The Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in Istanbul

Where to Stay on Your First Trip to Istanbul

Istanbul Istanbul

Visiting Istanbul, Turkey for the first time can be an exciting, yet overwhelming experience. With so many incredible hotels to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to stay. If you're deciding where to stay for your first visit to Istanbul, we've compiled a list of the best hotels for first time visitors. We analyzed all of the hotels in Istanbul based on price, location, amenities, guest ratings, and more to determine which would be the ideal places to stay for first timers. Whether you're here for just a few days or longer, these hotels offer the perfect combination of amenities, location, and price. For those visiting Istanbul for the first time, it's important to choose a hotel in a safe and convenient area to make the most of your first visit. You'll want to be close to the activities, shopping, and dining options, of course. When looking for hotels, consider the amenities they offer. Some hotels may have a fitness center, a bar or restaurant, a pool, or even a spa. All of these features can add to your overall enjoyment if you've never been to Istanbul before. Also, guest ratings and reviews are also important to consider when choosing a hotel. Whether you're visiting Istanbul for the first time, or you're a seasoned traveler, the best hotels in Istanbul for first-timers offer the perfect combination of comfort, convenience, and affordability. So, here's our list of suggestions for your next trip.

(Prices are listed in U.S. Dollars.)

Faik Pasha Suites Special Category

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $82 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly

Located at Firuzaga Mah. Faikpasa Caddesi No:41/45 Cukurcuma Beyoglu, Faik Pasha Suites Special Category has great rooms from $82 (before taxes). It offers room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking. It has a terrific 9.50 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. Only 2.7 km from the city center, first time visitors will especially love a kid-friendly buffet, rooms with kitchens, rooms with kitchenettes, child care, and laundry services at this relaxing hotel. We love the convenience of room service, and it's really nice here.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Kitchen
  • Spa
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Kitchenette
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Dream Bosphorus Hotel

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $43 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly

A great place to stay is Dream Bosphorus Hotel which has nice rooms starting at $43. Offering room service, a restaurant, a bar, parking, and a kid-friendly buffet, it also has a great guest rating of 9.50 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at Hocapasa Mh. Nobethane Cd. Kum Meydani sk. No 16 Sirkeci. This convenient hotel is also nice because it offers breakfast, laundry services, city views, cooking classes, and kids meals which visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 2.5 km from the city center. The restaurant serves delicious food, too. It's also less than the average price for first time trip hotels, so it's a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Breakfast included
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Laundry service
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Idylle Hotel

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $83 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Istanbul
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly

We found Idylle Hotel to be a great place to stay, and the price starts at $83. We loved that is has room service, a restaurant, a bar, a kid-friendly buffet, and hiking, and it also has a terrific guest rating of 9.20 out of 10 from previous guests. It's located at Ebusuud Cad 2 Sultanahmet. You'll also find laundry services, a free breakfast, city views, cooking classes, and a game room which travelers will love. And this fun hotel is just 2.4 km from the center of town.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Free breakfast
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Game room
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Breakfast in the room


Ansen Suites

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $81 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly

With terrific rooms from $81, Ansen Suites, at Mesrutiyet Cad. Ansen 130 No:70 - Tepebasi Tunel Taksim provides room service, a restaurant, a bar, parking, and a kid-friendly buffet. Its terrific guest rating is 9.00 out of 10 from previous guests staying here. New visitors will really like this amazing hotel which also offers rooms with kitchenettes, child care, laundry services, a winery, and city views. It's located just 2.7 km from the city center, too. You'll love relaxing in the hot tub at the end of the day, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Kitchenette
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Akgun Istanbul Hotel

5-star Hotel with prices starting at $49 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in Istanbul
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 5-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly

Akgun Istanbul Hotel has a great guest rating of 8.90 out of 10, and offers an outdoor pool, a pool bar, room service, a restaurant, and a fitness center. The great rooms here start at $49 before taxes and depending on the season. It can be found at Adnan Menderes Bulvari Topkapi. Furthermore, it also offers a bar, a kid-friendly buffet, child care, laundry services, and city views, which is nice for first time visitors. Just 1.9 km from the city center, this fantastic hotel is a terrific choice. The swimming pool is fantastic and lots of fun, too. We found the price of this hotel to be a great value because the price is less than average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Spa
  • Child pool
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Pool bar
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Breakfast in the room
  • Saltwater pool


