Second time staying at The Tashkonak

At a time when there are hundreds of hotels out there in Istanbul for me to choose from and I end up here a second time, speaks volumes for this charming little hotel.

Reasons.

Number one, they have staff that can speak in English, secondly, every now and then you see the bosses happily walking around, actually so glad to give you a little piece of the grand old Istanbul , third I feel absolutely safe here, fourth ..good wifi connection ( how do you think I'm getting this out to you on location, right now ?)  and last but not least of course , while the price is still affordable, this hotel serves one of the best Turkish breakfast spread on this side of Istanbul. Extremely good deal if you ask me , especially if you like to start off your day well fed .

Located in a cobblestone neighbourhood area that looks like a little hamlet, with a small mosque built wayback in 1553, yes you read right, the year 1553 ,in the front, the hotel lobby has undergone such a remarkable transformation that I swear this picture below which I took, just as the sun was shining in from the door, is using no filter whatsoever. Just magical don't you think ? 

  

Are your eyes playing tricks on you ?

Let's get closer then. Nope. The lobby really looks this stunning and welcoming .

The Ottoman dresser meets Jane Austen and Sherlock corner. Robert Downey Jr and Benedict Cumberbatch could reprise their movie roles by just sitting in that chair alone .

Ikea items would look out of place here. 

Check out the antique warmer in the bottom corner.

In the winter, the traditional way , before Chinese and Korean electronic portable heaters arrived , the acceptable way , was to burn coals inside and sit around them like hobbits.

Love the paintings and plaster ceiling. Ignore my babbling.

Though I would love to camp here, obviously I can't stay downstairs forever, so let's go up to our room. 

While there are no lifts, I'm totally fine with that as there's a porter to you take your bags as though they got there on a magic carpet. 

Open sesame.....simple and nice.

Last time I stayed in a grander, bigger room but I'm not  complaining. There are at least 3 lovely paintings on the wall with wallpaper theme and divan headrest that is a continuation from the lobby downstairs.

The extra comforts in this smaller room are the excellent wifi, multiple charging points ( 4 ! woweee ) . They are the round 2 pin point ones and you can purchase an adaptor from 2 minimarts nearby for around 5 lira or borrow from the hotel if they still  have some in their drawer.

A personal safe that works.

Extra pillow and thick blanket at the bottom of the cupboard   , also hangers and 2 coat hangers by the inner wall

Our bed from the other angle.

The room is indeed small and I know that they do have larger ones, but try to remember that you are staying in a historic refurbished Ottoman wooden house . Without refurbishment, these gorgeous houses would be left just wasted and we as tourists would loose out on experiencing how it feels like to stay in one. If you can imagine that, how life must have felt so grand back then, then , you will love this place also.

Little touches like this are usually the trademark of a 5 star establishment. But as I can see, they're upping their service standards seeing how I didn't get these slippers on my first trip. 

The bathroom where medieval stops.

Complete with hairdryer, flush toilet ,2 rolls of  toilet paper , shower cubicle with adjustable hot water. Couldn't ask for anything more. If you think these aren't important, well, there are hotels in Istanbul that don't provide everything.

As I look out of the beautiful antique lattice window a gaggle of seagulls fly by. The lattice window frame can be shifted up and down, secured by latches on both ends.

The Tashkonak is such a quaint hotel for those who love and appreciate antique stuff. 

Sigh. Wish you were here.

Location : Kucukayasofya , Istanbul, Turkey