Esfahan, July 15-17

Iran Hotel, room 216

This was recommended by the management at Firouzeh Hotel in Tehran, and although more expensive than we would have liked, was a very good option. The room was very clean, and fresh towels were provided on the third day we stayed. Breakfast was included in the price. Management here are very helpful, speak excellent english and can offer plenty of information on everything from visa extensions to catching buses.

Bathroom: Private, with western toilet
View: Rooftops, mountains and side alley
Cost: 290,000R
Recommended? Yes, definitely, a very good mid-range option.

Kashan, July 13-14

Ehsan Traditional House, room 5

Ehsan Traditional House, room 5

One of the old houses of Esfahan, up an alleyway opposite the road leading to the mosque south of Kamal al Molk square. Our room was generously sized, clean, and had a fridge. It opened onto the courtyard, although was west-facing to the afternoon sun. Like most of Iran, Kashan suffers regular power cuts – be warned this can be a big problem in the city in summer as air-conditioning is vital. In this hotel our room got very hot at the end of the day. This place was only opened within the last 2 years so was not listed in our Lonely Planet book, but should be in the new one published July 2008, so is likely to become more popular. Booking ahead would be wise. Staff are very helpful and friendly. A taxi to the bus station from here cost 15,000R booked ahead by phone.
Bathroom: Shared, very clean.
View: Courtyard Cost: 250,000R (approx 18 euros)
Recommended: Definitely
Address: off Fazel-e Navaji St, Town Centre

Tehran July 9-12

Firouzeh Hotel, room 208

Mr Mousavi, the manager, is the main reason to head for this downtown hotel, handy for the bazaar and downtown attractions. He's ridiculously helpful and works exceptionally hard to help tourists enjoy their stay. (He can also suggest and order delicious delivery food.)
Bathroom: private shower, but shared squat toilets in the corridor. These were generally clean and not too smelly.
View: Streetscape
Cost: 240,000R (approx 18 euros), including breakfast
Recommended? Absolutely
Contact details: http://www.firouzehotel.com/ Address: Dolat Abadi Alley, Amir Kabir St. Ph +98 21 3322 3508 email: info@firouzehhotel.com

Tabriz - Tehran overnight train, July 8

Carriage 6, berths 17 and 18
This was a comfortable and good value overnight trip, with the price of the train including dinner, along with cake and juice for breakfast. Pic shown is of the Tabriz station.
Bathroom: the usual grin and bear it overnight train deal – reasonably horrific by the morning
View: Varied
Cost: 300,000R for two
Recommended? Yes. More expensive, but vastly superior to an overnight bus for comfort.

Tabriz, July 6-7

Azerbayjan Hotel, room 302

In the mid-range hotel category, this hotel is clean, spacious and well-located not far from the bazaar and main sights. Our room was wallpapered in a recycled-type paper wall to ceiling. Towels and sheets are provided still individually sealed in their plastic from the cleaners. Rooms are double-glazed to keep out the street noise. Our room had a big fridge in the room so you can store fruit and stuff to make your own breakfast.
Bathroom: private, with 2 toilets, 2 Western, 1 squat
View: main street
Cost: 300,000R (approx 21 euros)
Recommended? Yes, more expensive than we would have liked but well-located and felt very safe.
Contact details: Located on Sharia'ti St

Maku, July 5

Hotel Alvand, room 8
This centrally-located hotel offers basic but clean rooms with comfy beds and a washbasin in the room. Shower and squat toilets are shared, located in the corridor. The mostly friendly management has a strange policy of leaving the shared shower locked unless you ask to use it. Bring your own towel.
Bathroom: shared, but clean, with a surprisingly good shower.
View: Main street (quite noisy room actually)
Cost: 100,000 R (Approx 7 euros)
Recommended? Great for the budget, although lone women travellers might find this a bit spooky.
Contact details: Tel: 04623223491

