"Save or Splurge: Istanbul
By SETH SHERWOOD
Published: August 16, 2009
SLEEP With its Roman ruins, Byzantine-era churches and medieval Ottoman mosques, Istanbul’s storied Sultanahmet district is the moth-eaten fossil of a long-vanished past. Alas, the area’s many run-down budget hotels fit that description, too. Opened in 2008 and just steps from the Grand Bazaar, the Hotel Kupeli (Eminsinan Mahallesi Gedikpasa Hamam Caddesi 4; 90-212-458-5650; www.hotelkupeli.com) is a needed addition to a neighborhood rife with sagging beds and worn carpets. The rooms are new and clean if unspectacular — smooth, vaguely Scandinavian wood surfaces and few decorations — but impressive amenities include flat-screen TVs with cable, free Wi-Fi and a free breakfast on the roof terrace. Best, if you book three or four nights, the hotel provides free airport pickup. Booking five or more nights gets round-trip airport transfers. Doubles from $50 in the low season. "
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