First, something positive: The apartment is very conveniently located; public transportation is easily and quickly accessible. As is often the case in Istanbul, however, you have to navigate some significant elevation changes to get there.
The apartment didn’t match what the listing promised: it was dingy; the kitchen, in particular, hadn’t been cleaned (there were still dirty sponges lying around, and the wood of the kitchen cabinets remained sticky until our departure, even though we tried to clean it ourselves). There was no table inside the apartment—only one on the balcony, which, as the owner told us, had to be brought inside whenever we needed it in the apartment. The furnishings were also a hodgepodge, and some of the furniture gave the impression that it came straight from a “third-hand store,” not to mention from the curb (for example, the doors of the cabinet that enclosed the refrigerator and led to the trash compartment under the sink wouldn’t close, and the nightstand had quite a few flaws, etc.).
Communication was also terrible: The apartment wasn’t cleaned without prior notice, and if it was cleaned on one day, the next day you’d be put on “hold”—meaning it wouldn’t be cleaned if too many guests were arriving or departing. Only after filing a complaint was it possible to finally get a cleaning scheduled. All in all, a pretty disappointing booking.
