So I was actually trying to book a room at a partner property, and when I inquired about availability the owner helpfully sent me photos and descriptions of all the rooms available across 3 properties (Ekim, Aura, Turquoise). He was incredibly helpful and flexible with my requests for information. We stayed for a total of 4 nights with Aura Apart. The apartment building is 10-15 minute walk to the Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Arasta Bazaar, Hagia Sofia, and the Sultanahmet tram stop. However, to get to these places you have to walk up a bit of a hill. It's nothing worse than climbing a few flights of stairs (as though you were taking the stairs to the 3rd floor or 4th floor of an apartment building), but if you plan on carrying luggage up the hill (for example, to get to the tram stop) it is a bit of a hike. It is a bit of a working class neighborhood, with small children playing on the side streets and laundry hanging out to dry (I ended up doing the same thing with my own laundry). However, it is also a busy and active neighborhood with tour buses coming through the main street every day and restaurants and shops and other small hotels all over the place. It's an interesting mix. It's like living on a quiet street in a busy neighborhood: everything is conveniently close by without interrupting the calm, residential...So I was actually trying to book a room at a partner property, and when I inquired about availability the owner helpfully sent me photos and descriptions of all the rooms available across 3 properties (Ekim, Aura, Turquoise). He was incredibly helpful and flexible with my requests for information. We stayed for a total of 4 nights with Aura Apart.

The apartment building is 10-15 minute walk to the Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Arasta Bazaar, Hagia Sofia, and the Sultanahmet tram stop. However, to get to these places you have to walk up a bit of a hill. It's nothing worse than climbing a few flights of stairs (as though you were taking the stairs to the 3rd floor or 4th floor of an apartment building), but if you plan on carrying luggage up the hill (for example, to get to the tram stop) it is a bit of a hike. It is a bit of a working class neighborhood, with small children playing on the side streets and laundry hanging out to dry (I ended up doing the same thing with my own laundry). However, it is also a busy and active neighborhood with tour buses coming through the main street every day and restaurants and shops and other small hotels all over the place. It's an interesting mix. It's like living on a quiet street in a busy neighborhood: everything is conveniently close by without interrupting the calm, residential life.

The owner will arrange for an airport transfer upon request. Although there was a mis-booking with the room I originally requested, the owner was able to put us in another room with a sea view (3rd floor) and a small terrace (with clothesline). It was a bright, sunny room with southern exposure; it was large enough for us and very clean. Soap and shampoo are provided, as are a hot plate, mini fridge, microwave, electric water kettle, and other assorted kitchenware. The owner was kind enough to bring up a second bed for the room and it was actually the most comfortable thing I slept on throughout my entire 12 days in Turkey. If I lived in Istanbul, this would be the kind of efficiency apartment I'd want.

As others have said, there is a train that runs right behind the building and it is very close to a few mosques. The trains and call to prayer happen multiple times daily, but are not constant. I'm a relatively sensitive sleeper and it took me one day to get used to the sounds, but after that I was fine and slept through the night (with the aid of some earplugs).

Breakfast is served every morning on the top floor with a...More