Dogubayzit, Turkey, July 3-4

Tahran Hotel, room 301
Having fended off the touts near the bus station, we ended up at this gem of a hotel, which has comfy beds, ok, if quite lumpy pillows, views of Mt Ararat from some rooms and a great enclosed rooftop space where you can buy your last beer before the Iranian border. Unfortunately our room was quite noisy due to its location by the stairwell, but it's nothing a good set of earplugs won't fix. Management is extremely helpful and friendly and there is wireless available downstairs and free internet too. The breakfast room doubles as a chill out room and has a cracking view of the mountains. A really refreshing place to spend our last nights in Turkey.
Bathroom: private, although drains were a bit smelly
View: Mt Ararat (this wins best view of all the places we've stayed in Turkey)
Cost: 36 YTL including an average breakfast
Recommended: Yes, absolutely

Van, Turkey, July 2

Aslan Hotel, room 305
Here the manager speaks good English, and offers all kinds of services, including help with booking tickets for the train to Iran. However, rooms are in dire need of a freshen up, with peeling paint and rickety-looking power points that make you think twice about plugging anything in. Pillows are like big rocks and our bathroom was pongy, as were the shared ones in the hall. The shower is completely hand-held with no possibility to stand under it.
Bathroom: private
View: Street and local music hall (noisy until midnight)
Cost: 25 YTL (ok, why whinge, really, at this price)
Recommended? Yes, if budget means more than comfort

Tatvan, Turkey, July 1

Ustun hotel, room 206
Decent little hotel in a town with very few options. Our room had definitely seen better days, with peeling paint and old carpet, however there was a peep of the lake and the bathroom was clean. Beds were mind-bogglingly hard - feels a bit like you are doing penance for a mid-range crime, while the colour scheme was in lurid technicolour. On the positive side, management are very friendly and a good breakfast is included in the rate. If you ask, they can arrange trips up to Mt Nemrut (we were quoted 20 YTL per person). This hotel would also be a good option for female travellers.
Bathroom: private
View: lake and streetscape
Cost: 40 YT
Recommended: Yes, seems to be the best of the bunch.
Contact: Address: 23 Hal Caddesi, ph 0434 827 90 14

Diyabakir, Turkey, June 29-30

Hotel Kristal (entered via Hotel Kaplan), room 508

Again, slightly more expensive than we would have liked, but this room had a couple of useful extras that clinched the deal. There was a fridge with a mini freezer, and a proper deep bath. Bliss. The beds were comfy enough, and the air-con, although not quite gutsy enough for our liking, did the job. There was wireless access in the room.
Bathroom: Private
View: rooftop
Cost: 45 YTL including an ok breakfast
Recommended? Yes, definitely

Sanliurfa (Urfa), Turkey, June 27-28

Hotel Baykan, room 304
A day of tiresome travel meant we were reluctant to pound the streets in search of an alternative to this hotel, so we may have paid slightly more than we should have. We saw three rooms before we decided to stay here – many at the back are very dark and overlook an internal lightwell. The front ones are lighter (and noisier) but get very hot in the afternoon, but who cares about that when you have air-conditioning, which, if you stay here in summer, is an absolute must. Wireless in room.
Bathroom: Private (spacious and very clean)
View: Hot dusty town
Cost: 45 YTL including a very average breakfast
Recommended: Yes

Mt Nemrut, Turkey, June 26

Gunes Hotel, room 6

Ah, the Gunes Hotel, 'a romantic night on Nemrut mountain' as the brochure says. This hotel is the one used by the Malatya tourist office for their tours to Mt Nemrut (80 YTL pp inc dinner, bed and breakfast). The hotel itself is pretty basic, but who cares when all you're really here for is the trip up Nemrut to see the big stone heads. Dinner is included in the cost, and is basic kebab fare, with fruit for afters. Spend some time chatting with Mehmet who runs things here; it sounds like he goes a bit stir crazy all the way up here with no one to talk to most of the day.
Bathroom: private; clean but a bit pongy
View: Mt Nemrut
Cost: Included in the tour cost of 80 YTL
Recommended: Yes, definitely

