Queer travel expert Jack Kenworthy turns 250+ city adventures into your guide for safe, vibrant, and inclusively fabulous global journeys.
Istanbul! Once the center of the world’s technological advancement and cultural investment, this wonderful city sits right on the border between Europe and Asia and provides the perfect blend of European and Middle Eastern cultures. As a queer traveler, however, one might have a few more questions in mind than merely asking what the country has to offer.
The Middle East is a notorious difficult landscape for queer travelers and residents to navigate, and there hasn’t been much progress in this department as of late. In fact, we would say it has gotten worse. Worries are well warranted, as are genuine concerns for one’s safety.
Positively, although it is far from a state of acceptance comparable with many European countries, Turkey has a more positive outlook on queer issues than many of its neighbors – thus, the variety of gay hotels in Istanbul to consider.
This fact can be, in theory, attributed to the fact that Turkey does not truly belong to the Middle East and also that large amounts of its constitution as a country and the formulation of its government are carried over from the preceding Ottoman Empire, which removed laws explicitly criminalizing homosexuality in 1858.
Despite this, there has been quite a lot of anger and hatred directed towards LGBTQ groups in Turkey during the past few years, both when it comes to the government and certain groups amongst the people, and thus it is clear that queer travelers must still exercise some caution.
The tension between queer communities and the country’s structure goes deep and has manifested itself in acts of violence more than once, with police brutality being cited on multiple occasions.
Travelers will have to watch what they do and say to keep by these factors, but one should not let that affect a potentially amazing holiday. But what to do once you feel like you can handle yourself confidently and safely in Istanbul but are still looking for somewhere to stay and a community experience to enjoy?
Well–travelers of all kinds are sure to find something to fascinate them in this wonderful, exotic city and find out exactly what is just a hotel booking and flight away.
Obviously, given everything we mentioned above, there aren’t going to be hotels in Istanbul directly towards gay people or queer people in general. We know that, and therefore we’d like to note that the hotels on this list follow the same logic.
Most of them have been listed as accommodating, friendly, and unjudgmental to, for, and by queer people in general, as well as being highly rated in general. After all, what good is such an exquisite city if you don’t have a safe, well-rounded place to enjoy it from?
So, with everything weighted up and with a safe approach to exploration and exploring the wonderful sights that Istanbul has to offer in mind, let’s pack our bags and get ready to get off with eight of the best, safest, and most comfortable gay hotels in Istanbul!
In this article we will cover...
Marmara Sisli
We’ve started the last few hotel articles with a five-star establishment, and as such, the Marmara Sisli comes as a bit of a break of pattern, bearing only four.
That’s not the end of the world, though. Far from it, in fact. The Marmara Sisli is better in word and deed than many of the other five-star hotels within Istanbul’s borders, and the surrounding neighborhood of Sisli is a polished, cultured CBD that links right into some of the city’s best pedestrian areas.
As in our article covering gay hotels in Singapore, this list of accommodation hotspots starts with a hotel famous for business but wonderful for all possible applications.
In many cases, the fact that a hotel is popular with businesspeople means that the owners and staff of the hotel are used to focusing on providing top-notch quality without much fuss, which is a definite plus for queer travelers wanting to stay safe while in Istanbul.
There are quite a few restaurants and other places to get a snack in the vicinity of the hotel, but if you’re looking for a bite to eat and don’t feel like stepping out, there’s also the Marmara Sisli’s in-house restaurant, which has been rated with incredible esteem ever since the hotel opened its doors.
This, paired with the Marmara Sisli’s fitness center, dedicated bar lounge, and quality room services, makes staying at this hotel more than worthwhile, especially – and we reiterate – given that it’s cheaper than even some of the budget options presented later on this list.
Sometimes simple and easy is just what you need when making your first trip through a foreign country, and that is exactly what Marmara Sisli is here to provide.
W Hotel Istanbul
Another W Hotel! We’ve covered several branches of this franchise in the past, and they never cease to impress with the strength of their services and their fast position as one of the best 5-star hotel chains in the world.
When it comes to the W Hotel Istanbul specifically, guests will be thrilled with the quality and size of the individual rooms, not to mention the hotel’s location and the sheer amount of money- and time-saving services and amenities it offers guests.
First, with the W Hotel’s location. The location in which this establishment finds itself is known as Beşiktaş – one of Istanbul’s most popular public gathering places and home to a massive fish market that feeds life into the countless shops around it.
Between the bustling streets and the impressive architecture, visitors to the area are more than sure to enjoy themselves while eatery-hopping and exploring some of the liveliest sights that Istanbul has to offer – no matter if they’re interested in seeing landmarks such as the Hagia Sophia or if they merely want to enjoy the sea and local culture.
