A short walk from Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia, Best Western Empire Palace Hotel & Spa - Special Class provides free breakfast, an airport shuttle and a free daily manager's reception. Indulge in a body scrub, a massage and a body treatment at the on-site spa. The on-site restaurant, Coffee House, offers brunch, lunch, dinner and garden views. Free in-room WiFi is available to all guests, along with a coffee shop/cafe and a garden.
Located in Istanbul City Center, a neighbourhood in Istanbul, Best Western Empire Palace Hotel & Spa - Special Class is in the entertainment district and near a metro station. Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia are cultural highlights, and travellers looking to shop may want to visit Grand Bazaar and Istiklal Avenue. Ready for a night out? Consider Bomontiada and Volkswagen Arena. Visit our Istanbul travel guide
Hocapasa Mah. Hudavendigar Cad. 17/19, Sirkeci, Old City Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Istanbul, 34110
What's nearby
G ülhane Park
2 min walk - 0.2 km
Hagia Sophia
7 min walk - 0.6 km
Topkapi Palace
7 min walk - 0.6 km
Sultanahmet Square
8 min walk - 0.7 km
Blue Mosque
10 min walk - 0.9 km
Getting around
Sirkeci Marmaray Station
1 min walk
Sirkeci Station
2 min walk
Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW)
63 min drive
Restaurants
Roof Mezze 360 Restaurant
1 min walk
Red River
1 min walk
Seher Restaurant
1 min walk
Salute Pub & Restaurant
1 min walk
Cafe Mese
1 min walk
About this property
Best Western Empire Palace Hotel & Spa - Special Class
Luxury hotel near Bosphorus
A short walk from Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia, Best Western Empire Palace Hotel & Spa - Special Class provides free breakfast, an airport shuttle and a free daily manager's reception. Indulge in a body scrub, a massage and a body treatment at the on-site spa. The on-site restaurant, Coffee House, offers brunch, lunch, dinner and garden views. Free in-room WiFi is available to all guests, along with a coffee shop/cafe and a garden.
You'll also enjoy perks such as:
Limo/town car service, express check-out and a lift
A 24-hour front desk, coffee/tea in reception and a TV in reception
A front desk safe, smoke-free property and a reception hall
Room features
All guest rooms are individually decorated, and include comforts, such as 24-hour room service and premium bedding, as well as perks, such as pillow menus and air conditioning.
Other conveniences in all rooms include:
Hypo-allergenic bedding, Tempur-Pedic beds and down duvets
Bathrooms with designer toiletries and bidets
LCD TVs with satellite channels
Wardrobes/cupboards, free infant beds and electric kettles
Is Best Western Empire Palace Hotel & Spa - Special Class pet-friendly?
Yes, this property allows cats and dogs (limit 1 total) with a maximum weight of up to 7 kg per pet. Some restrictions may apply, so please contact the property for more details.
How much is parking at Best Western Empire Palace Hotel & Spa - Special Class?
Best Western Empire Palace Hotel & Spa - Special Class doesn't offer parking.
What time is check-in at Best Western Empire Palace Hotel & Spa - Special Class?
Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; check-in end time: anytime.
What time is check-out at Best Western Empire Palace Hotel & Spa - Special Class?
Checkout is at 11:00 AM. Late checkout is available for a fee (subject to availability).
Does Best Western Empire Palace Hotel & Spa - Special Class provide a shuttle to the airport?
Yes, there's an airport shuttle that runs on request. A fee of TRY 2500 per room applies.
Where is Best Western Empire Palace Hotel & Spa - Special Class located?
Located in Istanbul City Center, this luxury hotel is within a 10-minute walk of Gülhane Park, Bosphorus, and Topkapi Palace. Sultanahmet Square and Hagia Sophia are also within 15 minutes. Sirkeci Marmaray Station is only a 2-minute walk and Sirkeci Station is 2 minutes.
