Mevlana is an excellent value hotel with a nice atmosphere, good breakfast and friendly staff.

The drawback is rather thin walls which do not close out noice from the nearby railway etc. But if you can live with that it is a very nice and hospitable hotel to stay in.

Main advantages: very good location, in the heart of Old Sulthanahmet, but rather quiet. Within walking distance to Aya Sophia and Blue Mosque. Very friendly and helpful staff. Breakfast buffet on rooftop terrace with great views over Bosphorus. Good value for money (at booking.com). Highly recommended.

Quick summary - Yes, I would stay again in a heartbeat.

Ideal location in the Old City near the Blue Mosque - very easy and short walk. Nearby restaurants are wonderful. Nighttime is a real treat - all the streets are lit up like a party, and the Blue Mosque lighting at night is also impressive.

The rooms - plenty of hot water, clean starched sheets, clean room, - and yes, it is very much a boutique hotel. The rooms are meant to sleep in, and not to spend much other time in. If you want a large room, go pay 100 Euro ++ somewhere else. Besides, I didn't come to Istanbul to spend time in my hotel room, except to sleep and shower. Good heat and airconditioning. Also, there is an elevator lift to tackle the 5 flights of stairs.

I took the metro and tram from the airport. It only cost about 4 Lira all the way from the airport including the transfer from the metro to tram. Total time about an hour from airport to hotel. First time finding the hotel is a bit tricky, but it is easy after the first time. Very close to tram. Take the Sultanahmet tram stop. When exiting, turn left, walk to the first street and turn right. Walk about 100 meters or so, then go left and ask someone where the Blue House hotel is ( can't miss it when you see the Blue House - big blue 4 story hotel). Once you get to the Blue House, you are getting close. Easiest way to find the hotel is just ask people where Akbiyak Caddesi Number 75. is. It's a common street name that the locals know ( it means White Mustache by the way!). It's also very close to the Apricot Hotel. And there is a 7
Eleven convenience store next door - -great for snacks - open until 3 am!

We stayed a week at this hotel. First night was in the basement and it was quite noisy as there was a chair and table right outside the window. We were easily moves to fourth floor. My only complain about this hotel is the thin walls which makes it noisy. On the fourth floor we could hear the staff in the breakfast room late at night and early mornings. With that being said, the staff were wonderful. Breakfast was included and was really good. Rooms were clean. My favorite part of hotel was the location. Super close/walking distance to all sites but without the overwhelming crowds. I would recommend this hotel and stay there again.