5 Best Hotels in Romania

This graceful 1900-era hotel set on the edge of a lovely park in the center of Bucharest feels far from the city's hustle and bustle. This kind of old-world service in a setting of tranquility and sophistication along with every modern convenience is not easy to come by. Updated rooms are comfortable and spacious—many with sitting rooms and views over the park—with a luxe contemporary decor and large marble bathrooms. The fully equipped hotel spa offers a fitness room, pool, and a choice range of spa treatments. The hotel's gourmet restaurant is one of the best in the city, and its elegant bar and lounge is a great place to spend an evening. There's also a lovely outdoor terrace for relaxing with a meal or a cup of coffee with your newspaper.

One of the best of the newest crop of three-star hotels, the Residence offers some of the most bang for your Bucharest lodging buck. Styled with wicker and white linens, the rooms and public areas incorporate a spare, modern look. The terrace restaurant is popular in summer.

No two rooms are alike at this white marble structure near Herăstrău Park. Crystal chandeliers, wall sconces, and serene artwork complement light furnishings and fabrics. Under the same ownership, the even nicer eight-room annex, the Vila Savion, stands directly behind the hotel. The Metro is across the street, providing a one-station hop to the city center.

This renovated 19th-century property is a stone's throw from pleasant Cişmigiu Park. Though on the small side, guest rooms are bright and cheery. Baths have a shower but no tub. The reception desk will cut rates on weekends (but not usually in September or October)—be sure to ask.

Opened in 2007 on the site of the former Batistei hotel, the Marshal has a perfect hideaway location on a central yet quiet side street near the U.S. embassy. The clean rooms are done up in white walls and thick navy carpets, and the cotton bed linens are touted (by the management) to be the best in Bucharest.