Sari Konak Oteli by Tom Brosnahan

The Sari Konak Oteli ('Yellow Mansion') is a fine, comfortable, moderately-priced small Ottoman-style inn on a relatively quiet street less than five minutes' walk from the Blue Mosque and Hippodrome.

Best of all, it's run by one of the friendliest families in Istanbul, making it a good choice for female travelers, single or traveling with others.

The materfamilias of the Okan family supervised the decoration of the guest rooms. Their muted tones and understated patterns add to the quiet comfort of the rooms.

The public rooms are pleasantly uncluttered and decorated tastefully with Ottoman antiques and Turkish crafts.

For a small inn with only 28 rooms on three floors, it's a welcome surprise that the Sari Konak has a lift (elevator)!

Mr Hakan Okan, who oversees the hotel most days, was a tour guide, so he knows what it's like to travel like a tourist in Turkey.

"I wanted to make a hotel that was better than all the ones I stayed in," he says. "So we included all the normal comforts and conveniences such as TV and air conditioning, but we also installed double-glazed windows for quiet. The little refrigerators in the rooms are not filled with overpriced drinks. You can fill them with whatever you like, or order drinks from the lounge bar."

When it was still Constantinople, this part of the city was covered by the Byzantine Great Palace. The Okans discovered part of a wall from the palace behind the hotel, preserved it, and made it the backdrop for their small open-air garden terrace. With its tinkling marble fountain, it's a great place for a quiet breakfast (the only meal served) or contemplative afternoon cup of tea or a drink.

If you're feeling expansive, ascend to the roof terrace, from which there are fine views of the Sea of Marmara and the minarets of the Blue Mosque.

Walk up the gentle slope of Mimar Mehmet Aga Caddesi from the Sari Konak for a few minutes and you're right in Sultanahmet, the sightseeing center of Old Istanbul.

All in all, one of the best hotel choices in the district--indeed, in the whole city.