I have stayed at Villa Zurich several times but I must admit that I have mixed feelings about this hotel. It's great in terms of location, just off the touristy Taxim square, but other than that nothing special. It used to be a great choice in the past years--good location and great value--but not anymore. You can find other hotels at this price with much better service. I could even say that it is a bit expensive for what it offers.

The first time I stayed there I was offered a room on the second floor, which was really bad. It was very small and noisy. Next day, I complained and they did some sort of upgrade. I was moved to a room on the fourth floor overlooking the street. This room was spacious but very noisy. I complained again and then I was moved to a room on the fifth floor, which was even more spacious but the noise persisted. In fact it was worse due to the restaurant they have on the sixth floor (Doga Balik,) which by the way it's really good.

One of the biggest advantages of this hotel is the terrace they serve breakfast--a lovely terrace overlooking the Golden Horn and Saray Burnu. Cihangir is indeed a very nice neighborhood, close to all main attractions, and it has some lovely restaurants and cafes. It's really enjoyable all year round, but especially in the summer. However, Villa Zurich needs some renovation.

It can be a good choice if you travel off tourist season, but if over the summer I would suggest you to avoid this place, or make sure you get at their standard rate a room on the fourth floor!

The rooms were clean and did not smell at all. We had a corner, front room with a very nice view of the street, of cafes and of the water. The cab ride was 15 minutes to the historical sites. The cost was about 20 Turkish lira to travel to the sites. The patrons at cafes were in their 30's usually which provided some energy and excitement to the area. Room includes breakfast on the top floor which has a gorgeous view. Good hotel and good price. Passable English speaking.

I do not recommend this hotel especially for people with sensitive nose. There was a bad smell in the room and it was very noisy because of the old ventilation system. The room was so small and didn't even have a window.
When I went to complain in the morning, another woman was trying desperatly to change her room for the same reasons.

Great things about this small Istanbul hotel are:
- good location (you can walk to the main shopping street and there are plenty of restaurants, bars and nightlife spots in the area)
- very good value for money compared to other offers in the city
- nice, clean rooms
- friendly and helpful staff
- excellent breakfast at the rooftop terrace with amazing views of the city