Place to stay in Turkey

taksim is a little far from the old city and the bazzars. it's about 30 walk up the hill then cross the bridge to the old city. you can consider to find a place on the old city side but close to the tram, then it's pretty easy to ride it up the hill to taksim. take a look at the old city viva on trip adviser. the last time i stayed there i always walk to taksim. if you're relatively fit then it's not a hard walk up.

The Taksim area is more business focused with several large chain hotels. The Hilton is nice. Some others may have recommendations if you're looking for smaller or more unique hotels. Good luck.

We stayed at the Peradays. It's an old house converted into a 9 room hotel. We had a great stay, and especially enjoyed the warmth and hospitality. It's just off Istiklal Caddesi, an easy walk from Taksim Square. Where exactly are your friends? "Taksim area" can mean lots of places, and some could be far from where a recommended hotel might be.

Second for Old City Viva...good area for sightseeing and reasonable rates. Nothing fancy, but great breakfast.

The Hyatt Regency in Taksim is great - loved it. Since I don't know what your budget is I am not sure how meaningful this response is to you.