Hotels in Prague, Bratislava, Budapest, or Ljubljana?

April 23, 2006 12:48 PM

Hotel-Filter: Prague, Bratislava, Budapest, Ljubljana.... In May I'll be travelling with my parents (60ish) and my S.O. to Eastern Europe. We (i.e. mom) won't be interested in hostels (at least not loud, dorm-room-ish ones). We will, however, be interested in quaint, reasonably priced, and very clean / tidy places to stay. They needn't be in the city center. Pensions, B&B's, etc. would be swell as well. Any thoughts on any of these cities will be most helpful....

In sum, we won't be "backpacking." But we will be hoping for some charming abodes to lay our four heads. BTW, we'll be travelling by car.

posted by rumbles to travel & transportation (8 comments total)

Althought I've been to a few of those cities, I can't recommend any hotels as I always stayed with family. That said, I can recommend you don't get a hotel in Bratislava - it's not a city worth spending the night in, by any strech of the imagination. Instead, consider spending your time in Vienna, just 45 minutes away by train.

That said, a link I always pass around, for those that like a little luxury, a running 25-50% off promo in Starwood Group hotels. I see the Le Meridien is in Budapest.
posted by jedrek at 12:54 PM on April 23, 2006

Ah, but the S.O.'s family lives in Bratislava -- hence the impetus for the journey. I've been there as well and know a bit about its ups and downs. However, in this case it is the node around which the whole enchilada pivots, or something. Nonetheless, your comments are well taken....
posted by rumbles at 1:02 PM on April 23, 2006

I've stayed in the Star Hotel, Atlas Hotel and Marco Polo sort-of hostel in Budapest. All close to the city centre, about $100 US per night in the summer. Marco Polo isn't exactly quiet, but the other two are. If I remember the place I stayed in Prague, add to this. It was a great place, can't for the life of me remember the name.
posted by loquax at 1:02 PM on April 23, 2006

Dum u Velky Boty in Prague was nice.
posted by Dr.Pill at 2:52 PM on April 23, 2006

I just got back from Prague, and I can't say enough good things about the Hotel Aria. It's a music themed hotel (the only of its kind, I believe) - every room is dedicated to a different artist or musical genre. The service was fantastic, and the hotel has really good amenities (spa, in-house restaurant, rooftop deck). The location is kind of off the beaten path, which I really liked.

In Budapest, I stayed at the Four Seasons (Gresham Palace), which was pricy but worth it. Even if you don't stay there, go inside and see the hotel...it's beautiful. It's a restored art deco building, and really quite amazing. It's located right across the Danube from Castle Hill (on the Pest side).
posted by elquien at 3:25 PM on April 23, 2006

Bratislava is -- or was, five years ago -- a real gem. The core is smaller and less crowded with history than, say, Prague, but it's a very pleasant, low-stress place to visit. It's significantly less overwhelmed with tourists than other cities. It was a good city to wander around in. Devin Castle, Bratislava Castle, and a jaw-droppingly good exhibition at the Slovak National Gallery on Slovak performance art from the 1960s through the 1980s were real highlights.
posted by grimmelm at 7:54 AM on April 24, 2006

This is about as cheap as you can get in downtown Budapest - no in-house reception, but nice big rooms, with kitchenettes in a happening area (the Jewish ghetto/Alternative garden bar quarter.) The Time Out! Budapest city guide is pretty accurate for eating and drinking (pats self on back....) Email me if you need more BP info...

Ljubljana is pretty small -worth a day at most - with limited options for less pricey accomodations. I suggest taking rooms in a Panzion outside the city, the countryside in Slovenia is gorgeous. Take the old folks for a trip around the country: the Adriatic sea (Piran, Isola), maybe a sidetrip to Trieste, Italy, then up the Soca valley for a Hemingway-packed "For Whom the Bell Tolls" trivia trip inthe Julian Alps...
posted by zaelic at 8:28 AM on April 24, 2006

I was in Prague a couple of weeks ago and stayed at The Castle Steps Hotel in the heart of Mala Strana. Their rooms/suites are located in various flats along Nerudova Street which is walking distance from everything and the rates are cheap relative to the chains.

Given its prime location and rates, it books up rather quickly. We were there early in the week (Mon-Wed) and were unable to get one room for our 3 night stay. We spent a night in the Walnut Apartment and the latter 2 nights in the Tulip Room--both of which were quite nice.

A few things to keep in mind--the flats we stayed in were in/near the top floors and since these flats are a few hundred years old, they haven't been retro-fitted with lifts (which may/not be a problem for you); there aren't the usual hotel amenitites (i.e. TV, hairdryer, etc.); they do not accept credit so you will have to pay cash upon check-in.

There're also great places to hang out and dine in in and around the old square nearby so it's ideal if you don't want to venture far from your base at the end of the day. If you're into jazz, you should check out U Maleho Glena which is within a 10 minute walk--perfect for when you're stumbling back to your room in an absinthe-induced haze....
posted by phoenixc at 4:12 PM on April 24, 2006