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Reviews
Best Western Empire Palace Hotel & Spa - Special Class Reviews
8.0
Very good
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travellers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.More informationOpens in a new window
The staff was very friendly
We arrived very early like 8am
And they gave us the room and take the breakfast
The hotel very well located close to the man attractions in Sultahmet
Like the blue mosque walking distance
Lots of restaurants and shops to buy Baklavas
Also the train station with walking distance
To go to Karakoy , Eminonu, Gran Bazar and spices bazar
I recommend the hotel
Hotel staff is very helpful and friendly. Hotel location is excellent for exploring the Old Istanbul (Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, etc.) Everything is at most 10 minute walk from the hotel. Rooms are not super new but modern, renovated recently and clean. Price is perfecr for all things considered. Highly recommend.
Stayed here for a second time and it was as good as previous stay. Location is spot on - walkable to all the sights. The staff are lovely and helpful. The restaurant is great we have eaten here three times now and have had great meals- the restaurant staff are good and a lot of fun! The hotel is clean, its easy to find - a good choice if wanting to stay in the old part of beautiful Istanbul.
Great hotel! Clean and safe and good customer service. Free WiFi is decent.the restaurant down stairs is great too.
The location is excellent
Walking distance to all the big attractions, shops and restaurants. Could not of been happier with our choice of hotel
We had a very good experience staying at this hotel. The staff were very friendly especially Mr Irfan who had helped us to maka our visit to Istanbul a memorable one. The breakfast was good too. Thank you
Selim and his colleagues were very friendly, helpful and professional. The rooms were nice, although a bit noisy because of the trams in the street.
The city of Istanbul is wonderful for a short stay.
The location is great. and Staff are courtesy. Salim, the manager is very helpful to extend late check out and kindly to exchange local currency for us.
The service is outstanding. Samir at the front desk is amazingly helpful and delightful. The bell staff is also helpful. The team at the restaurant- also amazing.
We planned to eat at a different restaurant our last night, but at the last minute decided to stay at the restaurant attached to the hotel. It was not a mistake. The staff makes everything so wonderful, and the food was truly exceptional.
The stay with the hotel was pleasant, they changed my room upon my request. Salim and Irfan and the other staff were very friendly. Especially Salim , I had problem with the safety box, they came and fixed it immediately. Very centrally located and we could walk to water and many tourist areas.
The hotel is in an excellent location, the tram runs past outside but no other traffic. The staff were lovely and very helpful. I would call it a rather boutique hotel… My room on the 6th floor was great, nice and spacious and pretty comfortable with a fridge and kettle. There was underfloor heating which couldn’t be controlled and an AC unit that wasn’t operating for AC as I stayed in March. The room was very hot and therefore windows had to be fully open for some ventilation. Unfortunately, through no fault of the hotel, there were some building renovations being undertaken next door which were very noisy between 08:30 and 19:00 which is fine if you’re out at these times.
Breakfast was okay but was complimentary so very welcome. Attached restaurant had great variety and as throughout, very friendly and attentive staff. Overall, I had a lovely stay.
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2026
Verified review
6/10 Okay
Rachel
11 Mar 2026
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
A group of us booked this hotel for five nights, each having a separate room. Most people had minor issues with their rooms. In mine, the shower had some hair and hairband elastic in it, it was dusty on the floors and the hair dryer did not work. The radiator was on full all the time and I could not turn it off so slept with the windows open. Also at the time of writing this (11/3/26) there is major building work going on nextdoor and they are drilling from 8.30am until 5pm - this of course is not the fault of the hotel.
The hotel is very central and convenient for the train and only a short walk to the ferry terminals. The staff were friendly and chatty.
We were a group of 19. The rooms were all ready for us when we checked in. There were no issues with the rooms. The staff were lovely. The main thing for us was cleanliness and the rooms were all nice and clean.
The breakfast was very limited and wasn’t great. I would say it is is a basic breakfast.
The location is great. Walkable everywhere
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2023
Verified review
6/10 Okay
Marcos
11 Nov 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Hotel is ok, but not great.
Hotel is ok, but not great. The rate was a good value. Small room. Main issue was that the A/C was not working, and although it was not necessary to have the A/C, the actual split a/c unit was making a loud noise all night long (even though it was off and not cooling). Really annoying. Staff could not help with this issue, although they tried. Kept me from having a good night of rest.
Very very helpful staff who made sure to make us as comfortable as possible. Breakfast spread was vast, rooms were clean, and location was central to the activities on the European side. We didn't have to worry about anything accomodation-related the entire trip.