This is a wonderful old-school hotel in a lovely, quiet, convenient part of Sultanahmet.
The staff were all professional, attentive and competent. Special standouts included Errol and Eileen in the dining room. They were absolutely amazing, remembered our names and all our likes and dislikes, right down to how many sugars etc. They were also wonderfully friendly and personable, and their always happy greetings at the end of a long day sight-seeing etc really made us feel like the Arena was our home.
Special thanks too to Mr Sezar and Mr Sarkan, the hard-working young men who helped us and our bags (!) into and out of our rooms, cars and taxis and were always cheerful and pleasant. And to the unobtrusive domestic staff, who kept our rooms and the hotel so spotlessly clean.
We did notice the plumbing (and bathroom generally) could do with some attention. The hot water pressure was low and the drains were slow to empty. Not a big deal for us, but typically important things for travellers. A strong, hot shower or bath at the end of the day is a real treat, and can make-or-break a guest's perception of a hotel. Also the bathtub (in which you stand to shower) is very high in relation to the floor, and tricky to get into and out of safely.
To be clear though, those minor issues were absolutely outweighed by the wonderful staff and the lovely home-like uniqueness of the Arena. We recommend, and will stay there next time if we can.