Ramada Istanbul Grand Bazaar

"If you ever wondered what it feels like to stay in a hotel that looks like Wyndham on the outside but behaves like a student hostel on the inside… welcome to Ramada Istanbul Grand Bazaar. After a horrible hotel experience in Istanbul back in January, I thought, “Let me be wise this time.” So I booked a holiday package through EasyJet Holidays, trusted the brand, and picked Ramada. What could go wrong? Answer: Everything except the bedsheets. I booked two Standard Rooms withbathtub, but one room provided was very clearly an Economy Room with fewer facilities. Hotel reception and the manager by email confirmed it was Economy. Wyndham’s customer care later insisted it was Standard and now it’s “under inquiry.” So basically… my bathtub turned out to be a fictional character because bathtub is only in superior rooms. On arrival, the telephone, refrigerator, and kettle were not working. They were replaced at 2:00 AM — just hours before my medical procedure. Not ideal. Despite being advertised online the sauna and jacuzzi were closed for renovation, which I only learned after arriving. There was no ironing facility, no minibar and the door safety guard was broken. The heating didn’t work. I only realised the day before departure. When I called the receptionist Melike, instead of listening, she became defensive and said the facilities not working were “not her problem.” The technician later told me the hotel had turned off the heating entirely. For someone with asthma and arthritis, this isn’t just uncomfortable — it’s a health risk. Only after complaining on WhatsApp (in Turkish!) did they send me a portable electric heater. Additional “Surprises”... *Tiny room . *Semi-transparent bathroom wall (privacy? What privacy?) *Bare-minimum breakfast (the fruit section is just apples and oranges) *Only three power sockets in the room *Very small wardrobe *Soundproofing? Non-existent. You can hear guests upstairs showering, flushing, walking… It’s like living inside a human aquarium. Reception English Limited. Like… “Google Translate is your best friend” limited. The Good News (I struggled, but here we go) *Rooms are genuinely clean *Bedsheets are very clean *Restaurant staff are sweet, especially Mr. Murat *Location is excellent — close to T1 and M2 Airport bus is a 20-min downhill walk (coming back up is the real workout) This hotel is located on a steep hill. If you have health issues, mobility difficulties, or kids, please reconsider. But if you want to strengthen your hips, knees, and calf muscles… this hotel is basically a free gym membership. Yes, it’s clean. Yes, the location is great. But accurate information, working facilities, and reliable comfort? Not so much. One thing I learned: in Istanbul, booking a “big brand” hotel doesn’t guarantee a better experience than a local one. Management emails say one thing, reception staff say another, and customers end up confused. And finally… EasyJet Holidays — we need to talk."

"Stayed four nights there. Staff was courteous, however they didn’t pay big attention to my requests. That wasn’t an issue as the room and bath were spotless clean and I could relax and recover with no complaints. It is a slightly worn out hotel and breakfast looks varied and abundant, however the products are cheap and simple. Anyway, for starting the day it’s quite enough. Wouldn’t be my firs option when visiting the city, however it was reasonable priced and the Laleli area is well connected by metro (Vezneciler Statiion), tram and bus to the rest of the city."

"The Ramada Grand Bazaar is on the outskirts of the old city in Istanbul. Our taxi driver from the airport dropped us off on the evening we arrived. We had a tour the next morning with a pick up and the tour director noted to us that the hotel was not in the best area and off the beaten path for pick ups. We felt safe but I could see where it could be questionable. The room was very small with no drawers for storage. We were there 7 days. We ended up keeping our clothes in our suitcases and hanging a few items. We did have a problem with the staff. We needed a taxi too go to a restaurant on the Bosphorus. They told us to walk to the corner and there were plenty of taxis. We did do that but the taxi did not speak English and did not have a meter. We were not happy. I would not recommend this hotel. Istanbul was beautiful and so much fun!! Would recommend it to anyone for a great stay."