Our Eastern Europe trip is at hand - I could use some hotel suggestions.
 

Thank you for your help and suggestions in planning the itinerary for our Eastern Europe trip (on another thread in this forum). With the start of our trip rapidly approaching (next month), I could use some additional help.

As with our trip to Turkey and Greece last year, this trip (at least the second half of it) will also be unstructured. What that means is that while we know basically where we want to go (we'll have a car), we don't know exactly when or for how long we'll be in any particular place - depends on whether we like it, or find someplace along the way to occupy some of our time. So obviously, we can't reserve hotels more that a day or so ahead (if even that).

Those of you who helped us during our trip last year might recall that I posted here a day or so before each of our next day's destinations, requesting hotel recommendations. That proved to be extremely helpful, thank you.

For this trip, I'd like to allow a bit more time to accumulate and review your recommendations. Therefore, I'm listing the places that we know for sure we're going to stay on this trip (we don't know exactly when or for how long , although we do have a rough idea), and we'd like to have your recommendations for nice hotels at each of these locations. Nice, of course, is subjective, but I'm looking for at least 3-star hotels, preferably in the center of town, or at least near public transportation. On-site parking is a must. Preferably, these recommendations would be from first-hand experience.

Here is the list of places where we'll be staying on this part of our trip. There may (probably will) be other places we'll want to stay in addition to these, but these are sure.

Wroclaw
Dresden
Prague
Bratislava
Budapest
Krakow

Thanks again for your help.

The only first hand experience I have is in Budapest... I used Booking.com and we stayed at the Iberostar Grand Hotel Budapest. The room was very nice, the best was the MOST comfortable ever (neat canopy bed) and the bathroom very modern. For us, location was ideal, you aren't too far from the parliament, nor from the central shopping area.

http://www.thegrandcollection.com/en...t/introduction

I used the spa a few times, and loved the jacuzzi tub. I checked and it says parking off site is available for a fee. And really, for the type of room, the rate isn't too bad for a 5 star hotel. But then again Budapest is a great value.

I am heading to Dresden, Prague and Krakow in the fall, used Booking.com for my hotels there.........

Good luck, and enjoy your trip!

Finding central locations with onsite parking is going to be kind of a big order. Typically these hotels are the most expensive ones and usually newer.

Can't help with specifics since we haven't had cars in those cities - but I wouldn't demand onsite parking - as long as they can provide information on a garage nearby. It will give you a lot more options to choose from.

Thank you both for your replies.

Ruby, this looks like a very nice hotel, with a good location. The rooms look nice, and the prices are OK. I plan to contact them on Monday to enquire about the offsite parking (how far, how much it costs). Thanks

nytraveler, yep, the car presents a problem in cities (but makes for wonderful traveling between cities). Once parked, we don't plan to use the car again until we leave the city.
While we'd really like to walk out of the door and be in the center of the city, we found that getting a hotel a bit further out, with parking, is OK if it's on a public transportation route or has shuttle service to downtown. For example, last year in Thessoloniki (a driving nightmare during most of the day), we opted to stay at the Hyatt Regency near the airport. They provided a shuttle into downtown hourly, very convenient.

Oops, that's Thessaloniki - sorry about the spelling error.

We stayed here in Krakow, a block or so outside the center and abo halfway to Kazimierz (I like to walk, no mobility problems):

http://www.donimirski.com/en/hotel-pugetow

Very nice little hotel, I thought it was well-located, parking.

Thanks for the info, Leely.

Unfortunately, while she's able to walk, my wife has some mobility problems, and would find it difficult to climb stairs at the end of a day of sightseeing. This statement on the hotel's website, "Due to the historic nature of the building, the Hotel is not accessible for the disabled.", leads me to believe that the hotel does not have elevators, which would present a problem for us.

Yes, I don't think it would work for your wife. I can't remember the elevator situation, but breakfast is served down some steep steps and reception is also down a few stairs. It's a tall and narrow building. You might check the Grodek, another hotel in that group, excellent location but I'm not sure about the parking.

Leely, thanks again.

We are heading that way in November and have reservations at:
The General Hotel in Prague and Marrols in Bratislava and Marriott in Budapest.

I used Hotwire to get The General and Marrols.

I used Marriotts Best rate Guarantee to get a fabulous rate.

