Just a quick request. We are looking for an inexpensive hotel in Lucerne close to the main train station for a one-night stay that has 2 triple rooms. By inexpensive I mean about 200 CHF or less a night per room. Nothing fancy -- just clean and cozy. Thanks!

That might be tough since the train station is right in the center on the water and a good location. We stayed about a block off the water and 1 1/2 blocks from the train station. It might be out of your price range, but you could check. I would ask for quiet rooms since they have a lively bar area.
http://www.schiller-luzern.ch/englis...html/index.htm

I bookmarked this one years ago. It might work for you, but is a couple of more blocks away.
http://www.goldener-stern.ch/hotel_e.htm

You might try the Hotel Alpina. Good for one night, very near the train station.

It has been several years since I stayed here, but I remember it being a nice hotel. www.hotel-waldstaetterhof.ch It is located on the street that runs on the side of the station.

I also think it will be difficult to find what you want as that is a desirable location and I would guess 300 CHF plus would be the possible range for that (a triple). So you might have to trade cheap hotel for being near the station and pay for a taxi or something. Also, finding two triples may be difficult if you find a hotel at that rate.

The Hotel Falken has triples around 220 CHF, but it's across the river: www.hotel-falken.ch

We stayed here a few years ago. Excellent location; very close to the train station and on the lake. Might be cheaper to take one single and one double room than a triple. www.desalpes-luzern.ch

Or, not directly on the lake, is this one. I took a tour of it and it seemed very clean, not to mention interesting (former jail). Very affordable. www.jailhotel.ch

Thank you to everyone who offered suggestions. I am waiting to hear from Hotel Falken. It seems close enough to the train station, even though it is across the river. The other suggestions were either beyond our budget or did not have rooms. We're arriving in Lucerne in the late afternoon and then taking an early train the next morning to Zurich for our flight home. Again, thanks.

Don't be concerned about hotels "across the river." The river is right outside the train station. The walk across the river to our hotel was no more than 5 minutes. Lucerne is quite small.