Armada Istanbul Old City Hotel

Armada sits on a quiet cobbled street in Ahırkapı, just back from the Sea of Marmara and beside the ruins of the old city walls. Some of Sultanahmet's best-loved fish restaurants and traditional meyhanes are a few minutes away, and the seafront promenade is ideal for an evening stroll. Sultanahmet Square is about a ten-minute walk away, with Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque beyond.

The hotel has a nostalgic, early 20th-century feel, with Orient Express memorabilia, a marble water feature in the lobby, and a guest lounge displaying vintage radios from the 1950s and '60s.

Rooms are decorated in Ottoman style, with wooden panelling, parquet floors, Turkish carpets and traditional fabrics. Higher-floor rooms overlook the Sea of Marmara, Hagia Sophia, and the Blue Mosque.

The rooftop terrace is the hotel's highlight, with views of the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Sea of Marmara. The restaurant serves a generous breakfast of homemade breads, jams, and organic fruit each morning, and the bar serves lunch and dinner.