The death toll has risen during the day.
Unfortunately, the number of fatalities is now 76, says Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on Tuesday evening.
About 50 of them have been identified.
The fire broke out in the hotel's restaurant in the night towards Tuesday. It wasn't until ten hours later that it was under control, reports the state news agency Anatolia.
This hurts us deeply, said Yerlikaya after visiting the hotel.
More than 50 people are reported to have been injured. For at least one of them, the situation is critical, according to Turkish authorities.
Four people have been arrested, says Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc - including the hotel owner.
Laid out mattresses
234 guests were staying at the 12-story hotel when the fire broke out. According to local authorities, at least two died when they panicked and jumped from the building. Others were seen tying together sheets and blankets to try to lower themselves from the windows.
People on the upper floors were screaming. They were hanging out sheets, some tried to jump, says a hotel guest who managed to get out in time to AP.
Eye witness Ali Atmaca tells Anatolia that he and others pulled out mattresses and laid them under the windows in an attempt to save those who jumped. In many cases, it was in vain.
I don't know how much good we did. People died before our eyes, he says.
Erdogan regrets
A ski instructor says he was sleeping when the fire broke out. He managed to help about 20 guests and himself escape from the hotel, he tells the privately owned TV channel NTV.
I haven't been able to find any of my students. I hope they're okay.
It is unclear what caused the fire, which occurred during a school holiday when hotels in the area are generally fully booked. Kartalkaya, about 30 miles east of Istanbul, is a popular ski resort located in the Köroglu mountain range.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regrets the incident in a statement and sends condolences to those affected, reports Anatolia.
