I just returned from a six night stay at the Kalyon. I was there with a large group for a wedding. Overall, this is a very decent, clean hotel. The location is excellent, just a short walk to the major sites of Istanbul, and a gorgeous view of the Marmara Sea (I really enjoyed sitting out on their patio overlooking the sea.) My room was one of the older ones - they've redone about half the hotel, and only a few in my group received the newer rooms. My room was in the corner, facing the rear street. It was spotless, though, so I can't really complain. A great shower and FREE wifi were definite pluses. The staff were, for the most part, friendly & helpful. The free breakfast was plentiful & quite good. Not all cab drivers knew exactly where to find the hotel, so if you stay here, make sure you carry a card with the map & address!

In general this is a clean, modern hotel reasonably well located. The bed was very comfortable, although two larger people may find it on the small side. I do however advise to be very careful when asking the hotel to arrange any trips, taxis, or to give recommendations for restaurants as it will always cost you significantly more. This is something you need to get used to in Istanbul in general as pretty much everything is a negotiation and you fully expect it in the markets, carpet stores, etc. but I expected more from a 4 star hotel. To give you an idea, if you accept the prices they give you at face value without negotiating you will pay about double what you should. I would expect them to gain something from the deal, but this was beyond reason for me and left a bad taste in my mouth. Also be careful to make sure when you book through the internet that you get the room you ordered. We ordered a standard room, but were allocated their smaller rooms and from what we saw there was a significant difference between the two. This may have been down to poor communication between the travel site and the hotel, we are not sure, but just something to be aware of.

Stayed here for 6 nights in all on a business trip (the company uses this hotel). My room did not overlook the sea but was very comfortable and everything worked fine. Bathroom was clean and three was good hot water for showers. Free wireless is a big plus. The room overlooked the narrow back street and this was a bit noisy a couple of times in the early morning. Staff I found to be very polite and helpful. Restaurant was good though breakfasts in Turkey aren't great from my experience. Had good dinner and lunch there. (Watch wine prices though - they're extortionate in Turkish hotels, and the wine isn't always much good either.) Location is good - not far from the airport, easy walk (though a bit uphill) to Blue Mosque, Aya Sofia and other sights. Close too to the fish restaurants of Kumkapi, worth a visit! The hotel doesn't have a great deal of charm or atmosphere, it's a relatively new, modern building, but I'd recommend it for business or pleasure.

Booked the room directly from the Hotel website (Special rate) and got a very large room with view over the sea (the hotel overlooks the sea on one side). The hotel seems to be renovated quite recently and has a nice modern decor. The staff is very professional and ready to assist you (the first night we went to an excellent hotel! Thanks for the advice!) The location is good, very close to the Blue Mosque and the main tourist attractions (but no public transportation nearby, luckly the taxi are not expensive).

The Kalyon is located nicely on the rather busy coastal road, a steep 7-minute walk away from the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofia. Most rooms have a view of either the mosque or the Sea of Marmara. Ours had 2 simple twin beds, was clean but sparsely furnished - no chest of drawers - with somewhat dated bathrooms. Quite attractive are the modern common areas: a large lounge, good size bar (beware the prices, though, a glass of red table wine cost $15! ) terrace and restaurant with sea view. Restaurant and most of the reception staff were friendly but not everyone spoke good English. Our main gripe was that the hotel has no rear exit. If you leave by the front door you find yourself on the mostly sidewalkless coastal road among cars going at 60 mph, not exactly a comforting situation at dark.