I stayed in the 'green' room i believe during my stay? it's the room with a balcony. I found the hotel very clean, tastefully decorated, super friendly staff, and the small welcoming package in the room was a very nice touch. Michel, the hotel owner, was around and as a fellow Canadian he was super helpful during my entire stay with insider tips, advice etc. definitely ask him about the hammam spa he recommends and you will not regret going. The rooftop patio that is open for everyone to use is very nice to just kick back, relax at the end of the day with a glass of wine. the hotel also has a metro card that they can lend you to use during your stay so you don't have to buy your own. the location is very central with a subway and tram station nearby. Although a bit of an uphill from the Galata bridge, but that's what you're going to have to deal with staying in that general area. i took the airport shuttle that cost 18 TL to get to taksim square, and from there it was about a 25 min walk. however, i would recommend just taking a taxi from taksim to the hotel. just make sure you have change otherwise theyll rip you off by saying they don't have change and make sure they turn on the meter.