SuB Karakoy

SuB Karakoy

Two kilometers from Istanbul's center, within walking distance of Galata Tower, Şişhane and Galataport Istanbul, sits SuB Karakoy, a design hotel spread across five floors with only twenty rooms. That is a small footprint for a design hotel: reception is staffed day and night, early check-in and late check-out are standard rather than a favor, and the desk covers English and German for anyone who needs it. The three room types, queen, twin and double, share the same short list: private bathroom, in-room safe, high-speed internet, a telephone, toiletries, a hairdryer and, less usual for a hotel this size, a trouser press. Mornings mean breakfast in the restaurant or a coffee from the cafe; the hotel will tell you, only half-joking, that it might be the best cup in the city. Evenings move to the bar, and there's a snack bar for whatever falls between meals. A business center, conference hall and event facilities exist for a small meeting or a private dinner, though anyone picturing a full conference should look elsewhere; twenty rooms and one hall do not stretch that far. Families need to ask ahead, since children are only accommodated in the family room, not the standard queen, twin or double. Guests who want to move around Karakoy without a car can take the bike rental or arrange the tour assistance desk to book an excursion; those who'd rather not walk can use the hotel's transfer or rent a car directly. What SuB Karakoy has that many hotels nearby do not is restraint: five floors, twenty rooms, nothing sprawling about it. SuB Karakoy keeps to five floors and twenty rooms, two kilometers from Galata Tower and Galataport, with round-the-clock reception and a bar, cafe and restaurant downstairs. It suits travelers wanting a small design hotel, not families needing space or groups wanting a full conference floor.