Turcia este bine-cunoscuta pentru hotelurile sale iar turcii pentru ospitalitatea iesita din comun. Am gasit insa in Istanbul un hotel in care pur si simplu cuvantul „NU” nu facea parte din vocabularul gazdelor iar seviciile au fost la superlativ: Rayelin Hotel Istanbul Old City.    

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Hotelul este foarte bine locat, la cativa pasi de statia de metrou Veznecıler – İstanbul Ünıversıtesı si la cateva minute de mers de principalele atractii din centrul vechi: Hagia Sophia, Moschea Albastra, Basilica Cisterna (cca. 30 min), Grand Bazaar (cca. 15 min), Süleymaniye Mosque (cca. 13 min), Podul Galata (cca. 30 min). Chiar langa hotel exista un exchange office care practica niste cursuri bune de schimb pentru eur si usd.

La sosire am gasit in camere platouri cu fructe si apa plata iar in fiecare zi am fost intampinati in receptie cu cafea turceasca/ceai si fursecuri sau biscuiti. Camerele sunt spatioase iar mobilierul modern. Curatenie zilnica, totul impecabil. O parte din camere au vedere catre o curte/parcare interioara. 

Receptia este comuna cu un magazin de unde iti poti cumpara rahat turcesc sau baclavale (nu le-am incercat insa aratau senzational).

Micul dejun se serveste in restaurantul de la etajul -1 si este unul senzational. Am fost impresionati de varietatea si prospetimea preparatelor. In zona de bufet cald puteai alege dintre: cascaval pane, nugget, cartofi prajiti, legume prajite, carnaciori, cabanos, oua fierte, scrambled si altele. Cateva boluri cu diferite tipuri de masline desparteau zona de bufet cald de cea de mezeluri (sase-sapte tipuri de salam si sunca in fiecare zi) si branzeturi (mai mult de zece tipuri zilnic). Urma apoi o zona de cereale si fructe confiate. Un chef prepara in fiecare zi on the spot: ochiuri, omlete la alegere, clatite.

Zona de legume si salate era si ea foarte bine reprezentata: castraveti, rosii, ceapa, salate/verdeturi de multe feluri, salate gata preparate. Cateva modele de paine si baghete, covrigi turcesti si placinte, unt, margarina, lapneh, cateva sortimente de gem, Sagella (Nutella in varianta turceasca), miere, fagure, iaurt intregesc prima masa a zilei. Finalul mesei apartine prajiturilor (patru modele diferite in fiecare zi), precum si celebra budinca de orez. Cafea, apa, ceai, sucuri.

Deoarece transferul din ultima zi era programat pentru ora 8:00 gazdele s-au oferit sa deschida restaurantul cu 30 minute mai repede pentru a beneficia pe deplin de experienta micului dejun.       

Hotelul dispune si de o piscina destul de generoasa si de o zona SPA cu sauna umeda, sauna uscata si hamam dar si de cabinete de masaj unde iti poti alege contra cost una din numeroasele terapii.

As vrea sa multumesc tuturor angajatilor din hotel deoarece o merita pe deplin, insa am retinut cateva nume din restaurant (poate si pentru ca acolo am petrecut ceva mai mult timp si am interactionat mai mult): Mehmet, Sima, Seda, Azra, Eyup, Furkan, Mesut.

Daca v-a placut articolul Rayelin Hotel Istanbul Old City, va invit sa incercati si:

English version

Rayelin Hotel Istanbul Old City

Turkey is well-known for its hotels, and the Turkish people are famous for their extraordinary hospitality. However, in Istanbul, I found a hotel where the word “NO” simply didn’t exist in the hosts’ vocabulary, and the services were exceptional: Rayelin Hotel Istanbul Old City.

The hotel is very well-located, just a few steps from the Vezneciler – Istanbul University metro station and a short walk from the main attractions in the old city center: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern (approximately 30 minutes), Grand Bazaar (about 15 minutes), Süleymaniye Mosque (around 13 minutes), and Galata Bridge (about 30 minutes).

Upon arrival, we were welcomed in our rooms with plates of fruit and bottled water. Each day, we were greeted at reception with Turkish coffee/tea and cookies or biscuits.

The reception area is shared with a shop where you can purchase Turkish delights or baklava (I didn’t try them, but they looked sensational).

Breakfast is served in the restaurant on the -1 floor, and it is absolutely fantastic. We were impressed by the variety and freshness of the dishes. The hot buffet area offered options such as fried cheese, nuggets, French fries, fried vegetables, sausages, kabanos, boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, and more. A few bowls with different types of olives separated the hot buffet area from the cold cuts section (six or seven types of salami and ham daily) and cheeses (more than ten types every day). Next was an area for cereals and dried fruits. A chef prepared dishes on the spot each day: fried eggs, omelets to order, and pancakes. The vegetables and salad section was also very well stocked, including cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, various types of leafy greens, and ready-made salads. Several varieties of bread and baguettes, Turkish bagels, pastries, butter, margarine, labneh, several types of jam, Sagella (the Turkish version of Nutella), honey, honeycomb, and yogurt completed the first meal of the day. The meal ended with desserts (four different types daily) and the famous rice pudding. Coffee, water, tea, and juices were available as well.

Since our transfer on the last day was scheduled for 8:00 AM, the hosts offered to open the restaurant 30 minutes earlier so that we could fully enjoy the breakfast experience.

The hotel also has a generously sized pool and a SPA area with a steam sauna, dry sauna, and hamam, as well as massage rooms where you can choose from a variety of therapies for an additional cost.

I would like to thank all the hotel staff because they truly deserve it, but I remember a few names from the restaurant (perhaps because I spent more time there and interacted more): Mehmet, Sima, Seda, Azra, Eyup, Furkan, and Mesut.

If you enjoyed this review of Rayelin Hotel Istanbul Old City, I invite you to also try Crama Strămutată – The Untold Story of Dealu Mare, Atmosphere Bed & Breakfast – When Dreams Come True! or Maison Samaran Menton.

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