Paxx Istanbul Hotel&Hostel: dorms and doubles in Beyoğlu

Paxx Istanbul Hotel&Hostel is a hostel and backpacker property on Cezayir Sokak in Beyoğlu. The Museum of Innocence is about 0.1 km away in a straight line, Galata Tower about 0.7 km, and Taksim Square about 0.8 km. Further out, Topkapı Palace is about 2.1 km, Hagia Sophia about 2.5 km and the Sultan Ahmed Mosque about 2.9 km, all in a straight line.

For arrivals, Sirkeci railway station is about 1.8 km away in a straight line, and Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) about 31.4 km. The property runs an airport shuttle for a paid fee, which spares you the question of how to cover that distance with luggage.

The property mixes hostel beds and private rooms. Two dorm options exist: a bed in an 8-bed mixed dormitory, in a 40 m² room with one bunk bed per booking and space for one sleeper, and a bed in a 4-bed mixed dormitory, in a 20 m² room, again one bunk bed sleeping one. The smaller dorm shares its floor space among four people rather than eight, so it is the calmer of the two.

For privacy, there are three room types. The Budget Double Room and the Double Room are identical on paper: both 15 m², both with one queen bed sleeping up to 2, both with a garden view. The Standard Twin Room with Shared Bathroom also measures 15 m² and has a garden view, but its two twin beds suit two travellers who want separate beds.

The property has a restaurant, a bar and room service and there is evening entertainment for the nights you stay in. Meeting and banquet rooms are there if you arrive with a group or a work reason.

Two services carry a charge: the airport shuttle and parking. Parking is paid, with accessible parking available. If you are arriving by car, budget for the parking fee rather than expecting it to be included.

Check-in runs from 14:00 and check-out is until 11:00. Children are not allowed, and pets are not allowed either, so this is an adults-only property in the strict sense: a family with children cannot stay here at all, whatever the room type.

Parking is paid, and the airport shuttle is paid. Beyond that, the rules are straightforward: arrive after 14:00, leave by 11:00, and come without animals or children.

For a solo backpacker, this property works well: a dorm bed in a 20 m² or 40 m² shared room, a bar and evening entertainment in the building, and a restaurant for nights when you do not want to hunt for food. Two friends travelling together can take the twin room, accepting the shared bathroom, or a double each if they want privacy.

It does not suit families with children, since children are not allowed, and it does not suit anyone travelling with a pet. Drivers should factor in paid parking. For everyone else, the choice comes down to how much privacy you want and how much you will pay for it, in a property that sits about 0.7 km from Galata Tower and 0.8 km from Taksim Square, in a straight line.