istanbul at half term

[pipsqueak]

hi just wondered if anyone who has been to istanbul for a long weekend could give me any tips on where to stay ? we are hoping to go at half term (may ) for about 4-5 days with dd1aged 13 and dd2 aged 7 . we would like a hotel with a pool but near to hte main old town part i think ...any tip sgratefully received xx

Can't resist replying to this even though I haven't really got good advice on places to stay....I lived there for 4 years and am excited that you are taking your kids...I think dd at 2 is too little, but can't wait til I can take her and new baby to see where their parents met.

The Guardian always recommends Empress Zoe as a good hotel, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't have a pool. They often have articles on Istanbul, so I would search their travel section.

It also depends on your budget: if you're looking top end, the Four Seasons is in Sultanahmet (the old part) and i think it's very nice, but the Ciragan Palace is the absolute top place to stay..it's further down the Bosphorus and has an infinity pool. There's also a very posh "relais and chateau" place on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, but I have no idea how kid-friendly any of these places are. You never really hear of family trips to Istanbul, but I think it will be great.

Anyway, if you want any other tips on where to go/what to see...I'd love to help. I will just say definitely visit the Princes Islands, which are just a 40 minute boat journey away and a great break from the crazy city...you might even want to consider staying overnight there.

Also was going to say, don't dismiss the "modern" part of town as a place to stay; it's cooler and less stressful in some ways than being in tourist central. There are some modern boutique-type hotels in Taksim and Cihangir.

thanks mrs babookaloo - i was thinking of staying in the old part - is that sultanahmet? but take your point it may be a bit full on . we went to fez last half term and that was a tad busy but great fun but somewhere quieter may be better . is transport easy between the new places you suggest and the old town? our budget is fairly mid range . not heard of teh prices island so will check that out . tahnks for the tip about teh Guardian xx