Malatya, Turkey, June 25

Pelihaven Hotel, Room 406

This super-cheapie is in the road that runs parallel to Ataturk Caddesi, and is very close to 2 mosques, meaning this might not be a good option for light sleepers. Other than that, it's a good budget choice, with quite clean rooms, small en-suite bathrooms (curtain for a door), and friendly management who obviously don't have many tourists staying. Single female travellers might find this a little male-dominated, however. No internet access.
Bathroom: private
View: Rooftop and fences
Cost: 30 YTL
Recommended? Yes

Ankara – Malatya, overnight bus, June 24

VIP Malatyalilar, seats 15 and 16

Regular buses leave for Malatya from Ankara's otogar, with prices ranging between 17.50 and 20 YTL per person. The trip takes 10 hours, so we chose the 21:30 service, which arrived in Malatya at 7:15am. The bus was clean, comfy, and with a little help from earplugs and eye masks, we managed to get a surprisingly decent amount of sleep.
Bathroom: No loo on bus; regular loo stops though.
View: Variable (great scenery on the way in to Malatya in the morning).
Cost: 40 YTL
Recommended? Yes; as overnight bus trips go, this wasn't too bad.

Ankara, Turkey, June 22-23

Hotel Devran, room 246

We stayed in Ankara 2 nights to apply for an Iranian visa (we already had a code; got our visa one day later, despite the embassy not having received the code). This hotel is one of the many cheapies accessible from Ulus metro station, and offers good value for money. Pink is a popular interior decoration colour here, as you can see. The room was clean, reasonably spacious, and had a clean, good-sized private bathroom. It got late afternoon sun, which made it a bit of a sweatbox, but with the window open it cooled down quickly, and besides, we appreciated the heat from the sun for drying our handwashing. Management were friendly, although reluctant to discount. Wireless is available in common areas, although not in rooms, it appears. No breakfast was provided, but the restaurant under the hotel does a cheap Turkish breakfast (this is also a good option for a cheap dinner – their lentil soup was one of the best we had in Turkey).
Bathroom: private. Good shower.
View: Cityscape
Cost: 40 YTL
Recommended: Highly
Contact details: Opera Meydani, Gazi Lisesi Karsisi, Ph: 0312 311 04 85

Goreme, Turkey, June 19-21

Kose Pension, Room 7, 18

Most of the pensions in Goreme charge a standard 50 YTL, sometimes including breakfast. Kose Pension charges 30 per person, which we unfortunately misread as 30 per room. So after 2 nights here we panicked and changed to a cheaper room with shared bathroom. So overall, not great value compared to some of the others in Goreme, although Dawn Kose is extremely helpful and has thought of every service the independent traveller needs. The pool is the perfect antidote to hot afternoons, there's a bookswap scheme and of course, there's wireless. Another thing we really liked: Breakfasts are fairly priced, as are snacks, dinners and alcohol. The first picture is of the en-suite room, the second of the rooftop hut.
Bathroom: Private (room 7), shared (room 18)
View: Streetscape (room 7), fairy chimneys (rooftop room 18)
Cost: 60 YTL (room 7), 40 YTL (room 18)
Recommended: Yes, particularly the cheaper rooftop room with shared bathroom.
Contact details: dawn@kosepension.com tel: (0304) 271 2294 Goreme village, Nevsehir.

