Where to stay in Turkey

The accommodation tax, and the date that matters

Turkey charges an accommodation tax on top of the room rate, and it is temporarily cheaper right now.

• 1 percent from 1 May 2026 to 31 December 2026, cut from the standard 2 percent by Presidential Decision No. 11263.
• It returns to 2 percent on 1 January 2027.
• It applies to hotels, pensions, apart-hotels, guesthouses and campsites, and to related services such as meals, the pool and the spa when they are part of the stay.
• It should be shown separately on the bill. If the rate you were quoted looked all-inclusive, check.

Where to stay in Istanbul

This decision matters more than the hotel.

• Sultanahmet puts you next to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia and is entirely given over to tourism. Convenient, and not where you will meet the city.
• Beyoğlu, Galata and Karaköy are where Istanbul actually lives and eats, ten minutes by tram from the sights.
• Kadıköy on the Asian side is cheaper, excellent for food and a ferry ride from everything. This is where to stay on a second visit.
• Beşiktaş and Nişantaşı are residential and upmarket.
• Check the walk from the tram or metro before booking. Istanbul is built on hills and a 400 metre walk can be a 60 metre climb.

The coast and Cappadocia

• Antalya, Belek and Side are all-inclusive resort country, and for a beach week the value is very good.
• Bodrum, Çeşme and Kaş are where Turkish holidaymakers go, and are pricier and better.
• Cappadocia cave hotels in Göreme, Uçhisar and Ürgüp are the point of going. Book far ahead for a room with a balcony facing the balloon launch.
• Balloon flights are weather-dependent and cancel often. Allow two mornings if it matters to you, and book with an operator who reschedules rather than refunds slowly.

Practical

• Breakfast is usually included and is a serious meal, not a croissant. A Turkish hotel breakfast is one of the best things about the country.
• Book refundable rates in summer on the coast, when heat and wildfire disruption occasionally force changes.
• Air conditioning is essential from June to September and worth confirming rather than assuming.
• Registration with your passport is required at check-in and is a legal requirement, not a formality.