Alpinn Hotel DUE: hotel 0.5 km from Laleli Mosque

The hotel stands on Güvenlik Caddesi in Istanbul, postcode 34130. Its position is best judged by straight-line distance: Bodrum Mosque is about 0.3 km away and Laleli Mosque about 0.5 km, with Süleymaniye Mosque about 1.4 km. Further out, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque is about 1.8 km, Hagia Sophia about 2.1 km and Topkapı Palace about 2.6 km, all in a straight line.

Both of Istanbul's airports are a similar distance away: Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) about 32.1 km and Istanbul Airport (IST) about 33.5 km, in a straight line.

The hotel has four room types, and the spread between them is narrow: the smallest, the Economy Double Room, is 12 m² and the largest, the Superior Triple Room, is 18 m². None of the rooms is large, so travellers wanting space to spread out should look at the top of the range only.

The Economy Double Room has one double bed and sleeps up to 1, which makes it a single traveller's room despite the double bed. The Superior Double Room, at 14 m², also has one double bed but sleeps up to 3, so it works for a couple or a small family sharing one bed. The Superior Twin Room, 15 m², has two twin beds and also sleeps up to 3, giving two people separate beds or a third person a place to sleep.

The Superior Triple Room, the largest at 18 m², has three twin beds, which suits three friends or family members who each want their own bed. Family rooms are among the hotel's offering, so groups with children have options beyond the single-double format.

The hotel's own facilities include a restaurant and room service, so you can eat in the building or have food brought to your room. A lift serves the building, which matters if you are travelling with heavy bags or small children.

The airport shuttle is paid, not complimentary, so factor that into your transfer plans.

Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out until 12:00, a fairly standard window that still allows a morning departure without rushing. Children are allowed at the hotel, and pets are not, so anyone travelling with an animal will need to look elsewhere.

The hotel suits travellers who want a compact base within a couple of kilometres of Istanbul's major mosques and palaces, with the practical support of a restaurant, room service and a paid airport shuttle. Families fit too: children are allowed, family rooms exist, and the Superior Twin Room and Superior Double Room each sleep up to 3.

It does not suit anyone travelling with a pet, since pets are not allowed. Nor is it a good match for a traveller who wants generous space: even the largest room is 18 m², and the Economy Double, at 12 m² with a sleeps-up-to-1 count, is really for one person. Groups larger than three per room will need to take several rooms.