Hotel Orkide, Istanbul: a small hotel in Kumkapı, Fatih

Hotel Orkide stands in Kumkapı, in Istanbul's Fatih district, at Muhsine Hatun Mahallesi, Fındıkkıran sokak, No:23. The location is best judged by straight-line distances: Bayezid II Mosque is about 0.7 km away, Little Hagia Sophia about 0.8 km, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque about 1.2 km and the Süleymaniye Mosque about 1.4 km. Hagia Sophia is about 1.5 km and Topkapı Palace about 2.1 km.

For onward travel, Sirkeci railway station is about 1.7 km away, in a straight line. Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) is about 31.4 km from the hotel, and the hotel offers an airport shuttle for a fee, which spares the question of how to cover that distance with luggage.

The rooms divide into two sizes. The Deluxe Single Room and the Economy Double Room are both 15 m²; the Standard Double or Twin Room is 20 m²; and the Standard Triple Room is the largest at 25 m². The triple is also the only room with a sea view, while the other three look out over the city.

For one traveller, the Deluxe Single Room has a single twin bed and sleeps one. The Economy Double Room, despite its name, sleeps up to three on one queen bed, which makes it a tight but workable choice for a small family on a budget of space, though three adults in 15 m² with one bed should think it through. The Standard Double or Twin Room also sleeps up to three, with either a queen bed or two twin beds, and gives ten more square metres than the economy double for the same headcount. The Standard Triple Room pairs one queen bed with one twin bed, arranged for three people sharing.

This is a hotel rather than a resort, and its offering is geared to city stays rather than to passing the day on the property. Room service is there for evenings in, and evening entertainment is provided for those who want something to do after dark without going out. Family rooms are among the room types, which suits travellers with children.

Practical services include facilities for disabled guests and parking, the latter paid.

Check-in runs from 14:00 and check-out until 12:00, a fairly standard split that allows a morning departure without rushing. Children are allowed at the hotel, and the family rooms and the triple room make that policy meaningful rather than nominal. Pets, however, are not allowed, so travellers with animals need a different property. Parking is paid, which matters to anyone driving in; the airport shuttle and the railway station about 1.7 km away are the alternatives to consider.

The spread from a 15 m² single to a 25 m² triple with a sea view means a lone traveller, a pair or three people sharing can each find a fitting room, and the family rooms and children policy support those travelling with kids.

It does not suit travellers with pets, since they are not allowed. Anyone arriving by car should also factor in paid parking.