Where is the Hilton located?Well-priced, modern and comfortable. What more could you want?
I’m going through a period where I prioritise the Hilton brand. Partly because I have Gold status and one day, I hope that get my free room upgrade (six attempts and counting). I’m also enjoying my Hilton stays because I find the brand reliable. Not stunning, not amazing, just safe, and the Hilton Bakirkoy in Istanbul was a very safe option.
Where is the Hilton located?
It’s a 50-minute drive from Istanbul airport, located just across the road from the seafront. If that makes you think of a beach resort, let me deliver a reality check. Between the hotel and the water are eight lanes of road. There is no easy way to walk from the hotel to the promenade.
It’s approximately 20 minutes of walking to the nearest bridge that takes you over the motorway. You do not want to try to walk across that road.
Having said that, the sea-view rooms look out across the bay, which makes for a beautiful sunrise. Istanbul has a busy port so there’s an array of ships parked out there.
There is no easily accessible public transport around the hotel. However, taxis’ are quite cheap (even Ubers) in Istanbul. It means that even on a short stay, you become a little tired of always being driven somewhere.
Check-in at the Hilton
We booked a Grand Deluxe Suite with Sea View, which cost £643 for three nights (Fri to Mon). Our Turkish trip started in Manchester, and we flew into Istanbul on an afternoon flight, arriving at the hotel around 8 pm.
We were the only people checking in, and it took approximately five minutes. A little on the long side, I do love a fast and efficient hotel check-in. I’m a Hilton Gold member, and no upgrade was available, although I did get a nice cardboard room sleeve that referred to my Gold status, which I will treasure forever.
The Hotel lobby is bright and modern. When entering, you have to pass through a manned security checkpoint, which includes a metal detector arch that you walk through and an X-ray machine for any bags.
Security seems important at this hotel, as any cars that come into or out of the car park will be walked around by a security operative, and the car boot will also be checked.
In the lobby, you have a small coffee shop that serves Starbucks coffee and has comfortable seating. There’s a concierge desk and then a bank of six elevators that take you up to the rooms and the executive lounge. There’s also a small gift shop, a hairdressers and the ground floor restaurant, which serves breakfast and dinner.
What was the room like?
The living room was big – wide and long. It was nicely decorated, if a little aged in places. Three of the four walls were glazed from floor to ceiling, and there were impressive views of the bay and along the coastline.
There’s a decent-sized desk in the living room with two Euro-style plug sockets and two USB-A sockets. The mini bar was in a standalone unit, which had empty storage.
The room came with bottled water, which was free, and that’s it—no food or drink within the fridge itself. On the top of the unit, you have a coffee machine, along with some coffee pods, a kettle plus tea bags, and sugar.
The living space had seating for four people: a two-person sofa that doubles as a single bed and two armchairs. There was a large TV which sat atop a unit. It was easy to access the back of it to plug in an HDMI cable so we could watch from a laptop.
Bathrooms at the Hilton
There are two bathrooms next to each other – one small one that has just a toilet and a sink and then a full bathroom with a single sink, toilet, shower and bath. The shower had good water pressure, and as usual, with a Hilton it came with Crabtree & Evelyn amenities.
The main bathroom came with a good selection of useful items – a spare toothbrush, some miniature bottles of mouthwash, and cotton buds.
The primary bedroom was big, with a king-sized bed. One side of the bed had two plug sockets and two USB-A sockets, the other side just had a single plug socket. There was a digital alarm clock which had three charging wires coming out of it. One did fit an iPhone but did not supply power to it.
The bed was comfy, but the oversized pillows were a bit too hard. Each to their own. The air-con in the bedroom did not cool; it just seemed to heat. On the first night, I felt like I was having a fever dream of being baked alive. To cool the room the next night, I had to open the window. Even then it was a degree or two above what I’d like.
There’s a big wall-mounted TV in the bedroom, plus wardrobes.
