Well it's nice to look at, if you like that fashion-forward, Architectural Digest look. And it sounds good -- on paper. The only thing I can't complain about is the location. Other than that? 1.Service ranges from indifferent to bored, with a side-stop at uncaring. 2.Ordered orange juice in the restaurant, got Tang. 3. Tried to change a 50 YTL note (about $42 USD -- not a huge amount) and was turned down 3 times. "We don't have change." Desk, bar, restaurant -- all had the same story. Had to walk to the Hyatt to do something as simple as change a bill. 4. Rooms are tidy but poorly insulated from sound. Stay on the first floor (2nd floor in US) and you might as well be living on the street. Enjoy the sound of your neighbor's phone ringing at 2 a.m. -- your neighbor from 5 rooms down. Enjoy the sound of everyone walking past your room. Stay in one of the many rooms located directly across from, or next to, the elevators, so you can hear those ringing all night long. 5. Food and drink are ridiculously overpriced -- 10 YTL for an Efes beer (the local brew), or about $8.50. Mind you, you can get the same bottle of beer at the convenience store across the street for 2 YTL. 6. The staff are programmed to refer you to taxicabs. There's a Metro station 3 blocks up. It's remarkably easy to use. A cab ride that costs 15 YTL costs slightly more than 1 YTL by Metro. 7. The "fitness center" is a swimming pool. And the pool and the spa are open from 7:30 am to 5 pm, prime travel/tourism/ business times. 8. Enjoy the free internet. But bear in mind what the "real" costs are.

I stayed in this hotel in May 2008 for one weekend. I found it via internet and I selected for the central location and because it looked modern. Indeed the location is very good if you are interesting to have fun in the evening. They gave me a room at the 8th floor. The room was modern but small, internet connection was very slow and the air conditioning did not work. The main problem was that the hotel’s restaurant based just above my room. An incredible trouble was heard all the night long, so that I didn’t sleep at all. The next day they moved me in a room at 2nd floor which was better and bigger. The breakfast was very good but not included in the room’s price (15 Euros per person). Anyway I think that with 140 euros per night without breakfast you could find something better and chipper.

Staying at the point hotel Istanbul last week was a great experience. The modern hotel is at an excellent location at Taxim Sqare in a special secured hotel area. Apart from the really great facilities I do want to mention the outstanding service. Beeing a frequent business traveller I am quite demanding regarding this, but the point hotel staff gives much more than expected. No matter whether it was the airport transfer, Istanbul tips or simply the fact that whenever we entered the hotel lobby, somebody immediately took care of us. When we asked for a restaurant recommendation they did not only answer this, also the reservation, transfer and even an excellent table was rganized at once. Arriving at the restaurant we had the impression that the staff there had only been waiting for us - simply EXCELLENT. Also a "must do" is the breakfast buffet overlooking the city on the 9th floor. We will definitely come back!

I stayed at the Point hotel in March. I was there for a weekend with a friend just for leisure. The hotel is centrally located in Taxim square. The service is above average, the staff really friendly. The room was modern but small. The best is the breakfast room on the top floor with a variety of food.

The location is just ok, not great. If you are going for tourism, you'll need to take a taxi (one way about 7 euros) to most of the sites. The biggest issue that we experienced was the heat in the rooms. During the winter months, they have no AC in the hotel of any kind. These means that if the sun comes out, your room will start approaching 25 degrees cel and there is nothing that can be done about it. This includes the breakfast room, etc. We were switched to two different rooms, and both had the same issue. No fan was offered or anything. You must open the windows and that means serious noise at all hours of the night- Mosque calls, sirens, construction, you name it. You will not be able to sleep. I asked for a reduction in price as a result, and had to speak with two different managers. Thirty minutes later, 15% was offered. This place is considered a luxury hotel, I consider airconditioning to be a standard option, as well as a good night's sleep. Neither of which I received. The breakfast is stale, the warm is cold, the cold warm. The drinks all have ice floating in them, so if you are worried about the water you have no real options other than to drink what they offer. If you go to the spa, it is ok if you are a man, but if you are a woman, be prepared to see a lot of middle aged, overweight Turkish men staring at you as if they have never seen a woman in a swimming suit. Towels, robes, slippers, etc, all had to be asked for, the staff sighing when you asked for these items and handing them to you as if it was not their job. Service is not friendly, must be asked for, and is generally not very good. It was the first trip to Istanbul, and not a good impression at all.