Esans Hotel

The traditional 19th-century wooden building housing Esans Hotel is over 100 years old and was once the workshop and home of perfumer Hassan Ahmet, who was born here and continued his father's and grandfather's perfume business. In 2013, the building was converted into a hotel, and its name (which means "essence") is a nod to the former perfume workshop. This perfume theme runs through the hotel, with rooms named after the scents that were once created here. 

Passing through the front door, visitors descend a few steps into the lobby, a low-ceilinged room with a seating area of richly upholstered Empire-style armchairs, Turkish kilim rugs, and several oil paintings on the walls. Guests are received at a white reception desk, behind which a row of old-fashioned perfume bottles is displayed. This hotel is popular with leisure travelers, most of whom are traveling as couples.

Esans Hotel is located on a quiet street in Istanbul's charming Sultanahmet district, just a few minutes' walk away from the famous Topkapi Palace. There are many other small hotels in the same area, as well as restaurants, cafes, and shops catering to tourists.

• Five-minute walk to Topkapi Palace Museum
• Seven-minute walk to Basilica Cistern
• Eight-minute walk to Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque)
• 10-minute walk to Hagia Sophia
• 10-minute walk to Istanbul Archaeology Museum
• Nine-minute drive to Galata Bridge
• 13-minute drive to Istanbul Museum of Modern Art
• 14-minute drive to Galata Tower
• 14-minute drive to the Grand Bazaar
• 16-minute drive to Istiklal pedestrian street
• 17-minute drive to Taksim Square
• 31-minute drive to Ataturk International Airport 

Each of the eight guest rooms at Esans Hotel is named after a scent; examples include Sultan Essence, Harem Essence, and Dervish Essence. Rooms can be lightly perfumed with these scents on request. The floors and ceilings are covered in hardwood, and the interiors are decorated in a showy Ottoman style. Walls have patterned wallpaper and richly patterned fabrics are used for the curtains, pillows, bed runners, and armchairs, while several Oriental rugs cover the floors. Each room has a different color palette -- think turquoise and gray or scarlet and gray -- complemented by white furniture. While rooms are reasonably spacious, most of the attached bathrooms are tiny, with cramped shower cabins, and rectangular vessel sinks. In-room amenities include air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, minibars (stocked with mineral water, soft drinks, local beer, and chocolate bars), safes, and electric kettles with tea and coffee packets. 

There are few extra features on offer at the upper-middle-range Esans Hotel. A large and generous breakfast buffet is included in the room rate and has fresh juices, tea, and coffee on offer as well as traditional Turkish breakfast foods including yogurt, olives, fruit, bread, cheese, and honey. Hot dishes such as fried eggs and French toast are also served. The breakfast service takes place in the rooftop breakfast room, which is glassed in on all sides, offering scenic panoramic views over the city rooftops, the Bosphorus, and the Hagia Sophia. There are also a few tables on the outdoor terrace. International calls to the U.S., Canada, and many European countries are free from the lobby, while Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. Laundry and airport transfers are available for a fee.