Absolutely perfect location! It takes 10 minutes maximum of light walk to the port, downhill, and 10 minutes maximum uphill to get to the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque & Topkapi Palace. Close by, there are 2 minimarkets open 24/7, as well as plenty of restaurants. The hotel restaurant is also ok and has great food. Selim from front desk was a great help and extremely kind. There is nothing too much to ask from the staff, simply fabulous.

Doors are not completely down on the floor, and there is space, making the rooms extremely easy to hear from or through. Basically, you are having a free radio show of what is happening in every room :).

I came to Istanbul for a week for work Everything was good , the location was just perfect for a walk around the city center, staff was so polite, the breakfast buffet was delicious and the hotel room was clean and nice . The staff were attentive, especially Mr. Selem he was most friendly and helpful ever. In the evening's we had dinner at the hotel restaurant Bistro Chef , the food was just amazing and the atmosphere was pleasant, nice music and fresh air , especially Mr. Abdullah was so kind and polite. I would like to say thanks for Mr. Selem and Best Empire hotel staff for creating such a wonderful stay when we needed it. Definitely, I will come back again to this hotel! Thanks

Everything was wonderful

Great Location, close to Main Sites. Close to the Tram. Good air condition. Main street. Good breakfast Very helpful staff (Mr. Irtfan Yildiz Thank you) I will come back

The Tram Passes in Front of the Building and in the morning it can be Noisy, but this is part of being in a Main street.

Nice location clean n comfortable rooms. staff was very helpful humble and ready to help you always. Specially Mr. Selim on the check in counter was very helpful and promp starting from chk in through out our stay till chk out. He helped us stay extra 2 hours after our check out time in the busy season time. Special thanks to Mr. Selim.

Not happy with the breakfast at all. Everyday it was same bread serials fruits.and eggs or any fresh stuff was not that good . They need to make major improvements in breakfast.

We enjoyed our stay very much. The location of the hotel is excellent. All main Istanbul sights are in a walkable distance. It is very easy to find hotel at any time. Just follow tram line. The staff (Irfan and others) were very kind and friendly, ready to help you at any time. The room was very comfortable and clean. The bathroom was spacious, light and clean. The breakfast was very good.

We still can not believe that it is possible to organize installation/dismantling works during the night. One night it was not possible to sleep at all. Installation/dismantling of the outdoor cafe of the hotel was going on all night.

Great Central location. Very clean room which was bigger than expected. Comfortable beds. Great shower. Good Turkish breakfast.

Sales manager replied to a message and said we could have a double room instead of a twin and later that day when we arrived reception knew nothing about it and it wasn't available Rooms not very soundproofed .... we had noisy neighbours a couple of nights Right on tram line .... but not a problem on 4th floor and they stop between 12 and 6am Room 404 electrical socket for kettle not working ) sorry was going to mention it when we left but i forgot

The location of this hotel is great - it's close to a number of top attractions, some being an easy walking distance and others easily accessible by a tram ride - and the closest tram station, Gulhame, is just a 2 min walk around the corner from the hotel. There are several eating places in the same street and surrounding streets of the hotel. The rooms were made up very well and cleaned every day during the course of the morning. Everything was neat in the room. The staff at the hotel are a great team and they are all friendly, kind and very helpful. Overall, I really enjoyed my 4 night stay at the Best Western Empire Palace and would book again if I return to visit Istanbul again!

Excellent value for money - central location with an easy access to main sights and the harbour to catch the local ferry to other parts in Istanbul. Nice restaurant for the evening and good breakfast. Very friendly and helpful staff giving us advice on anything we asked. We were lucky to get the room 603 on the top floor and not facing the street, so we didn’t hear any noise from the street. The room was clean and beds comfortable.

It’s an old hotel - as such, it might need some update. On the other hand, it feels traditional and it has its own style and kind of nostalgic atmosphere - we prefer that kind of accommodation.

Amazing location (5 minute walk to Hagia Sofia) and a 2 minute walk to the tram station. The room service was quick and efficient (Our tv remote wasn’t working and they arranged a new one within minutes). Staff was courteous and helpful.

The hotel decor is old fashioned and not the fanciest and needs to be upgraded to improve the ambiance. The aesthetics need to be upgraded for a better experience so don’t get your expectations high looking at the pictures posted. Breakfast is monotonous and needs to have variety. The hotel doesn’t have a ramp on the entrance so that should be addressed. Customers should also be informed that taxi won’t drop of right in front because of a tram track.

We had a wonderful stay at this hotel! The location is perfect, making it easy to explore the Sultanahmet area. The entire staff was incredibly attentive and always ready to assist with anything we needed. Kudos to all of them! The restaurant was a highlight—everything we tried was delicious, but the lentil soup was truly exceptional! The rooms were comfortable, providing a great place to relax after a long day. Overall, a great experience.

If I had to mention one small improvement, it would be the breakfast selection—it was solid, but a bit more variety would make it even better.