Arife Sultan Hotel: a small hotel in Istanbul's Sultanahmet

The Arife Sultan Hotel stands on Çatal Çeşme Sokak in the Alemdar district of Sultanahmet, Istanbul, postcode 34110. Its position is its strongest card: in a straight line, the Basilica Cistern is about 0.3 km away, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque about 0.4 km, and Hagia Sophia about 0.5 km. Hagia Irene is about 0.6 km and Topkapı Palace about 1 km.

Further out, the Süleymaniye Mosque is about 1.2 km in a straight line, and Sirkeci railway station about 0.7 km. Of the two airports, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) is about 30.7 km away and Istanbul Airport (IST) about 34.1 km; the hotel offers a paid airport shuttle in both directions, which is worth arranging ahead for a late arrival.

This is a small hotel with three room types, and all of them are compact. The Standard Single Room is the smallest at 12 m², with one twin bed and sleeping space for one. The Double Room Single Use is the largest at 15 m², with one double bed, also for a single traveller who prefers a wider bed and a bit more floor space.

The Double or Twin Room, at 13 m², comes either with two twin beds or one queen bed and sleeps up to three, which makes it the only option here for two people sharing, or for a small family with one child. Couples should note that the queen bed configuration is the one to ask for; the twin-bed version of the same room suits friends or colleagues travelling together. None of the rooms is generous in size, so travellers who want space to spread out, or a separate sitting area, will not find it at this hotel.

The hotel has a restaurant and room service, so a meal at the hotel or in the room is possible without going out, which matters after a long day of sightseeing or in poor weather.

What it offers instead is the practical infrastructure of a short-stay city base, including WiFi, air conditioning, heating, non-smoking rooms and a 24-hour front desk with a tour desk and concierge service.

Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out until 12:00. Children are allowed, so families can stay, and the Double or Twin Room's capacity of up to three is the practical limit for a family in one room. Pets are not allowed.

The hotel's car hire service is an option for onward travel rather than for parking at the property.

The Arife Sultan Hotel suits solo travellers and pairs who want to be within a few hundred metres, in a straight line, of the Basilica Cistern, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque and Hagia Sophia, and who plan to spend their days out rather than in the hotel. A single traveller can pick between the 12 m² twin-bed room and the 15 m² double-bed room depending on how much space they want; a couple or a parent with a child has the Double or Twin Room.

It is also a poor fit for those arriving by car, given the absence of parking, and for guests travelling with pets. Groups larger than three per room will need to book multiple rooms.