Quote: The Cordial House Hotel. It sounds like the kind of house that one of Jane Austen's characters might lodge at, doesn't it? The kind of place where sugary sweet staff indulge your every whim and the guests stroll arm in arm around the landscaped grounds. It's not like that at all.

However it is a truth universally acknowledged that hotels should meet certain criteria to be considered acceptable so would Mr Darcy find anything to shout about at Istanbul's Cordial House Hotel?

TRUTH NUMBER 1

That a hotel should be comfortable and relaxing….

A difficult one to judge. Our "double room" contained one single and one small double bed; this meant that we did not have to squeeze into the double, the single could be used if we preferred. Both beds were comfortable - a bit squidgy for some, but comfortable all the same. However, we were disappointed that there were no easy chairs in a room that had ample space for more furniture. Not only did that make the room seem rather bare, but its always nice to have somewhere to sit and red or watch television other than lying on the bed.

The room was spacious enough but, since there was not much furniture to fill it, it would have been a good idea to use some of it to create a small vestibule area between the main door and the sleeping area to cut out some of the noise from traffic on the stairs and landing. The Cordial House may be called a hotel and it may have plenty of private rooms, but it is really a hostel given its facilities, price and its numerous dormitory rooms on the upper floors: as a result, the clientele is quite young and more likely to make noise in the early hours.

Although our room was not double glazed, we weren't disturbed by any noise from outside - not even the early morning prayer call - and we were in the midst of at least eight mosques!

Breakfast was served in the room that was used as a bar in the evening. It was a buffet affair offering typical Turkish breakfast fare - sliced cucumber and tomatoes, boiled eggs, olives bread, cheese and preserves (not like those served at afternoon tea by Mrs Bennett of course!). The tables were small round ones and were really too small to sit at comfortably for a meal - fine for a drink but no good for dining.

The bar was open until 11.30pm which I think is quite late enough in this kind of hotel; if you want to drink later there are plenty of places in Istanbul where you can do this, you can even go along to any of the "hard core" backpackers hostels" and drink as a non-resident. It was a utilitarian space designed to be multi-use rather than for atmosphere, no dimmed lights, no relaxing music, just a Turkish game shows blaring from the television set. Furthermore it was full of German backpacking youths - none of whom were of legal drinking age; instead of drinking, these young people made as much noise as possible, shrieking as they wrestled on the sofas.

TRUTH NUMBER 2
A hotel should have pleasant and helpful staff…

The young man who checked us in was friendly and undoubtedly Cordial - when he was there! We had to hunt for someone to check us in, then we twice had to wait for over five minutes for staff to appear when we had questions to ask at reception.

Much more impressive was the fantastic young man who worked in the hotel's "Tourism Office"; we found the office on the first floor of the hotel and popped our heads round the door just after arriving because we wanted to know where we could buy a Lonely Planet book (ours had been left behind in Newcastle). He spoke excellent English (and several other European languages) and was a mine of information on Istanbul in particular and travelling Turkey in general. We had to decline his kind offer to borow a guidebook from his office since we would not be back in Istanbul for three months but he directed us to an excellent bookshop nearby.

The staff in the bar in the evenings and at breakfast spoke little English but were always friendly and were very efficient making sure hot water was filled up and that tables were regularly cleared.

TRUTH NUMBER THREE

A hotel should benefit from a good location...

The Cordial House Hotel is situated in the heart of Sultanahmet on the European side of Istanbul; it is just seven minutes walk fromthe Aya Sofya and the Blue Mosque in one direction and the Grand Baaar in the other. It is one minute away from the tram line which cuts through the heart of Sultanahmet and takes you across the Galata Bridge to the Asian side of the city.

There are plenty of eating places in the area - from local kebab joints to more touristy themed restaurants. There are also patisseries and coffee shops. The are opportunites for shopping nearby with a couple of supermarkets as well as pharmacies and other stores.

The only downside is that there are often touts for souvenir and carpet shops working the area. Most are fine if you are firm but polite; remember they have a living to make.

On arrival you may wonder what you have let yourself in for - continually hooting drivers fill the narrow streets, the call of the muezzin just as you settle down for a nap and the persisant salesmen - but this is what Istanbul is all about; just enjoy it.

TRUTH NUMBER FOUR

That hotels should have certain housekeeping standards....

Our hero Mr Darcy would have no need to speak to the staff at the Cordial House; while some areas could do with updating, there are no problems with cleanliness. The bedroom was fine and the bathroom was sparkling; these standards were applied throughout the hotel.

Our only gripe was that of the three bulbs in the main light fitting in our room, only one was working making the room quite dark in the early evening. Everything else was in good working order and well-maintained.

TRUTH NUMBER FIVE

A good hotel should have appropriate facilities....

Sadly Mr Darcy would not be occupying his days with shooting, fishing or walking in the grounds; the Cordial House Hotel is basic to say the least athough it is able top help with many requests which guests may have. It will send laundry out for a charge, it can organise trips and guided tours, it will book tickets for evening entertainments such as the Dervish shows and so on.

However, aside from its bar, the only facilites it has to offer is free internet, available to guests during the opening hours of the bar. There are two computers available and wireless internet is also available.

What the hotel lacks in facilities it makes up for with the enthusiasm of its staff; if there's someone around you can learn to play backgammon - an essential skill for anyone spending much time in Turkey. The staff will even teach you to make an authentic Turkish coffee! Mr Darcy would be charmed!

TRUTH NUMBER SIX

A hotel should be good value for money....

We probably paid a little too much for our accommodation and didn't shop around and much as we could have. However, at 40 Euro a night (when booked on line) you could hardly feel cheated. This included all taxes and since we had spent more than 80 Euro (we stayed two nights) we qualified for a free pick up from the airport - this was terrific as we got to see much more than we would have done if coming in by bus and underground.

The hotel offers a variety of rooms so you can spend just 26 Euro for a double with shared bathroom, cutting costs considerably.

We were able to really load up at breakfast which set us up for a full days sightseeing. The breakfast was about the best we had in a Turkish hotel, at least for quantity if not variety!

The rooms were sizeable which made them more pleasant. However I would not relish the idea of staying there in the height of summer since there is no air-conditioning, only fans.

So would Mr Darcy take his Lizzy there?
Well it's no Netherfield Park but it is a perfectly acceptable basic hostel-type accommodation, close to the attractions most people want to see in Istanbul. It may cost a bit more than other hostels nearby but it has just a little more comfort, space and style.

www.cordialhouse.com



From journals Istanbul - A Tale of Two Cities