Travel by Scott Grody

Are There Budget Hotels In Europe That Are Nice?
You Bet There Is!

Maybe you're nostalgic for the days when you fumbled between marks, pesetas, and francs, but there's one thing we all miss about the pre-euro era: the strong dollar. These days a trip through the Continent can wallop your wallet, and the euro is getting even stronger as the summer season arrives (we won't even mention what the British pound is doing to our humble greenback). Financial aid is here: I have found 12 hotels from Paris to Copenhagen that put a premium on comfort and good design—without premium prices. Each is less than 250 euros a night for a room big enough for two (single rooms are less, but they're really just for one person!

The Pavilion, London
The deal: £100 ($184) for a double room; £60 for a single
The hood: Bayswater, just outside Hyde Park and near Paddington Station.

Hôtel Bourg Tibourg, Paris
The deal: €220 ($278) for a double room; €160 for a single
The hood: The Marais, a trendy, gay-friendly area within walking distance of Notre Dame and the Ile St-Louis.

Casa Howard, Via Sistina, Rome
The deal: €180 ($227) for double occupancy; €150 for single occupancy
The hood: Close to the Spanish Steps. There's no better—or cheaper—entertainment in town than watching the Romans do as they do here.

Hotel Constanza, Barcelona
The deal: €130 ($165) for a suite
The hood: L'Eixample, an elegant, leafy residential district close to boutique clothing stores.

Hi Hotel, Nice
The deal: €210 ($265) for a standard double
The hood: Along the coast, about a 15-minute stroll into Old Nice.

Residence Hilda, Florence
The deal: €225 ($284) for a standard suite in July; €190 in August
The hood: Three blocks from the Duomo and a two-minute walk to the Accademia Gallery, the site of Michelangelo's David.

Apanema, Mykonos, Greek Islands
The deal: €180 ($228) for a standard double from May to mid-June; €225 through the end of summer
The hood: Fronting the ocean, the resort is in the Tagoo section of the island, a ten-minute walk to the center of Mykonos Town.

Lloyd Hotel, Amsterdam
The deal: €170 for a "three-star" double; €80 ($101) for a "one-star" single with shared bath
The hood: The hot new Eastern Docklands area, a ten-minute tram ride from Centraal Station—Jamie Oliver just opened a branch of his restaurant Fifteen here.

Hotel Josef, Prague
The deal: €173 ($219) for a standard double
The hood: Josefov, the Jewish Quarter, chockablock with art galleries, and a short walk to Old Town Square.

Petit Palace Embassy, Madrid
The deal: €171 ($216) for a "High Tech" double (prices can rise during city events)
The hood: The fashionable Salamanca neighborhood, Madrid's epicenter of haute couture.

Hotel Fox, Copenhagen
The deal: 945 kroner ($160) for a small single; DKr 1,120 for a medium double; DKr 1,320 for a large double
The hood: The trendy Latin Quarter, teeming with bars and restaurants.

Hotel Bleibtreu, Berlin
The deal: €132 ($167) for a standard double; €230 during World Cup, June 9–July 9.
The hood: Located just off the Kurfürstendamm, Berlin's shopping- and theater-centric aorta.

Enjoy!

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