The Hotels in Taksim area (Kocatepe) are best suited for foreigners. This is the centre and there are also many bars and restaurants to visit in the evening. That is also where you arrive from the airport by shuttle bus (Havas). Hotels vary from 1 to 5 stars. Check in booking.com and also on Google map. November is not a high season and you may find a 3-4 star hotel for around 70-80 Francs per night.

Josef

If you like retro/belle époque style, try Büyük Londra Hôtel, very conveniently located near Tunnel area, close to Istiklal Caddesi, the heart of the European city. Standard rooms are $60, but they also have small cheaper rooms.

It has become quite famous since it has been pictured in two movies of the German of Turkish origin director Fatih Akin (Head-On and On the Edge of Heaven).

http://www.londrahotel.net/

Hello,

You can check this webpage,owner is a friend of mine and i used to live at the same building. Hope it will help you.

Cheers,

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/638542

I am 100%  Enmglish - do not speak Turkish but for me any hotel in Sultanahmet.It is the only place for short visits

There is one word I understand in Turkish

yabanci

To avoid being spotted as such always buy a Turkish newspaper and carry it visibly.

It really works 

Thank you sooo much!  and have a great day.

Further to my post above. I have walked the same route on consecutive days. Once with a local newspaper and once without. Without I was 'invited' into numerous carpet shops and on the following day with the paper nobody gave me a second glance

Re hotels. I pedrsonally do not mind where I stay in my chosen district. Istanbul is my favourite city and the hotel is not the most important.

Only once did I not like the hotel and I (or rather my wife) persuaded the owner that it was not value for money and we left afdter the first night (having found an alternative first).

Turks are realists and there was no problem. The hotel owner was not happy (as can only be expected) but the parting was 'correct' on both sides.

The other problem is that ownership changes often and was a good hotel one year can be worse (or better) the next time you visit.

If money is no object then the 4 seasons in the converted prison is one of the best in Sultanahmet.  GFor history (Agatha Christie) it is the Pera Palace but no odea what that is like now. If it has been refurbished then the historical aspect has disappeared

For cheap accomodation the internet ebooker, expedia, tripadvisor are the best. 

I stayed at the Ciragan Palace which was incredible and had the most impressive breakfast buffet I have ever seen (including help yourself champagne!) but it was very pricey and out of the way.

We went into the Kybele hotel for a drink and that looked unique - every bit of ceiling had a turkish light installed.  And if you get in with the owner 'Turkish Mike' you may get an invite to his den which was quite an experience!  But if you're running the marathon then probably not the best preparation ;)

Enjoy Istanbul - I loved it.  And if you are running, good luck.

If you are running and are wanting to jog, then Sultanahemet is better placed than Taksim - you can drop down the the seafront.

But also will be better to be near the start of the marathon