While some of the W Hotels in other countries and cities we’ve reviewed have been marketed as LGBTQIA+ friendly, this one is unfortunately not.
Regardless of this fact, however, the staff of the W Istanbul has been reviewed as extremely kind and understanding in the past, meaning that queer travelers have just about as much claim and right to safety and privacy while in the hotel’s walls as they would in any other hotel worldwide.
However, one can never be too safe, so it is best to stay on the safe side even so, as we mentioned in the foreword for this list.
The Fox Hotel Taxim
Coming on strong with its playful name, low prices, and four stars, the Fox Hotel Taxim provides a good, sound balance between price and value – doing everything it can to be comfortable and accommodating where it can and as well as it can.
Also known simply as ‘The Fox Hotel’, this wonderful establishment is a good middle ground between all of the hotels further and earlier on in this list, and this is equally true when it comes to monetary value, location, and services.
Before we get any further into personal experience with the Fox Hotel, however, let’s see how the hotel’s specifics perform compared to the other locations on this list.
Even though it’s relatively affordable, and even given the fact that the Fox Hotel is in the more tourist-popular European half of the city, the Fox Hotel comes out just as strong on paper as it does to the eyes, including airport shuttle services, free laundry, and the allowance for pets to be brought on site.
This last point is quite special in Istanbul, as the Fox Hotel is one of the only hotels on this list with the option for guests to bring their four-legged companions into their rooms. There’s also a restaurant if you’d rather stay in than go out for a nice meal.
Quite a few gay travelers have reviewed this place in the past, remarking that their privacy was respected while they were there and that they felt more at peace within the Fox Hotel’s walls than they would have in any other place of accommodation.
While it’s true that different experiences will vary, it’s still nice to know when a place has a positive track record in the past to back it up in the present.
Grand Hyatt Istanbul
The Hyatt brand is well known worldwide – associated with over-the-top luxury and regal locations. You’ll be happy to hear, though, that contrary to this status, the Grand Hyatt Istanbul isn’t that expensive.
What does agree with the brand’s reputation, however, is the sheer comfort and the amount of provided services that one receives the very second that they become a guest by walking through the Grand Hyatt’s doors.
Located in the Nişantaşı neighborhood, which is well known for its abundant restaurants, bars, clubs, and other such culinarily-related establishments, as well as its upscale residential blocks.
The Grand Hyatt Istanbul finds itself right on edge between the uptown fraction of the city and the true beating heart of what makes Istanbul run, providing a perfect lens through which to explore the city for the first time and a way to get the best out of the experience while doing so.
As were most of the Hyatts that we have previously weighted up and admired the strengths of in these gay hotel lists, the Grand Hyatt Istanbul has been praised from top to bottom by critics and guests alike, and this is partly due to the impressive catalog of amenities that the hotel has to offer.
The hotel has an outdoor pool that looks out over the cityscape, wonderfully air-conditioned and sealed rooms to help combat the Mediterranean heat, and a spa and fitness center ensemble to keep your self-maintenance and mental health routines in tight check even as your holiday and have the time of your life. Food is everywhere, including in the hotel’s downstairs restaurant and bar.
Even though the Hyatt is so top-shelf, guests are even allowed to bring pets into their rooms without even an extra fee.
Cheers Hostel
We know – the word hostel doesn’t exactly conjure up the very best of images. But, as we’ve said several times before when we’ve come across hostels in our travels through the cities of the world in search of the best gay hotels, one should not judge a book by its cover, and this certainly applies to the Cheers Hostel.
One needn’t look any further than the Cheers Hostel’s location to know that it’s worth every cent of the affordable room price. The hotel is located right on the last tip of the part of Istanbul that belongs to Europe, which – coincidentally – is the part of the city that is the most upscale and the most desired by tourists.
From there, one can access the Hagia Sophia in a matter of minutes by foot, and the nearby train station means that just about anything within the city’s borders is within the grasp of the Cheers Hostel’s guest’s grasp.
But what exactly does the Hostel itself offer to prospective guests? Well – aside from the establishment’s provided free breakfast and shuttle services to ferry you to and from the nearby airport, those staying at the Cheers Hostel will be overjoyed to find that the rooms there are clean, spacy, and have more than enough room for each guest to retain their own private space.
Not all of the rooms in the Cheers Hostel are even hostel-style rooms, as some are fully-sized suites with normal beds, included bathrooms, and even balconies.
Staying at the Cheers Hostel is a lot more pleasant than some might assume at first glance, and – honestly said – things are a lot safer and palatable for queer travelers on the level of a hostel where most of the patrons are tourists. Always better to be safe than sorry!
Tomtom Suites
Although the GPS navigation system that shares this hotel’s name is certainly a faded thing of the past, the opposite could not be more true when it comes to the hotel itself. The Tomtom Suites is a five-star luxury establishment with a beautiful view and a staggering catalog of impressive amenities so big that it does a good job of presenting itself as a candidate for being the best hotel on this list.
