Grand Balyan Hotel & Restaurant in Beyazıt, Istanbul

The hotel stands on Gedikpaşa Caddesi in Beyazıt, in a part of Istanbul dense with landmarks. The Sokollu Mehmed Pasha I Mosque is about 0.5 km away in a straight line, the Little Hagia Sophia about 0.6 km, and the Sultan Ahmed Mosque about 0.8 km. Hagia Sophia and the Süleymaniye Mosque are each about 1.1 km away, Topkapı Palace about 1.6 km, and Sirkeci railway station about 1.3 km.

For flights, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) is about 31.2 km away and Istanbul Airport (IST) about 34 km, both in a straight line.

The doubles are compact: the Economy Double Room is 13 m² with one double bed, the Standard Double Room 14 m² with one double bed, and the Deluxe Double Room 15 m² with one queen bed and a sea view. Each of these three sleeps up to 3, so a couple with a small child can manage in one, though space is tight.

The step up in size is considerable. The quadruple rooms range from 26 m² to 40 m² and all carry two full beds each: the Classic and Economy Quadruple Rooms have two double beds, while the Basic, Comfort, Family and balcony quadruples have two queen beds.

Views divide the quadruples. The Basic Quadruple Room has a city view; the Comfort and Family Quadruple Rooms have a partial sea view; the Classic Quadruple Room and the Quadruple Room with Balcony have a partial or full sea view; and the Family Suite with Balcony, at 28 m² with two queen beds, has a sea view. For a family of four wanting the most space, the Family Quadruple Room at 31 m² is the room to look at first.

The property is a hotel and restaurant together, which is unusual for a hotel of this size in this district: you can eat in the restaurant, drink at the bar, or order room service, and there is live music. That combination suits travellers who want evenings in the building rather than out looking for them.

There is a lift, so upper floors are reachable without stairs, and family rooms are part of the range. Parking is paid, and there is also street parking nearby, so a hire car is workable though not free to keep.

Check-in runs from 14:00 and check-out until 12:00, a fairly standard split that gives you the morning of departure. Children are allowed, and the hotel serves kid meals, so families are catered for rather than merely tolerated. Pets are not allowed, so leave them at home. Parking is paid, and the airport shuttle is paid as well.

It suits families and small groups: most of the range is quadruple rooms with two full beds each, children are welcome, and the largest rooms reach 40 m².

It suits couples less well if space matters: the doubles stop at 15 m², and the Economy Double Room at 13 m² is small even for two.