sf,
We stayed at the Faros which is right in the heart of Sultanhamet. The staff was excellent, and we had a corner room which was very spacious. Check them out on trip advisor if you get a chnace. Have a WONDERFUL time in Istanbul. We loved it.

Wow, the Faros looks like a great choice. It reminds me a lot of the Hotel Preciados in Madrid, which my daughter and I loved.

Here is an extract from my Turkey trip report, with my evaluation of the Faros Sirkeci hotel (there are 2 Faros hotels, I believe.

It is very small and plain but was very well sited. Staff was awfully nice. Click on my name to find my full trip report - I wrote at length about Istanbul:
_______

When we wanted a small, reasonably priced, immaculately clean and very friendly hotel near the top sites, the Faros Hotel Sirkeci was recommended by a friend.

We booked online direct with the hotel and stayed 5 nights, so we got a free, private airport pick-up and drop-off – a smart Mercedes van and one of Istanbul’s few careful drivers.

Arrival and check in were smooth; this was our introduction to the very committed and helpful hotel staff, who booked restaurants (and cancelled them, when it poured rain), arranged airport transfers, etc.

We paid 90 euros per night, which included breakfast, the transfers and, I believe, all taxes. Many hotels in the vicinity charge 50% more.

Our 5th floor room was quite small, yet we found space to store everything. We appreciated the spare modern décor – white walls, bed linen and curtains, blond wood floors and furniture.

Great view of Gulhane Park from the double French doors. There was everything from a sewing kit to a mini-safe for valuables. I would have liked an extra chair, though.

The bathroom had a lot of pale marble and a super glass-walled shower: both hand-held shower and rainforest shower.

Breakfasts in the main floor restaurant were ample and the youthful staff were very cheerful. We ate dinner there one night, too. The menu was far more inventive than I expected from a small hotel restaurant.

We walked almost everywhere from this location: Topkapi, the Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern and Aya Sofia are 10-15 minutes away.

There is a tram stop 2 minutes from the hotel; the tram passed under our windows but with the French doors closed, we heard nothing at all.

Sirkeci district, especially Hudavendigar Caddesi where the hotel is located, is not an atmospheric location. But its convenience outweighed any negatives. Anyway, the warmth of the people were the essential ingredient in making this hotel one of our fonder Istanbul memories.

macksix, reading the "average reviews" on TripAdvisor (I always start with the worst and work my way up . Did you have the noise problems, or the dark room problem that some posters mentioned? Is there a specific part of the hotel that you would recommend for a good night's sleep? We're not night owls, so we will notice noise from restaurants and bars outside. Thanks.

tedgale, I'm about to print your trip report for reading later - thanks!

sf:

I have stayed at the Hotel Empress Zoe twice and highly recommend it. We stayed in the Chez Zoe suites which are roomy with great beds and showers. Wonderful patio, too. Hotel is located in Sultanahmet just around the corner from the Four Seasons.

www.empresszoe.com

sf - my husband does the same thing when he reads the reviews!
Our room was in the front over the restaurant which was a noisy area (but no weird smells or anything) with the windows open, but once we closed the windows, it was quiet. I am from NYC, so the sound of traffic, etc. does not even register when I am sleeping. You may want to ask for a room on the other side, but I think hearing the city sounds is fun when you are in a foreign place. We did not have any issues with the lighting in the room. Enjoy your trip. I am jealous!

<<<I am from NYC, so the sound of traffic, etc. does not even register when I am sleeping>>>

I also am oblivious to the sound of traffic. I can live without the sound of "revelry" (i.e. loud drunks) however when I'm trying to sleep. As long as it's fine once the windows are closed, that's good. (We were in Luxor and our room faced the street - others faced the Nile....we are so "urban" that we preferred the street view!)

http://www.emzoe.com/

That's where I stayed and would stay there again. The place was really cozy and in the heart of Sultanhamet. The owner, who's from San Francisco, was there every day and would invite the guests up to the bar area and chit chat.

Breakfast was included and every morning while sitting near the side window, I would be glancing at the wall of the Four Seasons. I really should have spent a night there as I'm a real Four Season's fan. Back then the Four Seasons was $250. a night. I did go there, with a friend from Istanbul, and he treated me to snacks and drinks. The Four Seasons is less than a 1-minute walk from the Hotel Empress Zoe.

Happy Travels!

Hi

I haven't stayed here but the Almira Hotel - http://www.hotelamira.com - looks like it meets your criteria though it is more a boutique style hotel rather than one from a "chain". Whichever hotel you choose please make sure it has a terrace with views of the beautiful Bosphorous. Your breakfasts will be some of the most memorable in your life.

Out of curiosity -- looking at "boutique style hotels" including the ones mentioned in this thread, but I am wondering if there are any highly-rated boutique-style hotels that have more modern furnishings instead of what seems to be the more typical "Ottoman" style?

You would have to get out of Sultanahmet for modern boutique hotels.

I.E. Check the various locations of House Hotel.

More modern furnishings . . . in Sultanahmet!

http://kumruhotel.com/index.html

We stayed there in October and really enjoyed it. The owner and staff were great -- very knowledgeable and friendly, but not in our pockets the whole time. She is from San Fransisco and her partner is Turkish, so no language barrier but with definite local knowledge!

Delicious breakfast served on the rooftop terrace.

You say you need two rooms, are there two couples? We stayed in the garden apartment. It's on the bottom floor but has it's own little patio and felt quite spacious. There was a king sized bed and then two singles in the shape of an L - they could be two extra beds or just additional seating. There were 3 of us in the room and we didn't trip over each other. Four people could probably squeeze in if their friendly!

We did have to walk up the steep hill to most of the tourist sites, fortunately, there is plenty of baklava to reward us for our efforts!

I've already seen/checked into Kumru....yes, we are two couples, and one of them is married less than a year, so I think I'd rather not share a room with them (our son and daughter-in-law) The problem with the double room (which may be a problem in all of the boutique-style hotels) is that the rooms are small (not a problem) so they have a double bed rather than at least a queen (definitely a problem).

I'll also check the House hotels.

Thanks.