We were terribly confused as to where to stay in Istanbul so we stayed for 3 days in the Sultanhamet section at Arena (very Turkish traditional, and lovely hotel also), and then here to be close to the action at Taxim Square and Istiklal C. The only problem is that because it is a bit small, it was unknown to our taxi driver so he made many circles and phone calls trying to find it. Luckily we did have the phone # with us so he could speak to the person at the front desk. It was actually rather amusing! The manager, Merve, was very a helpful young lady who spoke english well and helped us get concert tickets and learn the subway. Keep in mind that it is on a main street so could be a bit loud, but we weren't overly bothered by this. The rooms have little kitchenettes stocked with tea, and have a very modern "Ikea" look to them. They actually don't feel "Turkish" at all, but that was fine because they were clean, convenient, and we'd already stayed at another hotel that did have that feeling. It only takes about 5-10 min to walk to the happening street of Istiklal which we just loved! Being from the NYC area even we were impressed by the energy that area of Istanbul has - at all hours, from early AM to late 2AM. We also walked all the way back into Sultanhamet twice (about 30 min). Definitely go to the Ciscek passage (flower passage), there are several bars, mehanes, restaurants with outdoor seating in very close quarters which makes for the most festive environment to drink your Raki. We returned 3 times after we first discovered it!