La Cielo Hotel Bostancı

I really enjoyed my stay here — a tiny, cute family-run hotel with amazing staff, lovely sea views, and an absolutely fantastic location deep in the Asian side of Istanbul. It’s far from the usual tourist spots, offering a rare opportunity to experience the real local lifestyle.

We booked the room with a whirlpool and sea view – which was the only good thing about the hotel. However, the whirlpool was very outdated, didn’t really work properly, and was basically just a bathtub with three jets. The shower didn’t work correctly either, and the bathroom had an unpleasant smell. The room itself was spacious but unfortunately not clean. The window couldn’t be closed, which made the room hot and let in a lot of noise from outside, making it hard to sleep. At €135 per night, this place is way overpriced. It should cost no more than €50.

I had a very disappointing experience with this hotel. Due to some conflict in my country, all flights were canceled and my family and I were unable to travel. I contacted the property immediately and was told they understood the situation and would support a refund if Booking.com approved it. However, after Booking.com contacted them multiple times, the hotel refused to confirm anything, despite telling me and my friends earlier that they would help. They changed their story several times and in the end refused both a refund and any rescheduling, even though the situation was completely out of our control. Very unprofessional and disappointing behavior — especially in such an exceptional circumstance. I hope future travelers are treated with more honesty and understanding.