Reviewers have rated everything from the dining, the breakfast, the rooms, and the location of the Tomtom Suites as top-notch and excellent, with the hotel’s rating at an almost perfect sum over all major platforms.
This sentiment extends to the gay traveling scene, as even queer visitors to the hotel have found their experience to be just as open and comfortable as anyone could ever hope for. We’ve spoken about the strengths of the European side of Istanbul quite often while we’ve run over the earlier hotels on this list, and all of those positive points and more apply here at the Tomtom Suites.
This is largely thanks to the fact that the European quarter of the city is the oldest, hence why so many of the city’s landmarks find their home there. It’s all in the grasp of the Tomtom’s guests, and Istanbul is an open clam for them.
Although there have been a lot of five-star hotels with long service lists amongst those we’ve reviewed already, it’s always wonderful to see when hotels such as the Tomtom offer extra benefits such as free breakfasts, free parking, and free laundry services.
Once all of the amenities provided by the Tomtom begin to add up, the money in your pocket gets spared by more than just the hotel’s minimal staying price.
Rooms Galata
Taking a step back down in price but not in the quality of guests’ enjoyable accommodation experience, the so-called Rooms Galata is a suite complex with a twist – taking boutique spaces and mashing them artfully together with the pseudo-modern aspects of the city outside.
Although the price tag associated with staying at Rooms Galata may be small, that doesn’t mean that every need isn’t cared for. The actual rooms themselves are massive and in excellent care, as are their bathrooms and the common rooms on the base level of the hotel.
No matter how hard you look, there’s only quality to be found in the Rooms Galata, and guests can only leave hoping it stays that way for a long time.
As we mentioned before, it could be said that the biggest advantage of staying at the Rooms Galata is the diminutive price tag, but – as we said for the Tomtom Suites, the hotel just before the Rooms Galata on this list – the benefits are even greater when you add up to extra money saved thanks to all of the related amenities and conveniences that the hotel provides.
Even though one is a five-star luxury place of accommodation, and although the Rooms Galata are somewhat more humble, the Tomtom Suites and the Rooms Galata have a lot in common.
This is true not just thanks to the fact that they’re both located in the same European Side neighborhood but also because both are known for treating their queer guests with exceptional care compared to the rest of the hotels around them.
The Rooms Galata and the Tomtom Suites are two of very few hotels in Istanbul to have a direct queer endorsement in at least some form, which is invaluable in the context of this list.
Golden Tulip Bayrampasa Istanbul
When one sees a five-star hotel, one’s mind immediately thinks of the damage that staying at such a place would do to the wallet. It’s natural, of course. When booking a hotel, one needs to know if the hotel will be worth the price and if the experience matches the price tag attached.
However, there is no such stage of hesitation regarding the Golden Tulip. Not only is the Golden Tulip incredibly cheap even for a basic hotel – let alone a five-star establishment – and not only does it stand in one of the most beautiful buildings in its quarter of Istanbul, but the Golden Tulip is just about everything that a new arrival in the city could need and much, much more.
But first, a few words about the Golden Tulip’s neighborhood. The hotel is located in the half of Istanbul that belongs to Europe, giving it direct access to all of the classical wonders and colorful shopping scenes in this fraction of the city.
Landmarks such as the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque are within manageable walking distance, and that’s not to mention the sheer overload of nearby stores and supermarkets. This area of the city is known as the best for tourists on their first visit to Istanbul thanks to its stronger ties to tourism and the European continent, so that is a positive point straight off the bat.
The Golden Tulip’s benefits on paper include an amazing indoor pool, hot tubs in some rooms, a spa and fitness center for days spent relaxing, and a bar and restaurant ensemble for nights spent out socializing and enjoying the atmosphere. There are also comprehensive services for laundry, room service, and even free parking if needed.
Gay Hotel Map Of Istanbul
Feeling a bit lost while planning your journey to Istanbul? No worries, darling! Our detailed LGBTQ+ tailored map is here to guide you. We’ve pinpointed all the vibrant gay-friendly bars, exhilarating clubs, extravagant parties, cozy hotels, relaxing saunas, and soothing massage parlors to ensure you find the perfect spot.
And these aren’t just any spots; we’re talking about the creme de la creme of locations in the heart of the city’s vibrant gay scene. Think panoramic views, easy access to nightlife, and all the amenities to make your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
But hold on to your feather boas! These hot spots are so fabulous they vanish quicker than a drag queen’s five o’clock shadow. Don’t delay; book now to secure the best deals and locations. Remember, the early bird catches the best deals in Istanbul! So, pack your rainbow flag, and get ready to experience the ultimate gay-friendly holiday in Istanbul.
