ISTANBUL

I have some experience with hotels in Istanbul, and when a character hotel was promised it was either too old and run down (including old towels and sheets and smelly and very small showers that don't work properly and small rooms where you can hardly walk around the double bed), or incredibly expensive. I stayed several times at a hotel called Gizeh in Taxim square, price used to be ok and not too expensive and it was run by locals, clean, etc. I don't know what it is like now but if I was in your situation I would look for it and see the Trip Advisor reviews.