The Romance Hotel did not disappoint. If you are on your own go for a twin with single occupancy. The reviews on Trip Advisor in particular were pretty accurate. The hotel's appeal grows with the length of stay. The roof terrace is a great area but under used, just feel they could do more with it. Something like a self service drinks or coffee machine would make it a great area to chill out, not that chilling out in the upper 20Cs is what you do! The gym is made up of a treadmill and a multi-gym, both good quality and in a nice environment. It just didn't feel right to go jogging around the area, others do though. Easy to trip as the sidewalks are very variable and sometimes non-existant. Plus there can be a strong wind off the water should you venture along the coastal road. Breakfast was good with a Middle Eastern twist which was fun. All the items were fresh and there was enough variety to set you up for a day of sightseeing. The staff could have been happier, but maybe it is the Turkish way. Location is the key to the hotel being a success. It is very well placed near the Galata Bridge and all the main attractions such as Haghia Sophia. The tram being virtually outside the door opens up Istanbul, cheap to use, easy to understand system,frequent and clean. Also, explore the side streets around the hotel. It is possible to avoid the tramway, useful as it is, and get to the Spice Market and other places. Cleanliness wise the hotel is great, no issues at all. I do wish they had more information on things to do that aren't touristy such as jazz clubs. The hotel does not do evening meals, but the area is full of restaurants and despite being tourist orientated they do offer up some nice fare.

We stayed at the Romance Hotel in June and had an wonderful time - the rooms were small, but clean and comfortable. The hotel breakfast is nice w/all the basics you can ask for (cereal, toast, eggs, coffee, oj, etc) and the staff at the hotel are really friendly and helpful. There was some construction going on outside of our room, but since we were out most of the day it didn't really bother us. The location is perfect - a very short walk to Aya Sophia, Blue Mosque, all the bazaars and the ferry dock and about a 12-15 lira cab ride to Taksim Square. All in all, we were quite happy with this hotel and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a mid-range hotel w/i walking distance of all the tourist attractions.

We were confident in our stay at Romance prior to arrival but we had certain doubts based on the couple negative comments buried amongst the positive reviews on this site. We are writing to confirm the positive reviews and dispel the negative ones. Romance is a GREAT hotel -between budget and mid-range- in Istanbul. We stayed at Romance a total of six nights from Saturday June 28, 2008 until Friday July 4, 2008. We had a double room on the 3d floor facing the back. The room was simple normal size for a similar type hotel, extremely clean with a tv, full bathroom and good size closet. There was construction across the street but thanks to the double pane windows (or other miraculously effective sound insulation) we did not hear a thing and slept in till 10:30 most days. Breakfast is served till 10 and we had it a couple days. It is a great spread and very attentive service. Besides the comfortable room, great sleep and informed concierge service by Sinan the Great, I highly recommend Romance for its location. On the tram line in Sultanahmet, it is perfectly located for a full exploration of Istanbul. Alot of hotels listed on hotels. com are behind the blue mosque in an area only developed around tourism. Romance on the other hand is in a real part of town where you have many tourists but alot of Istanbullus. Romance is still a short walk away from the Ayasofia, Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque but is also a short walk from Eminonu, the gateway to Taksim, the Asian shore and the Bosphorous villages. There is a market next door with all sorts of essentials. On the walk from Romance to Eminonu there is also a bank and a pharmacy. Most important though is a great backlava shop on the north side of the street! Rooftop bars are an essential part of any experience in Istanbul and while Romance does not have one, the staff is quick to direct guests to the bar of its sister hotel, 10 meters away, the Olive bar. With breathtaking views of the Ayasofia, the Olive bar lured us nighlty for a pre-dinner drink. Finally there is a beanie Nargileh bar on the pedestrian cobblestone street behind the hotel. We spent two nights there snuggling, drinking raki and meeting other tourists. Overall, I highly recommend Romance to avid travelers.

Hi! I?m Candela from ARGENTINA. I stayed at the hotel with my sister last may and it was great!! The location couldn?t be better!! It?s near EVERYTHING!!! The hotel is clean, good breakfast... and the best of all... the crew!!! Specially Ramazza (alias RAMON!!) and Ali... both are great!!! They?re very helpfull and they speak perfect English!! Ramazza also speaks Spanish!! We really enjoyed our stay there! I recommend it for all kinds of tourists... families with children, young couples, friends... ALL! LA PASAMOS ESPECTACULAR!!! GRACIAS POR TODO RAMON Y ALI!!!! BESOS DESDE ARGENTINA!!!!! CANDELA