Hotels in Istanbul - Brief Information

Brief Information

Every possible accommodation style is available in Istanbul, from the hostel dormitories and mid-range hotels to the world-class luxury hotels. Although reasonable compared to the European standards, the rates are more expensive than in the rest of the country.

While the majority of the 5-star hotels concentrate within modern districts like Beyoğlu, Şişli and Beşiktaş, the 4-star hotels are generally located within the historical peninsula. The majority of hotels generally congregate in the vicinity of Sultanahmet and Hagia Sophia. Numerous hotels occupying historical buildings are situated in this district. Budget hotels are generally found in, both, modern and historical districts.

In 2006, the total number of tourism operation licenced hotels in Istanbul were 283. Of the 283 hotels, 28 were 5-star, 63 were 4-star, 81 were 3-star, 91 were 2-star hotels, and 20 were 1-star hotels. Additionally, there were 55 other accommodation establishments in the city, mainly consisting of special licence hotels, motels, camping grounds, boarding houses, aparts, and boutique hotels.

According to the data of the Association of the Touristic Hotels and Investors (TUROB) of the Republic of Turkey, at the end of 2010, 766 accommodation establishments of different categories in Istanbul (licenced by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Turkey and/or the municipality of Istanbul) had the total of 46,652 rooms and 93,299 beds. That capacity alone was sufficient to accommodate the annual volume of 10 million tourists.

At the same time, another 51 new hotels (of which 25 were 5-star hotels) were at various stages of development at the end of 2010, soon to add another 9,512 rooms and 19,800 beds to the already existing capacity. With the completion of these new hotels, Istanbul's accommodation capacity will have reached, within a few years, the total of 817 hotels, 56,164 rooms and 113,99 beds.