Refreshingly distant from the mass of tourist hotels on the far side of Sultanahmet Meydan, yet right at the heart of the historic core of the Old City, the small and intimate Nomade is ideally located close to major sights and the best local restaurants. Guests can escape rooms that are a little on the small side to sit in the pleasant downstairs lobby/reading/computer area or linger over Turkish coffee or a cocktail on the superb roof terrace, with its grand views over the nearby Hagia Sophia. The roof bar is all dark wood and Ottoman prints, the terrace adjoining it adorned with pretty black-and- white checked tiles and potted plants.

The impressive buffet breakfast is laid out here too, giving guests a bird's-eye view of many of the sights they'll visit over the coming days. Rooms in this converted late 19th-century townhouse have laminate wood floors, neutral walls, and white-painted furniture that hasn't weathered the inevitable wear and tear as well as it might have, but are still far more stylish than the average Sultanahmet hotel room (the twin sisters who own the place were both educated in France). Bathrooms are on the small side, too, with no bathtubs, but the fittings are of good quality. Rooms facing the narrow pedestrian alley on which the hotel is situated may be a little noisy, as it's lined with tourist-friendly cafés and restaurants, all with outside tables—be warned. But Nomade has a character few Sultanahmet hotels offer, low-season prices are particularly appealing, and the location is just about perfect.