This year we stayed at this hotel. Its a really nice location and the service of this hotel is excellent.

Also the meals at Ajia Restaurant taste really good and the breakfast is really nice. We are planning to go back at this place in May.

We had a great time!

R&A

A fantastic location on the bosphorous with views over the city. Yes it takes a bit of time to get downtown but crossing the bosphorous in the hotels motor boat is part of the magic. and the rooms overlooking the sea are amazing - and having breakfast, lunch dinner or cocktails within a few feet of the water is magical. Greta location, great food and great service. We loved it.

My friend and I stayed two days and nights at the Ajia in late November and found it overpriced and awkward. It's overtly modern with a museum like lobby area made completely of polished granite and open to the ceiling, yet the staff was unfamiliar with the most basic elements of table service in their quite expensive restaurant. Even though we were the only diners, our glasses were always empty unless we called the waiter over to ask for another drink - including water! Also, the prices in the restaurant (such as the equivalent of $150 a bottle for Robert Mondavi Woodbridge Cabernet) were outrageous.
After the first night in the hotel, one realizes why other hotels don't go with the "museum marble/ open foyer" look in their lobby. It was incredibly loud. Apparently, some of the staff had children present (?), but my friend and I were joking that it sounded like a daycare center because of the echoes of what were probably only 2 or 3 kids.
Finally, the website pictures make it seem like its in a quiet green area. It's actually on a fairly busy street in a small local village that is not tourist friendly. One must take a boat across the Bosphorous in order to venture into a "cute" town with anything to do.

We stayed at this hotel for four nights, three of which were booked through a Luxury Link package. We knew from a friend's experience that the hotel was quite a trek from the sights in Istanbul, but were looking forward to spending time on the Asian side of the city away from the hustle and bustle of tourist hot spots. While getting to and from Old Town and the New District did take time, it was worth being able to experience another part of the city and get a bit of local flavor. Contrary to wait previous reviewers wrote, there are some small towns within walking distance of the hotel that offer great eats and a chance to see what normal Istanbul life is like. (You must try the yogurt in Kanlica!) As part of the package we booked, we had a waterfront room overlooking the Bosphorous. The room was very spacious with an especially comfortable bed, a fantastic bathroom (huge bathtub and waterfall shower), and a balcony perfect for reading or just watch the boats float by. The hotel accommodations are definitely top notch, but you don't necessarily feel like a special guest. The hotel staff is not very responsive to emails (we sent two that went unanswered) and only helpful to a point. I imagine the hotel staff can offer excellent recommendations to guests who can spend a lot of money and who aren't interested in getting a real deal Istanbul experience. For example, instead of telling us about local shops to visit in city's young artsy neighborhoods the hotel suggested we go to the high end shopping mall around the corner. Coming from Paris and the US, the last thing we wanted to do was go shopping in a mall and be bombarded with brand names. We just felt a bit out of touch with their typical clientele and were disappointed that they couldn't switch gears to offer us solid suggestions for a young couple out to explore the city. Overall we enjoyed the hotel for what it was, but wouldn't necessarily make a point of going back.

+ super comfortable beds with scented sheets
+ comfy bathrobes and slippers
+ giant bathroom and great bath products
+ magnificent views of Istanbul

- far from tourist attractions
- semi helpful staff