I used Better Bidding to get some help in ID'ing hotels. If you haven't used hotwire; the explains it pretty well --

http://www.rolllikeboss.com/2013/06/...at-half_5.html

I realize with issues such as mobility and parking it could be tricky; but thought you might be interested.

hipmunk.com is another good site for comparing prices.

Thanks for that information, DebitNM. I'll check out those hotels.

Leely, I checked the Grodek hotel in Krakow, looks very nice. I checked rates for the 4 nights that we might possibly be in Krakow. The rates are very reasonable, but there only 3 of the 4 nights were available, so it looks like it's a pretty popular place. Of course, we can't commit to any reservations at this time, because of our loose schedule, but we'll definitely look at this hotel again when we actually know when we'll be in Krakow. Thanks for that suggestion.

The General is a bit out of the heart of the action, but this one is right in it and the prices were good for our dates, not sure how it will be for yours - worth at look see:

http://www.hotel-imperial.cz/

You are aware that many rooms that you can book on booking.com can be cancelled free with 24 hours notice? The cancellation policies are CLEARLY stated for each possible room at each available price.

Thanks, DebitNM. I'll have a look.

kja, good to hear from you again. Yes, I've used Booking.com (particularly useful for getting a room at a hotel AFTER the desk clerk has told you that no rooms were available).
However, there's no point in reserving a room when we don't know exactly where we'll be on any given date. The purpose of starting this thread was so that we'll have already researched possible hotels when the time comes to book a room. During our Turkey/Greece trip, we didn't actually research hotels until a day or two before we needed them. That wasn't a productive use of vacation time.

In Wroclaw I stayed at the Qubus Hotel, a short half block from the main square. The rate was reasonable and they have an elevator and ramp up to the ground floor. The breakfast was very expensive so we didn't eat there. There are plenty of restaurants on the main square and I had the best scrambled eggs of my life at one of the cafes near the flower market (Salt Square). I didn't get the name of the restaurant but if you're walking from the hotel to the Salt square it's on the right just before the dwarf on the flag pole.

Rather than saying you want a 3 star hotel it would be better to state your requirements.

OK, adrienne, this one's for you.

First, note that I said "at least" a 3-star hotel.

Here's what I'm looking for (not all mandatory; some of these are preferences):

Walking distance or short ride on public transit from town center or main tourist area;

Onsite or very nearby parking;

Elevator;

Restaurant with good breakfast (NOT continental breakfast);

Working AC or heat, adjustable in room;

Free Wi-Fi;

Rooms should be fairly large, quiet, and very clean, with King or two Queen beds, good lighting, and preferably a good view;

Large bathroom with shower or tub/shower; sink should be in the bathroom, or at least blocked off from the main room by a door;

Knowledgeable concierge.


That should do it.

Sorry, I forgot to add this to the above list of requirements:

Non-smoking room

I was only trying to be helpful. No need to be snarky.

Sorry, adrienne. I wasn't trying to be snarky, I was going for amusing, while trying to provide more useful information.
Guess nuances get lost when using text (as opposed to an actual conversation).

I'm currently looking at the reviews for the Qubus hotel; thanks for the recommendation.

This thread seems to have disappeared from the forum (at least from the search engine), so I'm trying to "rescue" it.

I'm still interested in your recommendations. We're leaving in just a few days, and would like to have a few more choices to consider.

Thanks.

3-star lacks meaning. Most European countries rate their temporary abodes based on amenities provided, not cleanliness, luxury, or similar factors that go into the AAA diamond ratings and "star" standards that Americans (and Canadians, probably) are familiar with.

Check out http://www.avehotels.cz/en/ for Prague.

Can't help on Krakow - the hotel we stayed in was very nice but your wife's mobility problems make it completely unsuitable for her.

We stayed at the K&K Opera in Budapest, which is modern. But it's a few blocks from the center (although right on Line 1 of the metro - literally less than 100 feet away from the station entrance).

If you want "Onsite or very nearby parking" does this mean you're going to drive in Budapest, Krakow and Prague? That seems daft, all are easily negotiable on public transport. Prague was the car-theft capital of Europe a few years ago, may still be. Make sure you get all your vignettes.

And none of your destinations are in Eastern Europe, they're in Central Europe.