Mina Hotel - Special Category

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $62 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly

The great guest rating of Mina Hotel - Special Category is 8.90 out of 10. This place has room service, a restaurant, a bar, parking, and child care. Prices for the terrific rooms are from $62, and it's located at Piyerloti Caddesi Dostluk Yurdu Sokak 6. We also love the laundry services, city views, cooking classes, a hot tub, and evening entertainment which are great for visitors. And since it's just 2.1 km from the center of the town, the location is great, too. The price of this hotel is less than average for first time trip hotels, which makes it a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop


Arena Hotel - Special Class

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $52 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Istanbul
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly

A cool place is Arena Hotel - Special Class because it has great rooms that start at $52. It has room service, a restaurant, a bar, parking, and breakfast, it also earned a great guest rating of 8.90 out of 10 from people who have stayed here before. It's found at Kucukayasofya Mah Sehit Mehmet Pasa Yokusu Ucler Hamam Sokak No 13-15. Only 2.2 km from the city center, travelers will especially love child care, laundry services, a free breakfast, city views, and cooking classes at this convenient hotel. It's also less than the average price for first time trip hotels, so it's a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
  • Spa
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop


Ararat Hotel Istanbul

2-star Hotel with prices starting at $72 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

Ararat Hotel Istanbul offers room service, a restaurant, a bar, parking, and breakfast which we really like. The terrific rooms here start at $72 (before taxes). It's located at Torun Sokak No 3 and has earned a guest rating of 8.90/10. This fun hotel is also nice because it offers mountain views, laundry services, a free breakfast, a winery, and city views which new visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 2.6 km from the city center.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Bicycle rental
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Orient Express Hotel- Sirkeci Group

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $43 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

Located at Hudavendigar Street No 34, Orient Express Hotel- Sirkeci Group has great rooms from $43 (before taxes). It offers skiing, a pool bar, room service, a restaurant, and a fitness center. It has a terrific 8.50 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. You'll also find scuba diving, snorkeling, a bar, parking, and a kid-friendly buffet which first time visitors will love. And this amazing hotel is just 2.3 km from the center of town. It's always nice having a heated pool to relax in. It's a great value, as the price is less than the average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Skiing
  • Room service
  • Snorkeling
  • Parking
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
  • Indoor pool
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Pool bar
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Le Safran Suite

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $37 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Istanbul
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.

A great place to stay is Le Safran Suite which has nice rooms starting at $37. Offering skiing, room service, a water park, a restaurant, and a bar, it also has a great guest rating of 8.50 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at Alemdar Mah. Zeynep Sultan Cami Sok. No:5. Visitors will really like this fantastic hotel which also offers a kid-friendly buffet, laundry services, a free breakfast, a hot tub, and a game room. It's located just 2.4 km from the city center, too. The kids will love the water park, too. We found the price of this hotel to be a great value because the price is less than average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Skiing
  • Room service
  • Water park
  • Free breakfast
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Kid-friendly buffet
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Game room
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Playground
  • Luxury


Also, take a look at the First Time Trip hotels in nearby destinations: Gebze and Termal.

For more terrific hotel ideas in Istanbul, make sure you also see Best Family-Friendly Hotels in Istanbul, Best Cheap Hotels in Istanbul, Best Luxury Hotels in Istanbul, Best Pet-Friendly Hotels in Istanbul, Best Hotels for a Weekend Getaway in Istanbul, Best Hotels for One Week in Istanbul, Best Hotels for One Night in Istanbul, Best Romantic Hotels for Couples in Istanbul, Best Adults Only Hotels in Istanbul, Best Party Hotels in Istanbul, Best Hotels for Scuba Diving in Istanbul, Best Business Hotels in Istanbul, or Best Party Hotels in Istanbul.


How much do hotels for first-time visitors cost in Istanbul?

Istanbul Average First Time Trip Hotel Price
$65

Visitors will find a large range of terrific first time trip hotel choices when planning a visit to Istanbul, Turkey. The price of these first time trip hotels can vary according to location, type, and amenities. The average first time trip hotel price in Istanbul, Turkey based on data from 772 hotels is an affordable $65. If you're interested in more information about hotels here, see our guide to hotel prices in Istanbul.

The average prices of our suggested first time trip hotels by star rating:

  • 5-star hotels: $130
  • 4-star hotels: $67
  • 3-star hotels: $46
  • 2-star hotels: $39


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