There are probably worse places to stay in Istanbul. This isn't a bad Hilton. It certainly has some positives (gym, good coffee shop, great executive lounge) but some niggles (location is awkward, breakfast wasn't amazing)
Food at the Hilton Bakirkoy
Our arrival time meant that we had just missed the executive lounge dinner (served from 6pm to 8pm) so we ordered room service. This came quite quickly, but they had misunderstood our order, and our missing item arrived about twenty minutes after that.
We wanted a quick snack before bed, so we had the Penne Arabiata and the Chicken Fajita. Both were of a high standard, although the Penne portion was a little small.
We ate breakfast at the main restaurant and the executive lounge. Both open at 7am, finishing at 10am weekdays or 10:30am on the weekend.
The main restaurant (Makri) is a beautiful space. We had a very early breakfast (7am) and a later one (9:45 am). Neither time was particularly busy, and there were plenty of tables free. There’s a reasonable choice of hot and cold food with a heavy Turkish slant and a few Western options. There were two self-service coffee machines, which were decent, but no table service for drinks or food. The hot station does offer made-to-order omelettes, but the other options were a bit limited.
Executive Lounge at the Hilton
The executive lounge was a great space to dine in. It’s on the eleventh floor, and it has a 180-degree view of the bay and part of the city. There’s also a balcony you can access. There’s a decent (compared to other Hilton exec lounges I’ve been to) selection of foods, especially desserts.
You can help yourself to a wide selection of soft drinks and juices, and there are some spirits and wines off to one side to pour. We used this lounge twice for dinner, and the main hot options changed each night. The deserts remained pretty much the same.
The exec lounge breakfast had less choice than the main restaurant. It would be great if you just wanted to grab a pastry and coffee on your way down in the lift, and at 7am it was completely empty.
We did not order any food to be delivered to this hotel as we spotted a “No external food or drink allowed” notice. On our final night we risked it by bringing back some donuts and a can of Fanta. It was put through the x-ray machine and we were waved into the hotel.
Gym and Pool at the Hilton Bakirkoy
This Hilton’s gym is extensive, and it has a really good selection of machines and free weights. I’d say it’s the same standard as a good commercial gym. There’s also a huge studio for classes. I used the gym once just after it opened (7 am,) and it was quiet.
You gain access via the Spa reception (just sign your name to enter). There are no water machines or bottles within the gym, but you can ask for them at reception. There are changing rooms, with showers and lockers.
The hotel has an indoor and outdoor pool. When we visited in November, the outdoor pool was closed. Inside, there’s the main pool, a hydrotherapy pool and a jacuzzi. The latter was closed, as were the showers next to the pool (the changing room showers are your only option).
There’s one important rule for using the pool: you must have a hairnet on. If you don’t happen to have one with you, then you can buy one for a bargain price of 5 euros. My wife said it really suited me, so it’s been brought home so I can wear it on special occasions.
The pool area is pretty nice for an indoor hotel pool. There’s plenty of seating, and it’s warm enough to feel like you’re on holiday. My wife sat and read a book while I did a few laps. The pool itself is a decent size, and the water is warm enough to be comfortable.
We visited in the late afternoon, and the only person who joined us by the pool was a friendly lifeguard. It was a shame that the jacuzzi was out of order.
The verdict on the Hilton Bakirkoy
This is a difficult hotel to form a conclusion on, so the question is would I go back? The answer is no, and that’s because I’d want to stay somewhere with easier access. This is not in a remote part of Istanbul; it’s just too far from the airport to be comfortable, and it’s effectively on an island surrounded by roads. It would have been so much easier for us if there was public transport nearby, or it was easier to walk to places.
The hotel did nothing wrong. Breakfast could have a few more options, and some regrouting in the shower area would have helped uplift the room. The staff were friendly, and the price was acceptable for a suite in a major city.
There were some language barriers at times, but that’s because I know zero Turkish. If you end up here, you won’t have a bad trip; just be prepared to spend on taxis.
Rating the HIlton Bakirkoy in Istanbul