In Krakow, Best Western Stare Miasto meets all the requirements.
On site parking, full breakfast, elevator, 600 meter walk to Sukiennice/Main Square.

Mark

BigRuss,

Thanks for the reply.

I understand what you (and adrienne) are saying regarding the star ratings. That is why I posted a list of requirements/preferences above (in response to adrienne's suggestion), and also why recommendations from people who have actually stayed at those hotels would better address my requirements.

Addressing your other comments, Russ, we're renting a car in Warsaw and driving to the cities I listed, because we also want to see the countryside and make spur-of-the moment changes if the mood strikes us. This part of the trip is unstructured, no reservations, and we won't know exactly when we'll be in those cities until the night before (hence my request for hotel recommendations so that I can be prepared in advance when it's time to book). So, yes, we're "stuck" with a car in the cities, but we won't be using it during our stays.

We'll only have the car during the second half of our trip (about 20 days). The first half of the trip we'll be going to Helsinki, Stockholm, Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius, hence the reference to Eastern Europe. Of course, we won't have a car for that portion of the trip (travel will be via plane and bus) for obvious reasons.

Thank you for the hotel recommendations. Walking is not a problem for my wife, as long as we pace ourselves (we're allowing ample time to do that). In fact, walking is our preferred mode of seeing cities. Climbing stairs, however, does present a problem for her (especially after a day of sightseeing). So "nearby parking" could be a block away. I like to have easy access to the car from the hotel, so further than that is not desirable. Onsite parking would be best, and might also minimize theft concerns.

cdnyul, thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out.

"and also why recommendations from people who have actually stayed at those hotels would better address my requirements"

Honestly, Les, I don't understand why you seem reluctant to use booking.com or tripadvisor.com to research your hotels. Reviews on booking.com are limited to those who actually book through that site, so they ARE "from people who have actually stayed" there. And at least many of us who post on Tripadvisor have also done so, and I think you'll be able to get a sense from the reviews whether they are genuine or not. Why would you trust those reviews any less than comments from posters on this Board is not clear to me. And PLEASE don't try to explain -- I'm just raising the issue for YOUR consideration.

There are some very specific things you either require or desire from your hotels; you should be able to learn whether hotels meet your needs by looking at booking.com, even if you decide not to book at this time. If you combine your search of booking.com with looks at Tripadvisor reviews and the hotels' own websites (if they exist), I would think you could identify a number of options in each city.

Whether they will have available rooms when you show up is another question entirely....

Good luck!

Hi, kja.

I do use those sites. My "standard" procedure for choosing hotels is to first go to Booking.com and set the filters for what I want. After finding a hotel or hotels that look suitable, I go the hotel web site for details, and then to Trip Advisor and read the reviews there.
However, I believe that after providing my specific preferences here (which I can't do on either Booking.com or Trip Advisor), the suggestions from travelers on this site hold the most weight. And I'll still take those suggestions and run them through Booking and Trip Advisor before making my choice. Of course, this process takes time (actually valuable time, since it would be while I'm on vacation), which is why I posted here, well in advance of when I'll need to book those hotels.

In Prague, we stayed at the Maxmillian (sp). It is only a 5 minute or so walk from the old town square, but it seems to be in its own little neighborhood. My husband also has mobility issues, can't do steps, walks with a cane, etc, so we are careful about not having an elevator. This hotel had everything we needed, great a/c and the window of our room opened to a beautiful old church. The buffet breakfast had everything that you could want and then some.

I sure do miss the days when we could both sling a backpack and walk for miles,but life happens. Making adjustments won't stop us from traveling.

Tee

Thanks, BamaTree.

The Maximillian (and sister hotel Josef) both look very nice.
The Maxmillian site indicates that they're almost fully booked for the nights we might want (but of course, Booking.com may be holding some rooms. Since we're not sure yet when we'll be there, it'll be interesting to see what will be available at this and the other recommended hotels.

Thanks for the info.

In the Wroclaw area, in Kąty Wrocławskie, about 15 kms. west of Wroclaw, just north of the A4, is Hotel Azyl.

I had lunch there on my way to Krakow, but I would not hesitate to stay there, based on the quality and the service we experienced at the hotel restaurant. Just be aware that in small towns, hotels ometimes tend to serve as a local party place, dance hall, etc.

FYI, some of the Polish restaurants, especially in smaller towns, and along major highways have their prices listed per 100grams ( per deko). The usual meat or fish portion is about 2.5 deko.

