Hotel Empress Zoe: garden suites 0.2 km from Hagia Sophia

Hotel Empress Zoe stands on Akbiyik Caddesi in the Sultanahmet district of Istanbul, postcode 34122. Its position is its strongest asset: Hagia Sophia is about 0.2 km away in a straight line, and the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, the Basilica Cistern and Hagia Irene are each about 0.4 km. Topkapı Palace is about 0.8 km, and the Süleymaniye Mosque about 1.8 km.

For arrivals and departures by train, Sirkeci railway station is about 1 km away. Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) is about 30.1 km away in a straight line; the hotel offers a paid airport shuttle, which spares you the question of how to cover that distance with luggage.

The room range is wide, and the size gap is the first thing to understand. At the small end, the Budget Twin Room is 8 m² with two twin beds and sleeps up to 3; the Single Room is 10 m² with one double bed and sleeps up to 1; the Small Double Room and the Standard Double Room are 10 and 12 m² respectively, each with a queen bed and each sleeping up to 3. These are compact rooms for short stays or travellers who plan to spend their days out.

In the middle, the Standard Twin Room is 13 m² with one twin and one double bed and sleeps up to 2. The Large Double Room is 25 m² and combines a queen bed with two twin beds, giving a couple or a small group more space to spread out.

The top of the range is made up of suites. The Chez Zoe Garden Suite is 28 m² with a queen bed and two sofa beds; the Penthouse Suite is 30 m² with a queen bed and two sofa beds and looks out over the sea, with a panoramic sea view. The two largest rooms are the Suite with Garden View and the Chez Zoe Deluxe Garden Suite, both 35 m²: the former has a super-king bed and two sofa beds, the latter a queen bed and two sofa beds, and both face the garden. The sofa beds in all four suites are what make them work for families, and the hotel offers family rooms.

This is a hotel rather than a resort: the emphasis is on rooms and location rather than on extensive leisure facilities. Alongside the paid airport shuttle, the hotel provides family rooms, which fits the suite options with sofa beds. Non-smoking rooms, air conditioning and heating are available, and WiFi is free.

The hotel suits travellers whose priority is being close to the Sultanahmet landmarks and who want a room that matches their budget and party size, from a solo visitor in the 10 m² Single Room to a family in one of the 35 m² garden suites. It does not suit anyone travelling by car, as there is no parking, and it does not accept pets.

Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out is until 11:00. Children are allowed. Pets are not allowed. There is no parking at the hotel, so a car is more of a burden than a help here; the paid airport shuttle covers the transfer from Sabiha Gökçen, about 30.1 km away in a straight line.

For a first-time visitor to Istanbul focused on the monuments of Sultanahmet, the location is hard to argue with: Hagia Sophia at about 0.2 km and three more major sights within about 0.4 km, all in a straight line. Couples can choose between the compact doubles and the larger suites; families have the sofa-bed suites and family rooms; solo travellers have the Single Room at 10 m².

It is less suitable for travellers who want a pool, a spa or resort-style facilities, for those arriving by car, and for those bringing pets. Anyone sensitive to room size should also note the spread: the Budget Twin Room at 8 m² is a quarter of the floor area of the 35 m² suites, so the room type chosen matters more here than at a hotel with a uniform stock.