greervy

Hello,
Earlier in another post I requested information on Croatia and Rome. Well...that was then and this is now.
We have finalized our trip and will be journeying to Berlin and on to Prague. I would appreciate any reccomendations on areas to stay and hotels or pensions in either city.
We have 2 days & 1 night in Berlin then a train to Prague for 5 days 4 nights. We travel in May!
Thanks.

lincasanova

i know the holiday inn express at anhalter bahnhof is charging 60 euros /night/double with breakfast instead of their 90 euro rate if you PREPAY/ NO REFUNDS AT ALL .

we made 90 euro reservation cancellable res. first, then when we were 100 % sure that was the best deal and we were definitely going, they changed it to 60 since offer was still available.

i know it is a chain, not charming hotel, but...i am going to be working ALL DAY so i just need place to rest my head. i assume this place will be clean.
so.. we went for it.
(10 minute walk/sprint? to potsdam platz).

greervy

Dear lincasanova
thank you for your post. We are hoping to find accomodations with a bit more romance and cultural authenticity. We are getting somewhat discouraged as all the places we would like to stay are either booked or well out of our budget. Any suggestion will be greatly appreciated

ter2000

We liked Pension U Suteru (www.usuteru.cz) when we stayed in Prague last January. While the location is in the new town, near Wenceslas Sq., it's only a 15 minute walk to the Old Town Square and to Charles Bridge. The hotel is old but recently refurbished, the rooms are small (by US standards) but spotlessly clean and we'd have no hesitation in staying there again. I wrote a report on it when we came back, so you could do a search under my name.

WillTravel

It might sound goofy, but in Berlin, the most ultramodern new buildings in a way are the most culturally authentic, in my opinion. It's one of the fastest-changing cities in Europe (at least as of recent years). This sense of flux is what makes Berlin so dynamic.

Betsy

Try Priceline for Berlin. We were lucky to snag the new Marriott in October for USD 55/night for a double. The hotel is located just off Potsdammerplatz (?sp), a very vibrant, modern area. Go to biddingfortravel.com for a tutorial on PL bidding. We don't usually stay in American chain hotels when we travel in Europe, but this was a happy exception.

ucsun

for prague you could try happyhouserentals.com , i made a booking w/ them for mid-may and at a great price.

Kate_W

For Berlin, you might consider staying in an "art installation" hotel (there are several). They're not old, nor are they quaint, but they do capture the spirit of Berlin - i.e. its avante garde sensibility.

Last spring, we stayed at the Propeller Island Lodge Hotel. Room prices vary, but ours was about 110 euros. Each room is decorated differently; some are quirkier than others. You can stay in a room that is decorated like an East German prison cell, or one that has coffins for beds, or one that has the bed suspended from the ceiling, an upside down room with all the furniture attached to the ceiling (you open compartments in the floor to find chairs and beds). You can also stay in more mainstream rooms with interesting themes (e.g. clouds, zen, mirrors, blue) - we stayed in the "Landscape Room".

Here's the website address: http://www.propeller-island.com/room...l/01/index.php

The hotel asks you to check the photographs of each room and then tell them your top 3 choices. They will then confirm which room is available. We did everything by email and it worked very smoothly and efficiently, despite the fact that they don't have 24 hour service. They do offer a decent European-style breakfast at a good price, and the building itself felt very secure.

The hotel is located on 3 floors of an apartment building in the upscale Charlottenburg, half a block away from the main street and very close to a subway stop.

We loved our stay at this hotel and definitely would go back again. Even if you don't book a room at this hotel, the website is worth a visit!

greervy

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions. I will look into them all and let you know what we decide.

greervy

In doing research for our trip we have discovered many interesting places we would like to see among them are the baths at Karlovy Vary and Western Bohemia could these places be visted as a day trip or would they require a longer stay? Also does anyone have information on the the medieval town of Cesky Krumlor? Is this doable as a day trip? All thoughts welcome

Thanks again

Giovanna

Here is a really fun site for Cesky Krumlov:

http://www.ckrumlov.cz/uk/atlas/i_cmm.htm

Unfortunately, although we had planned to visit there, time didn't allow. I think many people make day trips (by bus I understand is simpler than by train), but many prefer to stay a day or two since it is such a charming place.

We stayed at the Maximilian Hotel in Josefov and it is one of our favorite European hotels.

Can't help with Berlin, we have never been there. I do have a page of websites for Prague and some other info. If you would like it, please e-mail me.

greervy

Thanks again for all the great suggestions. Giovanna a special thanks as it was from your email list I was able to find a link to the pension we will be staying in. We leave tomorrow, can't wait to try out the suggestions from this and other threads on where to eat and what to see. I will report back in another post on our experience.

Thanks again

kckid

We were in Berlin and Prague in March and April. WE stayed at the holiday inn express where lincasanova is staying. It is not romantic but it is very affordable, close to public transportation, close to Potsdamer Platz, it's new, clean, and includes a breakfast. As far as Berlin goes, I agree with Willtravel. You might try the Intercontinental they offer romantic packages and it looked like a nice and quiet hotel.

We stayed at the Intercontinental in Prague and it had a great location and was a very nice, modern hotel. We also stayed at the Holiday Inn which is by the Congress Center. It is in a modern building built by the communists. Although it is further from the main tourist attractions, it is right by the train stop and is also close to a park where you have a good view of Prague. Have fun

aimh

Hi, I'm not sure if you are already off on your trip. Last summer my husband & I went to Prague and stayed at Hotel Metamorphis (www.metamorphis.cz). We thought the accommodations and location were great in Old Town (Stare Mesto)! Staff was friendly and pretty helpful.
Have a great time!

LoriS

We stayed at the Brandenburger Hof. Centrally located, great restaurant, sleek and modern rooms, breakfast in the wintergarten.