FAQ About Accommodation at the Istanbul Hotel Sari Konak

When is the best time to visit Istanbul?
In our opinion, the best season to visit Istanbul is spring. Another words, from april to mid-june.
Even though april can be rainy, the weather is moderate. The city is not full of tourists and Judas trees in bloom, along Bosphorus are beautiful !!! The weather may be cold at night. We would suggest you to bring a sweater.
Summer can be very hot - sticky hot because of the humidity. Don' t forget to bring a hat and your sunscreen lotion. A light sweater for cool evenings (just in case) would be advisable. The tourist rush usually begins in June.
Autumn, from mid-september to mid-november, is also a good season to visit Istanbul. The weather is mild but the days are shorter. There are less tourists around. After mid-october,the weather can be rainy though..
Winter is cold. In january and february, there can be snow. Even though the snow does not stay on the ground for weeks, it can be annoying for a traveler...or may be fun..You will need warm woolen clothing and rain gear.
We would suggest you to check the weather forecast, before you come to Istanbul.

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Do you arrange free transfer from/to the airport ?
If you would like to be picked up from the airport, we can arrange your transfer with a travel agency.
A representative of the agency, holding a sign with your name on it, meets you at the airport.
We charge € 25 per transfer from International Ataturk Airport and € 50 per transfer from
International Sabiha Gokcen Airport ( which is a secondary airport, on the Asian side ) .
However, if your reservation covers at least 5 nights, we pay your taxi fare from the Ataturk Airport. You can easily take a taxi from the airport, the payment will be made by our front desk clerk when you get to the hotel . This offer is valid only if the reservation is made directly to the hotel by the guest and when the full rate is paid.

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Do you accept pets in the property ?
Unfortunately pets are not allowed in the hotel.

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Do you have a restaurant in the hotel ?
No,we do not have a restaurant in the hotel. Only breakfast is served between 08:00 am and 10:30 am.
Also, we serve alcoholic and soft drinks, as well as some snacks on our rooftop terrace during summer season.
There are many restaurants in Istanbul and within walking distance in Sultanahmet area.
We would be more than happy to recommend you good restaurants where you can explore rich Turkish Cuisine.

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Do you have triple rooms ?
We add an extra single bed, in a twin-bedded double room when a triple room is requested.
We charge € 10 per night, for the extra bed.

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Do you have connecting rooms for a family ?
No. Unfortunately, we do not have connecting rooms at the Istanbul Hotel Sari Konak.
We do not have large enough rooms to accommodate a family of four either...
However, we can give you two adjacent rooms and we can offer you a family discount, according to the availability.

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Do you provide a crib on request ?
Yes, we have a crib and it is free of charge.
If you would like us to put a crib in your room, please let us know in advance, when you make your reservation.

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Do you have rooms with a view ?
All the rooms in Hotel Sari Konak face either the patio or the street and they have no sea view.
The street where Hotel Sari Konak is located, is a quiet narrow street and you do not have to worry about the noise...
However, our rooftop terrace has very beautiful views overlooking Blue Mosque and the Sea of Marmara...

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Do you have non-smoking rooms ?
Most of the rooms are non-smoking. If you are a smoker, please let us know in advance.

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Do you have parking facilities ?
You can park your car in front of the hotel. There is always someone at front desk and also the neighborhood is quite safe...We do not charge any parking fee.
If you would definitely like to park your car in a gated parking, there are few gated parking lots within walking distance.

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Do you have wireless internet access ? Can I use it ? How much does it cost ?

We have wireless internet access in the hotel . This service is free of charge.
Those who don't have a notebook can use our 'guest computer' in the small internet room downstairs
free of charge.

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Do you have laundry service ?
We do not have a laundry in the hotel.
However our cleaning ladies can wash and iron your clothes on request and bring them the next morning.
You can expect to pay between €0.80 - €2 per piece. Dry cleaning is also available nearby, in Sultanahmet.

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Is there a TV in the room ?
Most of the rooms have a TV set. Only four of them are without TV.
If television is a 'must to have' for you, please let us know in advance, when you make your reservation.

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Are your rooms air-conditioned ?
All of the rooms have air-conditioning .

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Where can I change money ?
For money exchange, you have several options:
You can change money at front desk of the Hotel Sari Konak 24/7, at the banks which are within walking distance and at the exchange offices around Sultanahmet. Banks are open from Monday to Friday,
between 9:00 am-12:30 pm and 01:30 pm-5:00 pm. Usually they are quite busy and you may wait in the line long time, to get to the cashier's window...
You can get the highest exchange rate at the exchange offices. Another option would be to change money at the airport.The exchange offices and banks at the airport are open 24/7 and they are located in the terminal, close to the exit...

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Are there ATM machines nearby ?
There are several ATM machines within walking distance, in Sultanahmet area.

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Do you accept travellers checks ?
Yes, we accept travellers checks.

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Can I get a 10% cash payment discount, if I pay with travellers checks ?
We offer a 5% discount, if the payment is made with travellers checks.

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What currencies do you accept for payment ?
We accept all major currencies as well as Turkish Liras.

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Is it possible to have a private guide ? How much does it cost ?
We arrange professional tourist guides for private full or half day Istanbul city tours.
Please be informed that they charge around €80 for a half-day tour and €100 for a full day tour .
Most guides are quite busy during high season and you are better off making your arrangement in advance.
There are also daily sightseeing tours organized by well-known travel agencies. They offer a variety of
pre-organized package tours in different languages. For more information and prices, you can send us an e-mail.

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Is Istanbul Safe ?

Pickpocketing has begun to grow, particularly in the areas of Istanbul most frequented by tourists.
The defense is pretty simple:
When in a crowded place, wear your bag strap across your chest and hold your bag close ! For more information about the methods of operation used by local pick-pockets and purse-snatchers, please click here

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What about the national and Islamic holidays? How can they affect my vacation?
Turkish national public holidays are April 23 (National Independence & Children's Day)
May19 (Youth & SportsDay) August 30 (Victory Day) and October 29 (Republic Day)
Banks, offices and businesses are closed. Museums are not closed during national and Islamic holidays.
If by chance, one of these days is friday or monday, people obviously would benefit from this occasion and go on a short vacation for 3 days. Transport services may be particularly busy as people travel, so you are recommended to reserve your seats in advance.
As to the Islamic holidays, the dates differ each year, as arrive according to the lunar calendar, which is 11 days shorter than the solar (Gregorian) year.
The two most important Islamic holidays are Kurban Bayrami (the Festival of Sacrifice) and Seker Bayrami
(The Festival of Ramazan) Banks, government offices and businesses are closed for 4 days or longer.
Transport services and hotels will be very busy.You are highly recommended to book in advance. Eventhough there are many ATM machines all around Istanbul, you may stock up prior to the start of the holiday on
Turkish lira cash .
Be informed that big shopping malls and museums are open during holidays but they may be particularly busy.

If you visit Turkey during Ramadan, you should be aware of how it may affect your holiday.
Some businesses and offices may have shorter working hours. For this reason you are better off checking times
in advance. Restaurants may require reservations for the iftar meal - the time to break the fast and may serve only elaborate fixed-menu — and no alcoholic beverages.
To know about the moving dates of Ramadan and Islamic holidays, click here.

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Mimar Mehmet Aga Cad No:42 - 46
34122 Sultanahmet - Istanbul - Turkey
Tel +90(212)638 62 58 Fax +90(212)517 86 35
E - mail : sarikonak@superonline.com