a 24-hour desk and airport transfers.

The tram is six minutes away and the Blue Mosque eight, while Hagia Sophia is 14. Guests give it 8.5 out of 10 across about 90 reviews. The listed check-in time is 23:00, so check with the hotel before an afternoon arrival.

Good to know Check-in is listed from 23:00, so confirm the time with the hotel before you travel.

Hotel Lady Diana

8.5 guest score · about 324 reviews

Lady Diana is one of the bigger hotels here, a four-star with 77 rooms on Terzihane Sokak. Bar, restaurant, spa and terrace are all listed, so evenings can stay entirely in-house.

Its standout is the tram, just two minutes away; the Blue Mosque is five. Accessible rooms, family rooms and airport transfers are listed too. Guests score it 8.5 out of 10 across about 320 reviews. Check-out is at 12:30.

Good to know Check-out is at 12:30, a little later than the usual noon.

Seatanbul Hotel

8.4 guest score · about 283 reviews

Seatanbul is on Çayıroğlu Sokak in Küçük Ayasofya, with 22 rooms and a three-star rating. It lists a bar, a restaurant, a garden and a terrace, so you have options for where to take that drink.

The Blue Mosque and the tram are six minutes away, the shore path 12. Family rooms, a 24-hour desk and airport transfers are also listed. Guests give it 8.4 out of 10 across about 280 reviews.

Kalyon Hotel Istanbul

8.4 guest score · about 645 reviews

The largest hotel in this roundup, Kalyon has 97 rooms at 34 Kennedy Caddesi, three minutes from the shore path. It is a four-star with a bar, restaurant, garden and terrace, plus accessible rooms and family rooms.

The location suits sea air more than sightseeing: Hagia Sophia and the tram are each ten minutes away, and the Grand Bazaar 22. Nearly 650 reviews average 8.4 out of 10, the largest review count on this list.

Good to know Allow about ten minutes uphill to the tram and Hagia Sophia each morning.

Hotel Rose Bouquets

8.4 guest score · about 186 reviews

On Aksakal Sokak, a few minutes from Seatanbul, Rose Bouquets is a three-star with 16 rooms. It lists a bar, a restaurant, a garden and a terrace, plus family rooms and a 24-hour desk.

The Blue Mosque and the tram are six minutes away, Hagia Sophia 13. Guests score it 8.4 out of 10 across about 186 reviews. It is the smaller of the two Küçük Ayasofya hotels with this full set of facilities.

Eresin Hotels Sultanahmet - Boutique Class

8.4 guest score · about 70 reviews

The only five-star in this roundup, Eresin has 30 rooms at 40 Küçük Ayasofya Caddesi. Bar, restaurant and terrace are listed, along with accessible rooms, family rooms and airport transfers.

The Blue Mosque and the tram are both four minutes on foot. Guests give it 8.4 out of 10, from a smaller base of about 70 reviews. Check-in starts at 15:00, an hour later than most.

Good to know Check-in starts at 15:00; ask about leaving bags if you arrive earlier.