Tulip Guest House - Istanbul, Turkey

So, this was the least expensive place we found in Istanbul. Most places wanted north of 65 euros for a triple room and we just weren’t going to pay that, even for a big city in Europe, or I guess in Europe/Asia. We thought that something better and less expensive must be out there. I consulted the usual sources; guidebooks, Trip Advisor, google, etc. Two of my top choices said that they were full but could put us up in their “sister” pension or “cousin’s” hostel. That has always caused us pause for concern, so we kept looking. Tulip Guesthouse had near unanimous feedback about the warm welcome and wonderful owners. We’d heard that before and were a bit skeptical, but booked our 5 beds in the 10 bed dorm room anyway. The location was good and how bad could it be? We only booked for 2 nights and could move if we needed to.

The airport shuttle dropped some other passengers off at very nice looking guest houses and finally pulled to a stop for us. We couldn’t see a sign for Tulip anywhere and then he got out, walked down a side street and around a corner to show us where it was. Well, the building facade wasn’t very impressive and as we went inside, neither was it. But, Metin the owner, who couldn’t be much older than 25, greeted us with such enthusiasm. He also connected with the kids immediately and in a sincere manner. He showed us the dining area/kitchen on the top floor with a beautiful view of the Bosphorus and then showed us to the dorm room. It was very basic and probably only meant for 8 beds in instead of the 10 that were in it. Then the bathroom came next. Down a circular staircase into the basement and ‘watch your head’ as you go into the stall or one of the two showers. No, the living spaces weren’t much to write home about.

So, we continued on with an open mind and in the end stayed a full week. It was such a joy to get to know Metin and some of the others there and to learn more about Turkey through their eyes and experiences. One night Metin cooked a delicious fish dinner for us all and he always had a smile and joke for the boys.

All the signs were there for a mediocre experience at best but, our stay in the end was really enjoyable!

WGGSH? - No way

WWSHA? - Yes