Iris Han Hotel: about 0.6 km from Hagia Sophia

Iris Han Hotel stands at 25 Ebussuud Caddesi in Istanbul. Sirkeci railway station is about 0.2 km away in a straight line, which matters if you arrive or depart by train. The New Mosque and the Basilica Cistern are each about 0.5 km away, Hagia Sophia about 0.6 km, Topkapı Palace about 0.7 km and the Sultan Ahmed Mosque about 0.8 km. The Süleymaniye Mosque is about 1.1 km away.

Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) is about 30.7 km away in a straight line. The hotel runs an airport shuttle for a fee, so you are not dependent on finding your own way from the airport.

There are three room types, and the step between them is size more than character: all three have a city view. The Standard Single Room is 15 m² with one twin bed and sleeps up to 1, which is the practical choice for a solo traveller who plans to be out most of the day. The Deluxe Double Room is 18 m² with one queen bed and sleeps up to 3, so it can take a couple on its bed alone or a small group willing to share.

The largest room is the Superior Triple Room, at 25 m², with one twin bed and one queen bed. That bed split suits two people who want separate beds, or three travelling together, better than the Deluxe Double does. Families are provided for: the hotel has family rooms, and children are allowed.

The hotel has a lift and facilities for disabled guests, so upper floors and the rooms on them are reachable without stairs. Room service and a snack bar cover food outside restaurant hours without leaving the building. Parking is paid, and there is also street parking in the hotel's other facilities, but if you are bringing a car you should expect the paid arrangement rather than a free space.

An airport shuttle is available for a fee, in both directions, which is the one transfer option the hotel itself provides.

Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out until 12:00, so plan arrivals for the early afternoon and departures for around midday. Children are allowed. Pets are not allowed, so this is not a hotel for a trip with a dog or cat. Parking is paid.

For a solo traveller or a couple whose days are spent at the sights, the hotel works on two grounds: the single and double rooms are compact and the major landmarks are all under about 1.1 km away in a straight line. The triple gives the extra space and the separate beds.

It does not suit anyone travelling with a pet, since pets are not allowed. A driver should note that parking is paid rather than included. Anyone needing a room larger than 25 m² will not find one here, and there is no room type without a city view, so that distinction between room grades does not exist at this hotel.