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ROME
"Welcome Residences" http://www.welcomeresidences.com

Saw positive comments on the Thorntree (Lonely Planet's travel forum) about the above place. Per their website, accommadations look simple & basic, but for the good price & location (on Via Nazionale, close to Piazza della Repubblica), it appears decent.

It's actually a two star, but we once stayed at Hotel Studia on the left bank (51, blvd St Germain) after our room at La Familia had plumbing problems upon check-in.

We were quite happy with it for a simple, clean place to lay our head at night. We did so much sightseing that we were only there to bathe and sleep. The ensuite bathroom being very roomy and large was a definite plus!

In 1999 we paid about $70 per day for a double with breakfast, and the staff was very friendly and helpful as well!

I think this thread would be of interest if it kept to the original, limited focus -- actual very good 1* hotels. The stars do mean something, and that was the impetus of this post -- as some posters have said they have found officially-rated 1* hotels that were superior in style and comfort to a 3* hotel. I think we would like to know of such places, although I know a lot of that can just be subjective as to what one person thinks great or acceptable or doesn't care about.

Adding in nice 2* hotels or hotels that are considered budget or cheap just makes this a thread of a jumble of pieces of information. I suppose you can find a 2* hotel that is more expensive than a 3* due to location, but that is beside the point.

I think B&Bs are another issue entirely, as they range from very modest, cheap places, to very deluxe places. No stars are not really the same thing either, as that usually means the place has not submitted to inspection, it isn't rated at all -- although I think most of those places are about the level of a 1* hotel.

So, anyway, that's my thoughts, that I wish people would stick to a limited explicit topic.

MS Innvik bread and brekfast on a boat in Oslo Harbor. The yhave a great breakfast with out-standnig views from the top dekk on this hotel boat. Rooms with privates bathrooms. The rooms are a littlb bit stale but location location location!!! in this very expensive city. About 100$ (us) per night. City Hotell in Oshloo (as they say) is also good and about $85 for a duouble with bathrooms at end of the halls. My hsubant and my stayed at both on our pervious trips in Noway. They are *1-star* wanders!

On another thread, I was the poster who cited an example of a 1* in Venice that, in my opinion, was better than a 3* we stayed in in Paris.

In Venice, it was the Hotel Riva. You will not find a mini-bar, restaurant, TV in your room, brand-new furniture or an elevator. You will find marble hallways, a pleasant breakfast room overlooking a canal and furnished with antiques (coffee's great, food OK), skeleton keys to enter your room, clean and pleasant en suite bathrooms, and for 120E per night, a corner room with windows overlooking two canals (the price is less if you ask for a street view), and very friendly service, all within a five-minute walk to San Marco.

In Paris, it was the Moderne-St. Germaine. As a 3*; it had a minibar (unclean and barely stocked); a circa 1985 TV; a pool (actually access to a pool in another hotel - not real convenient), a restaurant, street noise, OK but pretty indifferent service, no views, and - here's my real point - the furnishings, space, bed, linens, location, bathroom etc., were either on par or worse than those in the 1* Hotel Riva.

And then there was the 3* in London. Great breakfast, good service, had an elevator (constantly out of service, but they had one), big bathroom but no shower curtain around the tub, great location, but the beds, furnishings and linens were mismatched and worn (much worse than the 1* Riva),

Does this say more about how good the Riva is, or how bad the Moderne-St. Germaine and London hotel were, or does it simply point out that the star system ranks the amenities present - not overall quality of the hotel or the even the amenities it boasts?

I'm all for the star system, but it's not the be-all and end-all of making my hotel choices any more. I'll occasionally spring for a great 4* that lives up to its ranking, but my bread and butter travel is one or two stars now. To each their own.

More one-star wonders! I love'em!

worktowander, thanks for posting again here about the Riva.
That's what I was hoping to see here, I agree with Christina.

People had mentioned elsewhere that they have themselves stayed in one-star hotels that were equal to or better than lodgings that have more stars, I was hoping we could find out more about these exceptional bargains.

I don't care about stars for their own sake, but the stars given out are government ratings are are for purely objective and minimum criteria: elevator or not, number of rooms with private bathrooms, lobby size,other measurables.

More stars mean that the hotel has submitted to a rating, and that it has meant the minimal requirements for that many stars.

Personally, I'm interested to find out about the real bargains,where you feel you're getting extra value for the money, where the minimal requirements are enhanced by extras, for examples, extras in pretty decorating, extras in amenities like tvs or hairdryers or a/c, extras in services, good storage space in the room, ample breakfast with great coffee, etc.

<<I think this thread would be of interest if it kept to the original, limited focus -- actual very good 1* hotels.>>

I understand the sentiment of wishing to see this thread "less a jumble" of info about places that do not meet the criteria as elaine set them...

I just hope that others are not reluctant to share info "in the same spirit" as the original post suggests, for lack of strict 1-star classification.

Going to my own post about San Sebastian, the city's "official" tourist web site lists exactly (only) three 1-star hotels, despite nearly fifty properties with listings (or links) there...

... one of those, for example, is www.hotelrecord.com - - it looks strikingly similar to our own choice of Hostal Bahia, even though these four differences are fairly significant...

Hotel Record is cheaper (55 e vs 69 e, in shoulder season), and they even include parking at that rate (cost us 14.5 e at the garage contracted as their "supplier", and one block away)

Hotel Record offers wi-fi (free?)

Hostal Bahia is bigger (55 rooms vs 20)

and, perhaps the most important (from my viewpoint)...

Hostal Bahia is VERY close to La Concha, and fairly close to the Parte Vieja; Hotel Record is quite distant from La Concha and only a little closer (still further than H Bahia) to the Old Town.

Thus, I think that I would rather that someone tell me about Hostal Bahia, as it seems roughly equivalent, at a similar price but much more central location - - even if it is not "officially" a 1-star hotel.

I am not suggesting that Hotel Record is an inferior choice, as I never set foot in it. Its setting might be lovely, for all I know. I told about the place I know, and I think it generally fits the criteria set in the original post.

Hi rex, good point, it's again hard to define what constitutes a bargain or a 'budget' property or best value for the lowest dollar. I do think there are plenty of exceptional properties in the middle and upper range, but of course however people want to define budget or one-star or best value for the lowest price is up to them. I was just intrigued originally by the idea of some one-star properties being deemed 'better' than some 3-star properties.
I think that remarkable enough to share.

Well, in order to keep Christine and elaine happy, I'll withdraw my suggestions.

Bettyk, thanks for the laugh. I needed it today!

..Best bargain I have ever run into was the YH in Grindelwald (yes run into- bumped into a girl I knew at school who was also traveling and she gave me the info). Fabulous location with beautiful view of the Eiger, almost posh for a YH...only downside was that they played a military march as a wake up at some uncivilized hour of the am.