Second Home Hostel

8.6

Excellent

42 Guest reviews

8.6

Excellent

42 Verified Reviews

Read all reviews

Cleanliness8.4/10

Service8.8/10

Comfort7.6/10

Condition8.0/10

location8.8/10

Neighborhood8.6/10

Amenities8.6/10

Faruk, Ahmed and Semira were amazing hosts and showed us a great time in the city. I would recomend this place to anyone!!

Very chill people

Regret not staying in different hostel

I don't like leaving bad reviews first and foremost. I'm well travelled, have stayed in hostels around the world so know what to expect. We stayed in a private room as there were 3 of us friends. 1. Cleaniness - room wasn't cleaned once in 6 days there 2. Matainence- we reported the radiator leaking on floor 3 times and it was addressed at all. Belongings wet as a result. Toilet was frequently broken. 3. Security - luggage hold is basically to leave all bags on first floor landing, didnt feel secure to leaving any valuables there. 4. Location - its close to old city sights, but thats just a days worth sightseeing. For food, shopping and nightlfe you are going to want to be nearer to Galata and Taksim side. Traffic is horrendous at most times and Uber is near useless with taxi drivers gaming the system. Is faster to walk most of the time. Restaurants in the area are just tourist traps. If you are vegetarian or vegan then you will need to head towards Galata/Taksim side. 5. Vibe - I won't say that it doesn't have a vibe at all but it is very low key. The layout of 4/5 flights of stairs between the reception area and terrace make it difficult, you're not going to want to make that trip just to find nobody there. 6. Staff - they were largely pleasant enough and friendly. 7. Rooms - near enough impossible to get any sleep, no ventilation, a/c or fans so have to leave window open. Leaving the window open in this location will mean loud noise 24/7. This was in mid Nov

This is my first hostel experience and I as not disappointed at all. The staff are really friendly and the location is amazing. A walking distance from most touristic attractions and easy access to Taxis and the train. Definitely coming back again.

Excelente hospedaje

The best parts of the property were it's very central location and the helpful staff. Memo and the team took the best possible care of me from the moment I arrived to the moment I left. The airport shuttle was very helpful. Oh and they have the most incredible and chill rooftop terrace.

Best backpackers hangout in Istanbul

We LOVED our stay at Second Home! The location is perfect for sight seeing, only 5-10 minute walk to almost all the major sites (Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, museums, grand bazaar) Anything else is easy to get to by the metro at the end of the street. But what is really great is the Hostel itself. The staff is very welcoming & fun to hang out with after a long day of sight seeing. If you're on a budget, the roof top of BYOB, & you can buy your own drinks & relax. They go above and beyond to create a casual atmosphere where you can meet fellow travelers. Don't miss out on doing dinner with them- it's some of the best food we had in Istanbul.

Pleasant hostel with great service.

Pleasant hostel with great service.

Comfortable & convenient base for Sultanahmet

Located in between Galata Bridge and Hagia Sophia, Second Home is well-positioned as a convenient base to explore the historic Istanbul! The hostel itself is also a comfortable place to rest - my single bedroom was as comfortable as my own bedroom (and thus matched well with the Second Home name). I unfortunately stayed here for only a night as a stopover, but I will definitely choose to stay here again on my return to Istanbul.

Will stay here again!

This isn’t the fanciest place to stay in the area, but it’s definitely great value for money. It was clean and the beds were comfy - we shared a bathroom with the other rooms on our floor and it was cleaned throughout her day. The service is 10/10 and the team at Second Home go above and beyond to make sure you feel welcome and that you get the most out of your visit to Istanbul. The hostel is really well located, 3 mins walk from the tram, and within walking distance of the park, loads of museums, the blue mosque and some lovely restaurants. When we go back to Istanbul we will definitely stay here again, and hopefully Mimi the kitten won’t have grown too much by then!

Very friendly English speaking staff and hotel very close to main attractions.

Such a wonderful place

The second home hostel is an amazing, warm place. The host is incredibly kind and they gave us tea when we arrived and bought us a shuttle back to the airport. Istanbul can be a crazy place for foreigners but this hostel really made our trip wonderful (pretty much entirely because of this hostel). It really is a second home.

Night

I spent 2 nights in Second Home hostel and it was good,everything is near,tram,metro,sea,old town,as u can walk everywhere.The rooms are quite good and clean.The stuff ate also kind,and friendly,especially Mehmet :).So if u are going to Istanbul,feel like home and stay here..

Great location, convenient for a quick stay

Travelled with friend in June 2013. Great location, walking distance to tram which runs through all the main tourist attractions. Staff were friendly. Room was as per expected at a hostel, nothing more nothing less. Shared bathrooms were impractical as there were no hooks or locks on any of the doors. There was only one sink to share between the whole floor. Overall, it was comfortable enough for one night.

good enough, but staff issues

Great place to stay -right in the middle of sultanahmet. The location was great! We stayed in a double private room and the room was good enough. We got exactly what we expected- small room with a bed and a window with a tiny bathroom down the hall. The rooms get pretty muggy (you can smell the old water pipes), but there is a fan and the windows open so it disappears after 5 minutes. The terrace was a nice touch - great place to hang out after a long day of site-seeing. The hostel staff even offered to order us dinner. Instead we went out to eat, took some wine to go from a convenience store, and drank and played backgammon on the terrace. They also have two computers with internet that you can use for FREE! The staff were always available to answer your questions; however the only complaint I have is that when we arrived we immediately went to the reception to reserve shuttle service to the airport to Ataturk. Can (the main receptionist) said ok great you are all set, just be down here 15 min before the departure time of the shuttle. On our departure date, we come downstairs and he denies ever calling the shuttle for us. He must have forgotten it was Easter weekend and did not even bother to think that the shuttle would get full. We ended up having to book it to the airport on the metro last minute. (which actually was really easy - only one switch for a total transportation cost of 4 lira a person). He was so rude upon our departure and did not even care about his mistake.

What you see is not what you get.

I cannot fault hotel for location, beeing helpful and friendly but they say that there is a tea/coffee maker and fridge in every room which is not true. They say the kitchen is supposed to be there for everyone's use and on the foto it is huge but in reality it is tiny and there is no over or microwave so all the food I took along had to be chucked away. It is really well located though but not worth the money they charge.

Excellent location

Clean, safe, comfortable, close to many restaurants, helpful and friendly staff, value for money, breakfast is okay, location is very central, stairs have no lift. overall great!

Das Personal und die Lage sind Top! Die Zimmer sind leider nicht sauber. Nach Nachfrage wurde nochmal sauber gemacht, jedoch ist es immer noch nicht sauber genug gewesen. Da unser Aufenthalt nur drei Tage war und wir nur zum schlafen im Hostel waren, war dies aushaltbar.

Good place, the roof terrace is a must.

Good

I had a long stay and the staff were amazing. The location is perfect. Regarding the room, if you only need it for sleeping is perfect. Don't expect a huge room. Common spaces are great