Avanos, Turkey 16-18

Sofa Hotel, room Melburn Wow, we really got lucky with this one, a gorgeous atmospheric hotel created from several old houses. We got a lift from Konya with a couple of kind fellow travellers, Arian and Bep, and thought we'd copy their lead and stay in Avanos before heading to Goreme. There are two tiers of rooms here: one with fridges, baths and private tea/coffee making facilities; the others with more basic rooms. All are tastefully decorated with well-chosen carpets, kilims and local crafts, and connected via shady squares and terraces. We balked at the first suggested (discounted) price of 60 YTL for the more basic room, but then it came down to 50, which in hindsight was a genuine bargain. Two weeks after staying there, it remains the best place we've stayed in Turkey. There's wireless access in some areas, but there was none in our room. Note: At peak times, you might need to book in advance here.
Bathroom: private (which smelt a bit the first day, which is why we balked at the first price, then fine after that).
View: Courtyard and distant mountains
Cost: 50 YTL inc buffet breakast
Recommended: Yes, without a doubt.
Contact details: http://www.sofa-hotel.com/ tel: 0384 511 51 86

Konya, June 14-15

Hotel Ulusan, room 243 So much for Konya having 'a poor selection of budget hotels' (our LP guidebook). This is a great choice for budget travellers, as long as you don't mind sharing a bathroom. Rooms were very clean, although with an unusually large number of ashtrays per room (our double room had 4). The management were very helpful, telling us of a free dervish dancing practice taking place the evening we arrived. Breakfast was included in the price; this was a toasted sandwich and a dairy pudding, which was a nice change from standard Turkish breakfasts. There's wireless access as well as computers provided for guests' use.
View: Streetscape
Bathroom: Shared, but very, very clean
Cost: 50 YTL, inc breakfast
Recommended: Yes, highly
Contact details: http://www.ulusanhotel.sitemynet.com/ Alaaddin Cd Carsi (behind the PTT)
Tel: 0332 351 50 04

Egirdir, June 11-13

Ali's pension, 2nd floor room 5

A bit of a hike from the otogar, this pension was a drop in value for money from Pammukule, but pension prices on the island are not negotiable – here you take what you get. However, once again, it's the pension owners who lifted the stay from ordinary to excellent. Birsen and her family are very hospitable and friendly, and run their place with good humour. Tasty homemade dinners are offered at reasonable prices. We had a room with a small view of the lake; it was clean and simple, although felt a little cramped (triple room with awkward layout). There is wireless access.
View: Road and lake
Bathroom: Private, basically a wet room because the shower went everywhere. The toilet seat was padded for extra luxury (slightly disconcerting on the first 'sit-down').
Cost: 50 YTL inc breakfast
Recommended: Yes
Contact details: email: mailto:alispension@hotmail.comTel: 0246 311 2547

Pamukkule, June 8 – 10

Melrose Allgau Hotel/Pension, room 55
Booked into the pension here and got upgraded to the hotel, which is probably one reason we decided to hang around for 3 nights. For the price, this was exceptional value. Our room was big and spotless; we had a private bathroom with a bath, and a balcony too. Mehmet and Umma are incredibly friendly, and Umma is a great cook – we couldn't resist eating here every night. For those travelling with a laptop, you'll get wireless in some areas. Ask here about trips to Afrodisias, a very worthwhile day trip for 30 YTL pp.
Bathroom: private
View: Grounds
Cost: 22 YTL (this is the price for the pension room; breakfast was an extra 9 each). Or guarantee a hotel room inc breakfast for 44 YTL
Recommended: Yes, very highly

Selcuk, Turkey, June 7

Homeros Pension, room 8
Dervis, the owner of this pension, is a carpenter whose over-enthusiastic attitude to decoration has unfortunately left the rooms looking a little bit confused. Our room had all sorts of decorative elements clamouring for attention, however, it was very clean. (Might be worth viewing more than one room too as some rooms are better than others.) Dervis offers a free ride to Ephesus and is very helpful generally. The breakfast included plenty of fruit; other than that it was standard Turkish fare. There's wireless access in some areas.
Bathroom: Private (door was a curtain)
View: Rooftops
Cost:50 YTL including breakfast
Recommended? Yes, although we couldn't help feeling that we've had better value for money elsewhere.
Contact details: www.homerospension.com homeros_turkey@hotmail.com
Tel: 0090 (232) 892 3995