Dersaadet Hotel Istanbul: Sultanahmet, sea-view rooms

The hotel stands on Kucukayasofya Cad. Kapiagasi Sokak No:5 in Sultanahmet, postcode 34400. Topkapı Palace is about 1.2 km and the Süleymaniye Mosque about 1.7 km, in a straight line. Sirkeci railway station is about 1.3 km away.

For flights, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) is about 30.3 km from the hotel, in a straight line. The hotel runs an airport shuttle for a fee, which spares you the question of how to cover that distance with luggage.

The room range spans a wide spread of sizes, from 13 m² to 58 m², and the differences matter more than the names suggest. The Economy Room is the smallest at 13 m², with one double bed, sleeping up to 2, and a street view; it suits a couple who plan to spend their days out. The Double or Twin Room and the Double Room with Sea View are both 15 m² and both sleep up to 3, so they work for a couple with a child; the sea-view room carries the same footprint as its twin-bedded counterpart, so the choice between them is purely the bed and the view.

Above these sit three larger options. The Deluxe Double Room is 20 m² with a queen bed and a twin bed; the Double Room - Ground Floor is 21 m² with a queen bed and also sleeps up to 3. The Corner Suite, at 35 m², pairs a double bed with a twin bed and gives a group of three the most shared space short of the top category. The Penthouse Suite is the largest at 58 m², with one queen bed; it is the room for a couple who want space rather than extra beds.

Dersaadet Hotel Istanbul is a hotel with family rooms and a lift, which matters in a property of this kind and for anyone travelling with children, who are allowed. There is a bar, and room service runs for those who prefer to eat in their room. The paid airport shuttle covers arrivals and departures.

What the hotel does not have is worth weighing before you choose it. Its facilities do not include a pool, and there is no parking of any kind, so if you are arriving by car you will need to plan for that. There is no spa or fitness room either.

Children are allowed throughout the hotel, and the family rooms and the room types sleeping up to 3 make that practical rather than merely permitted. Pets are not allowed, so this is not a choice if you travel with an animal.

This hotel suits travellers whose trip is built around the Sultanahmet sights: with the Sultan Ahmed Mosque about 0.2 km away in a straight line and Hagia Sophia about 0.6 km. Families fit well, thanks to family rooms, rooms sleeping up to 3, and children being allowed. Couples wanting space have a genuine upgrade path, from the 15 m² doubles to the 35 m² Corner Suite and the 58 m² Penthouse Suite.

It suits less well anyone who wants a pool, a spa or on-site parking, none of which the hotel has. Travellers with pets must look elsewhere. And those who book the Economy Room should do so knowing it is 13 m² with a street view.