With the same owner (Huseyin, an Alevi Kurd hailing from the mountainous Anatolian region of Tunceli) as the Hanedan on the opposite side of the street, the Peninsula more or less duplicates its sister hotel's friendly, value-for-money approach. Most of its plain but more than serviceable rooms are a little more spacious and airy, so it's perhaps worth trying here first and keeping the Hanedan as an excellent back-up if it's full. The views from the roof terrace are a touch more impressive than the Hanedan, too, with the island-  dotted Sea of Marmara to the south, the time-worn walls of the Topkapi Palace complex to the east and, beyond them across the mouth of Bosphorus, the Asian shoreline. The Hagia Sophia looms massively to the northeast and the domes and bristling minarets of the Blue Mosque block the horizon to the west. Room 401 is the only one with a sea view, though as it's on the top floor, it may get a tad stuffy in the hottest months of July and August. One guest I spoke to was very happy with the room her family was allocated, but not so keen on the confusing internet booking form.