Wheeee! Just booked tickets for a spring trip to Germany and Prague. Tomorrow morning, I plan to hit the Web and the guidebooks and nail down some accommodation.

<<<drum roll>>>

But I'm also -- for the first time ever -- asking for Fodorite favorites.

Here's the deal: We generally stay at the low end of the hotel scale: 2 stars is right in our wheelhouse, although we've snagged some fours and stayed in some ones. B&Bs are some of our favorite places.

Necessary:
Private bathroom.
Reasonably clean (I have no bedspread or carpet phobias .
LOCATION. We want to be in or near historic city centers, or at least in attractive neighborhoods.
Good access to public transportation (we like subways/trams/etc. better than taxis)
Coffee in the morning, on-site or (please God) on the same block.

Great if we can get it:
Beautiful old building.
Breakfast on site.
A view.
Water pressure in the shower (Yes, our last trip was to Italy...)

Wasted on us:
TV
Telephone in room.
Parking.
Quiet.
Concierge.
On-site dining for lunch/dinner.
Pool.
Spa, etc....

We loved the Hotel Torbrau in Munich (it has all the things you wanted --except I'm not so sure about the view-- and some you don't care about). Service and breakfast were excellent and it's on both the U Bahn and S Bahn lines... easy to get to from train/airport and you can walk to many attractions including Marienplatz, Viktulienmarkt, Deutsches Museum, etc.
Web site: http://www.torbraeu.de/index.php?lan...8dce21b843daa9

See the reviews on TripAdvisor here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...h_Bavaria.html (DO ask them about the construction mentioned in one review from this fall)..

Also, you can check out the BW Hotel Boulevard for Berlin...Not luxurious, but many positives: reasonable rates, location is VERY convenient, near ZOO U Bahn stop, walk to to shopping, zoo, Europa Center, etc; a "view" from the breakfast terrace and a good breakfast. We did have a little trouble finding it --it's on the 6th floor of a large building, not a standalone hotel, and the building is nothing to write home about. Web site here: http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwest...ertyCode=95171

TripAdvisor reviews: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...rd-Berlin.html

In Nov. 2005 we stayed at the Cloister Inn in Prague. www.cloister-inn.com. It is 3 star and in the Old Town area - walking distance to everything except the castle area. I recommend it highly - figure out if the price suits you. 25 czech crowns =US$1, I believe. Good luck.

Thanks for the tips.

I just sent Barnes & Noble stock up about 10 cents a share with my guidebook purchases, so I'm deep into the planning now.

Anyone else like to weigh in with a gem?

We stayed at the Pension Dietzenhoffer in Prague in 1997. It was one of our all-time favorite hotels. It was under a $100/night (maybe $80), charming, very clean, and in a great location in Mala Strana.

For Prague, we enjoyed the Hotal Casa Marcello, in a quiet area in the old Jewish section. Walkable to everything except the castle.

I agree with a previous poster that the Cloister Inn in Prague is a good hotel in a great location. Free internet access in the lobby is a nice touch. We did not find that it was too far to walk anywhere, including the castle area.

check out the Apollo Hotel in Munich...great breakfast, nearby train station, clean, reasonable price, super staff and service. english spoken. good luck..jfm.

Our favorite hotel in Munich is the Drei Lowen. It is close to the train station and therefore close to Karlstor (Staccus) which is the beginning of thw fussganger zonen that side of the altstadt.