This silly custom, left over from the commie days, can lead to some pricing hanky panky. I don't patronize places with this pricing structure.

Mark

Thanks, Mark.

Wroclaw is on our itinerary simply to break up the drive from Warsaw to Dresden. Since we'll only be staying the one night in Wroclaw, we'd prefer to have a hotel in town, rather than further out, so that we can have the afternoon and evening exploring the town.

Interesting comment on food pricing. I've seen that before, in Greece or Turkey (can't remember), but only for the catch of the day.

Please, don't click the yellow triangle.

That is the best laugh I have had in a long time.

Mark

I think I'll have a gyro for lunch. Thanks for the suggestion!!

Hi, Mark.

I don't know what comment was removed by Fodor's moderators, but if I clicked the yellow triangle, I can assure you that it was unintentional.

Les

OK, I've been on the road since the beginning of September (currently in Riga after stops in Helsinki, Stockholm, and Tallinn). Next comes Vilnius, then Warsaw. I already have hotels booked in those cities.

The next places that I need hotel recommendations for would be Wroclaw and Dresden. I will have a car, so parking availability will be a consideration.

Again, any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks.

I also stayed at the Qubus in Wroclaw and really liked the hotel. It was so nice and very convenient for walking around the city. I don't know about parking as I've never tried to park a car at a city hotel, you'd have to check. It is fairly int he dead center, so I kind of doubt it. That's kind of the problem with your request, hotels in the very center of cities usually do not have on-site parking, in my experience.

For Dresden, I recommend the Dorint.
http://hotel-dresden.dorint.com/en/
It's a really nice hotel, and there is a tram stop right in front to get to the real Old center (which isn't too far, you could walk if you really wanted). It's also near the bus line to the train station. Because it's a bit off from the dead center, driving around there is easier and they may have parking, not sure. The restaurant in the hotel is actually very good, also, I made use of it one night when it was bad weather. The website mysteriously doesn't seem to list a services section, so maybe it doesn't have parking. Given it's location, I think there might be some garage very nearby though, if not. I guess you'd have to write or call and ask about parking. booking.com and tripadvisor say they do have a garage on-site.

Thanks, Christina, I'll check those out.

If it were me I would look into the possibility of parking outside the cities and taking the train in.

You could check http://en.parkopedia.com/ to see where there's parking.

For Wroclaw Krakow accommodations you might want to take a look at my trip reports--same trip two different reports; click on my name to find them.

This is where we stayed in Budapest:
http://www.bellevuebudapest.com/inde...en&faz=1&aaz=0

For Wroclaw and Krakow accommodations you might want to take a look at my trip reports--same trip two different reports; click on my name to find them.

This is where we stayed in Budapest:
http://www.bellevuebudapest.com/inde...en&faz=1&aaz=0

Hi.

Hez, thanks for the reply. We're currently in Dresden. I have looked outside the city (well, outside the "Old Town), across the river, and spent last night at the Bayerischer Hof hotel, but it just doesn't do it for me. Too far from old town requires a tram or taxi to get in. Last night (Sunday), it was raining, and there was construction on the bridge that the tram uses, so we took a taxi (8 Euro). The "15 minute" walk would've taken us an hour, so I booked at the Hilton while we were in the old square. That's where we'll be tonight.

Michael, thanks for your reply (actually, replies, as it showed up twice). Too late for Wroclaw - we stayed at the Radisson Blu. Due to overbooking in Business class rooms, they upgraded us to a huge suite. It was kind of embarrassing to have all that room for the two of us (I did say HUGE, didn't I?).

In Warsaw (seems like forever ago, but was only 3 days), same thing happened at the Intercontinental.

We loved Warsaw, and Wroclaw is an amazing city, definitely a surprise and a highlight of our trip.

Tomorrow, we head for Prague for 4 days, so I'll have to pick a hotel tonight.

Thanks for allyouyr help.

Hi, again.

We're on the downhill leg of our trip, currently in Budapest. We're heading for Krakow in a couple of days, and we're looking for a mid-drive stopping point (and hotel recommendation) to break up the 7 or 8 hour drive. Of course, it would be a bonus if the stopover proved to be particularly interesting and/or scenic.

Any recommendations?

Thanks.