Grand Balyan Hotel & Restaurant

Lovely room and shower, heating and air conditioning worked well. Breakfast was also fantastic, big selection of meat and cheeses with a fantastic view of the city. I have to say also the customer service was fantastic, with the front receptionist being a warm, friendly face

This "hotel" is nothing like a hotel; it's more akin to a hostel. It's situated on a very noisy street, surrounded by numerous wholesale stores. There's absolutely no soundproofing in the building; you can hear EVERYTHING happening on the street and inside the building. Sleeping at night was impossible due to constant walking and loud talking in the corridors. The advertised restaurant DOES NOT EXIST. It's there in name only, functioning solely during breakfast hours (8:00 - 10:00 AM). The breakfast itself is appalling. The only somewhat edible item was boiled eggs. Notably, if you arrive for breakfast after 8:30 AM, the eggs are already cold, and there's no device to keep them warm. Besides eggs, they offer a few types of cheese, sausage, and muesli. In essence, those who prefer healthy eating will find nothing suitable. There's no option for real coffee; all that's available is a jar of Nescafe instant coffee, which is simply undrinkable. The room I was assigned had no windows, making it impossible to get natural light or ventilate the room. Fortunately, I was allowed to sit and work in the "restaurant," but it was far from ideal because: a) it was incredibly cold, b) it was noisy due to lack of sound insulation, c) in the evenings, strange people would gather and smoke INSIDE the building, which is unacceptable for someone from Europe. During a couple of days of very bad weather, with relentless rain, all surrounding restaurants were closed. I wanted to order food online, but the local "Getir" service didn't operate in that area. In summary: 1. I ate breakfast at a café, rendering the "included breakfast" service irrelevant. 2. I couldn't have proper lunches and dinners due to the absence of a restaurant in the hotel. 3. I couldn't sleep well because of the constant noise. I do not recommend this place.