Any opinions on Motel One am Zwinger versus Holiday Inn Express? Both locations look good on the map, with HIE being a little closer to the train station. I welcome hearing relevant info. Thanks!

I think the Zinger location looks a bit closer to the old town, and the other one is near a more modern shopping area (which we also visited). Both very easy walking to sites. Hopefully Ingo will see your post and respond.

Enjoy your trip! We loved Dresden.

There's a lot of construction going on around the Motel One and the Postplatz square in general at the moment. On the other hand, on the backside of the Holiday Inn Express is also a construction site right now ...

If you plan to walk from the train station to the hotel and back, then the Holiday Inn Express definitely has the better location. Yes, the Motel One is a bit closer to the major sights (Zwinger, Royal Palace, but not Frauenkirche).

Otherwise there's not much of a difference.

Thank you! Yes, I will be walking, so I think I'll opt for the Holiday Inn, or maybe look at another hotel in that general area. It's for mid September. I did see the construction on Google Maps but was hoping the pictures were old.

Another quick question, does the Dresden Karstadt have breakfast items or should I just find a bakery/konditorei?

The Karstadt opens at 9.30, a bit late for breakfast - but yes, on the uppermost floor they even offer breakfast in a self-service restaurant. The grocery downstairs has all sorts of food, also breakfast items.

There's a bakery at Seestraße, just around the corner from the HOliday Inn Express. Other options are in the quarter behind the Kreuzkirche, called "Weisse Gasse". If you walk to Pirnaischer Platz (5 min), there's bakery Krause at the tram stop, very good choice for breakfast or just coffee and some sweets in the afternoon.

I stay at the boat hotel Schiffsherberge Pöppelmann

Thank you, Travlsolo for asking this question and to all the others who responded.

I have been following along because after a few false starts we are now committed to several nights in Dresden in June of <B>next year</B>. We already have opera tickets which arrived by mail this week so I am trying to carefully decide which hotel to use and these comments have been helpful.

@Dukey: check out the Dresden Hilton and the Steigenberger. Both are near the Frauenkirche and an easy walk to Semperoper.

What are you going to see?

Interesting, very unusual place to stay, Bilbo. Good choice from what I've heard.

Dukey - that's soooo far in the future

For everyone interested - the Swissotel is now a Hyperion hotel. Don't know yet what changes this means. Also, I must recommend against the Taschenbergpalais. Had a guided tour a while ago and was really shocked about the rooms, which were partially in urgent need of renovation. I'd usually say two thumbs up for the Steigenberger, but unfortunately it will be surrounded by construction sites until (probably) end of next year. So the Hilton sounds like the better choice at the moment.

We are seeing Don Giovanni. After several nights in Dresden we will return to Berlin for five nights and at least three opera (Deutsche Oper) performances there, also (I've already gotten those tickets, too). I am waiting to see what is going to be on at the Staats IF it ever gets itself back into the renovated house (I saw one performance there pre-renovation and would love to return).

We've seen performances in the Schiller in the past

I've looked at the Hilton which I am inclined to use for a number of reasons.

The boat hotel is interesting but I prefer my own bath.

The DON GIOVANNI cast is pretty good, the production is trivial - at least no Euro trash.

The official re-opening of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden is on 3 Oct (National Holiday), but after 5 days they will close again to do the rest of the works. The real re-opening is scheduled for 7 December. There's always hope ... ;-)

Yeah, I've been hoping and hoping and one of the things I am also hoping for is English surtitles.

Thank you, Ingo, for the bakery location info. I like Karstadt's food, but 9:30 is a little late.