When booking a 5-star hotel from the Hilton chain, one naturally has certain expectations. Unfortunately, this stay fell far short of those expectations.
The check-in was acceptable, though Hilton Honors Gold benefits were not mentioned, with the exception of the complimentary breakfast. When I asked about an upgrade, I was told no rooms were available. When I showed the staff member (Onus) that upgrade-eligible rooms were clearly visible and available in the Hilton app, he claimed it was an error and that he would remove them immediately. Yet, the rooms remained available online throughout the entire evening.
We had to change rooms twice on the first night due to a disgusting sewage smell emanating from the bathroom. Despite the room change, we were kept awake for hours by the persistent, penetrating odor.
The next day, there was no apology, but we were promised an upgrade to a corner room for the evening. Upon our return, the same staff member from the previous night informed us that there was a "problem" with the room and that we would be placed in a standard room again. We were assigned room 603, which reeked; room 610 also smelled. Finally, we were moved to room 516. We called Onus at reception, who promised to send someone to address the smell, but no one ever arrived. We later realized that someone had entered our room while we were at the spa, spraying a strong floral scent to mask the sewage smell—a truly desperate and unprofessional tactic. We ended up covering the drains with towels just to endure the night.
The following day, Serdar (a very friendly and courteous staff member) promised us a corner room for the evening. He also mentioned that management does not grant suite upgrades to Gold members, which explains why those rooms remained bookable online and that is totally acceptable and way better than the lie from the day before.
We did receive a corner room, but the smell returned at midnight and was extreme again the next morning after showering.
When we spoke with other guests, they reported the same issues. On the fourth evening, after two calls to reception (Onus), a maintenance worker finally arrived. He poured liquid into the pipes and admitted that about 40% of the rooms have this problem, with rooms around 617 and below being the worst.
The pool area was neglected; there was plastic waste on the floor and a used adhesive bandage floating in the whirlpool. On the second evening, a fire alarm went off, accompanied by the smell of burning wires, and staff rushed in to shut down the Jacuzzi. It remained closed for the rest of our stay, the pool was no longer heated, and the sauna was turned down an hour before closing. The steam room was unusable due to the stench.
To date, there has been no apology or offer of compensation. On the contrary, when I complained via Trip.com, the hotel refused to refund a single cent, citing the "non-refundable" rate (which does not make any sense as I did not want to cancel my booking but receive a partial refund). Thankfully, Trip.com provided a generous refund as a gesture of goodwill, but I am still waiting for any sign of reconciliation from the hotel management.
To conclude, I cannot recommend this hotel. The breakfast buffet lacks variety, the advertised city shuttle only starts running at 11:15 AM, and the rooms are showing their age. There are much better alternatives in Istanbul that value hospitality and guest status far more than this property. While I understand that upgrades are subject to availability—especially when booking via third-party sites—my main grievance is the arrogance of the management and the unacceptable, unhygienic condition of the rooms.
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