This quaint boutique hotel has a friendly and intimate atmosphere, and past guests have praised special touches, like staff lending personal phones to place calls, and helping with tours and itineraries. The hotel is housed two historic buildings that date to the early 1900s, across the street from each other. The elegant properties feature bay windows, crystal chandeliers, pretty tile floors, and colorful stained glass. The cozy breakfast room is a fine place to begin the day, where sunlight cascades in through a skylight, and there are potted plants and traditional artworks. The hotel attracts an international crowd of leisure travelers, especially couples. 

Villa Pera is located on a quiet cobblestone side street in the heart of modern Istanbul (Taksim). It’s a safe and bustling residential area, with restaurants that are less than a five-minute walk from the hotel. The property isn't within walking distance of the Old City, but it's only six minutes on-foot to Taksim Square, where the Independence Monument and a metro station are located.

It’s roughly a 12-minute walk to Istiklal Avenue’s popular galleries and cafes. It takes about 35 minutes using public transit to reach top sights, such as the Grand Bazaar, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and the Blue Mosque. Ataturk International Airport is about an hour away by public transit, or 30 minutes by car. Sabiha Gokcen Airport is about a 45-minute drive. 

Guest rooms at this boutique property are quite lovely. There's a mix of handsome antiques, modern furniture and fabrics, and traditional art adorning walls. Expect high ceilings, painted windows, and attractive dark-wood floors. All units have AC, flat-screen TVs, laptop-sized safes, slippers, and free Wi-Fi, but they lack kettles. The suites we saw were spacious, and included kitchens with refrigerators, microwaves, cooktops, and coffeemakers. The Roof Suite featured retractable skylights for stargazing and fresh air, as well as two sleeper sofas. The Deluxe Double Room boasted a private solarium with a dining table. Bathrooms are more contemporary, and have glass vanities with basin sinks, walk-in showers with rainfall showerheads, hairdryers, and toiletries. Guest rooms are generally quiet, and look out to surrounding buildings.

Guests rave about the free buffet breakfast at this boutique hotel. It offers both international cuisine and traditional Turkish staples, including made-to-order eggs, fruit, pastries, cheeses, and excellent Turkish coffee. The staff also will make coffee upon request throughout the day, but there's no lunch or dinner service. Concierge-style services are available, including private airport transfers (fee), and helping guests with tours and itineraries. There's also valet laundry service, a 24-hour front desk, and free Wi-Fi throughout. Guests with limited mobility should be aware that neither building has an elevator, but staff will help with luggage.