I have been researching pensions in Prague that are clean, not too far out of the centre, cost approx $US50 all up (room breakfast taxes) <BR>So far I've foud the following that appeal to me. Has anyone stayed in any of these, or has another suggestion. All advice is gratefully received <BR>Pensionsenisa; Balbin; Platan; Krokodyl; Jana <BR>Also I think that I remember reading somewhere that it is preferable not to walk in one of the districts at night. Is that so and if so which one?

We stayed at Balbin 2 years ago. It is very nice, clean, shower & toilet in room, skylights, helpful English-speaking staff and very good serve-yourself breakfast. It is on the top floors of an apartment building and an elevator after first flight of stairs. It has a locked door to outside so safe. You are about 5-10 minute walk to just about anywhere you want to go. It is near the Muzeum Metro & Wenceslas Square. We were very satisfied with the place. We are 2 females and were never concerned. Some of the best hotels are near Wenceslas Sqaure. Email me for more information. You can reserve a room at www.avetravel.cz

Hi Ken <BR> <BR>Please have a look to our pensions. <BR>http://www.praguebedandbreakfast.com <BR> <BR> Charles

There is also Pension Unitas right in the center. It is recommended as the best by Rick Steves. It is located on the first floor of a hotel that is rented from a convent. The 3 star hotel is the Cloister Inn, where we stayed last fall. Reception is the same for both. I know when we walked by the rooms, they appeared clean. The hotel ran about $100 with a bath and was clean and the staff helpful. It is across the street from the city police headquartes which was the site of the old Communist secret police headquarters. Easy walking distance to Wenselas in one direction, old town square and jewish quarter in another and not far from Charles Bridge. We did walk everywhere, except once used the streetcar.The web site for the hotel was www.cloister-inn.cz, email [email protected]. <BR>

Re: Unitas/Cloister Inn <BR> <BR>We were in Prague and at the Pension Unitas three weeks ago. We loved <BR>Prague but had a mixed reaction to Unitas. This is long, but hopefully <BR>it will be helpful to someone... <BR> <BR>It seemed to be spring break time as the streets, museums, and Unitas were packed with student tour groups. We did not have a great visit at the Unitas for a couple of reasons, although the price <BR>certainly was wonderful (approx. $36 USD). <BR> <BR>First, the reception attendant who <BR>checked us in was very rude. He <BR>refused to give me back my <BR>passport because we did not have <BR>the total cash payment for our <BR>stay (never mind that I had specifically asked ahead of time if I needed <BR>all the cash when we checked in). <BR>I tried to show him these email printouts but he kept saying to me <BR>"it is not possible for you to have <BR>your passport..." This became our <BR>favorite line during our vacation, once I got my passport back. <BR> <BR>At any rate, we changed our reservation to fit the amount of cash we had so I could get my passport back. Had it not been 10 PM on a rainy first night in a new country I might have turned around and left. But then again I would have <BR>missed some fun... <BR> <BR>Once in our rooms, the noise from the student groups kept us up for hours. The next morning the breakfast was not very tasty, although the students seemed to be eating lots so it might just have been us? We went off to our previously scheduled tour and got more money for the rest of our stay. <BR> <BR>When we got back we learned that our room had been rented for the balance of our stay. We would be moving to the prison cells in the basement the next day. Viewing this as an opportunity, we discovered the hidden underworld of Unitas, which actually should not be missed. The cells have heavy steel doors and are long and narrow. The small window at the far end, high above the pair of bunk beds, is reached by a metal ladder against the wall. We were a couple of cells down from the famous <BR>one and even took a picture. <BR> <BR>Alas, the student groups were out in full force that night, collecting in the hallway in small and large groups. The mass of one group blocked the way to the bathroom and they chattered until 1 AM when we couldn't stand it anymore. I had to go to the front desk to get a security guard to get the students back into their rooms. Although the Unitas has an official all-silent policy in effect from 10 PM - 7 AM, printed in several languages, it didn't seem to <BR>be enforced during our stay. <BR> <BR>The next week we had reservations to return, but decided we needed our sleep. <BR>We went to the Cloister Inn, which is part of the same complex but has an entrance on another street. <BR> <BR>It was like night and day. The Inn was <BR>newly renovated this fall and had brand <BR>new everything - breakfast room, bed <BR>spreads, bathrooms, you name it. It <BR>looked like a showroom from IKEA. The <BR>breakfast was excellent and the staff <BR>helpful and friendly. There was even <BR>a nice sitting area with coffee, teas, <BR>and fruit for guests. Of course, it was <BR>2 and 1/2 times the cost of the pension <BR>and inherently a completely different <BR>type of lodging. <BR> <BR>I'm sorry to sound so negative on the <BR>Unitas, but our experience was uneven <BR>there. On the plus side, the place was <BR>very clean and the upstairs rooms were <BR>simple, pleasant, and had a large window. Even the prison cell <BR>in the basement was an experience <BR>that we're very glad we had. Unitas just needs to work on the service end of things. Maybe everything is fine when it's not spring break? Don't get <BR>me wrong, we both work in universities and like students a lot -- but we like to sleep at night, too. :-&gt; <BR> <BR>Finally, I should mention that the <BR>official Unitas/Cloister Inn cab pick-up service is excellent, esp. for the first time you arrive at the airport or train station. Someone greets you with your name on a sign and drives you right to either the Unitas or Inn. For a fixed <BR>price you get a lot of peace of mind in places where taxis can be a problem. I never use such services in the US -- I'm always on public transportation from the airport or train station -- and I really <BR>thought it was worth the money (about <BR>$17 USD). <BR> <BR>Maybe none of these things will be <BR>a problem again and you'll have a great visit! Anyone else had a recent visit <BR>to Unitas/Cloister Inn? <BR> <BR>-Nancy <BR> <BR> <BR>

We had a good experience in the summer of 1998 at the Pension Brezina. The price was then 2000kc a night for a double room; breakfast an additional 90kc. The staff spoke English and was helpful. It is within walking distance of Vaclavska Namesti (my Czech spelling has deteriorated and this may not be correct). The web address is [email protected]. Prague is, needless to say, a wonderful city, one of the most interesting in Europe.