One of the first blog entries posted here was about staying in hostels and other budget types of lodging. From the responses that post garnered, I gather that many of Stripes readers prefer mid-range to out-and-out luxury accommodation when traveling. But booking a hotel on-line can be an iffy proposition, especially when searching out something from the “moderate” category. How many times have you booked an unknown but seemingly-OK-for-the-money 2- or 3-star place based on photos online only to check in, open the door to your room, and feel vague disappointment, if not utter dismay? What to do?
On many of the past few trips I’ve taken, I’ve decided to dispense with the off-chance opportunity that I might find a hidden gem and just go with the more known names in accommodation. My tried and true recommendation for short-duration getaways in Germany and northern Europe? A room from the Accor hotels line.
Some of the hotels offered by Accor are Ibis, Mercure, and Novotel, and I have recent experience with the first two. Ibis, my choice in Duesseldorf when I had a 1 a.m. arrival at the city’s main train station, proved a great pick in that I didn’t even need to exit the terminal to gain access to the hotel. The room was in the 50-euro range for a single.
Arriving in Breda, Netherlands, at the dinner hour last month, we were confident a three-star hotel would materialize in short order. Three hours of wandering and seven fruitless inquiries later, we were at last directed to the city’s Mercure. The next day, having no desire to repeat the experience of the previous evening, we headed to Den Haag and immediately settled into a centrally-located Ibis. The charm factor was low, but the room was spotless, and in terms of location and price (79 euros), it would have been hard to beat.
Novotels represent the more upscale offerings of the Accor line. Presumably due to a slump in the volume of guests on business over the weekends, some of their hotels in the larger cities offer quite advantageous weekend rates. A minimum two-night weekend stay may qualify you for their city breaks special, in which you save up to 40 percent of the standard published rate. Plus they throw in breakfast, something you don’t always find on the other types of bargain deals. Another possible way to find a weekend bargain? Stay at a hotel located near an international airport. Admittedly slightly inconvenient, but the public transportation links might turn out to be really good.
Heading somewhere, but don’t know where? Scroll through the Accor’s list of hot deals and see what’s available at up to 40 percent off rack rates. Tempting offers as of this writing included a Mercure in Munich at 49 euros, an Ibis in Bruges, Belgium at 69 euros, or a Novotel in Barcelona for 70 euros per night, double occupancy.
Do any readers have their own particular favorite chain hotels here in Europe?
Accor does have some great
Accor does have some great discount hotels. Ibis is about as low as we go (check out the one in Colmar, France, near the old town) but it wasn't too long ago when were traveling with kids that we stayed in Formule 1 hotels, Accor's least expensive units. There were seldom other Americans in these hotels, which were always on the outskirts of town, often in a commercial district and a little far from restaurants. The rooms were simple, with clean bathrooms down the hall. Not long on comfort, but great on price. Check it out if you really want to save.
The problem with booking
The problem with booking hotels or budget hotels are that they charge a premium to their existing tariffs and that's a personal experience. My friend from Australia visit Surrey two months ago and made his booking after exercising his options online and choose a mid-range hotel.
Upon arriving here for some work he called me and asked me to come over. During the chat I asked him how much the room cost and he revealed the price to me. I was zapped and told him they charged him extra.
We got a refund and shift his accommodation to an outstanding Bed & Breakfast Inn much cheaper with matching services and quality accommodation.
It happens to people all the time you just have to be smart.
I can't say I have a
I can't say I have a favorite chain Hotels in Europe but I do have a favorite chain Hotels in Spain: Catalonia Rubens Hotels. They have anything you might need from casino to marriage rooms and all for a cheap price.
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The word hotel is derived from the French hôtel (coming from hôte meaning host), which referred to a French version of a townhouse or any other building seeing frequent visitors, rather than a place offering accommodation. In contemporary French usage, hôtel now has the same meaning as the English term, and hôtel particulier is used for the old meaning. The French spelling, with the circumflex, was also used in English, but is now rare. The circumflex replaces the 's' found in the earlier hostel spelling, which over time took on a new, but closely related meaning. Grammatically, hotels usually take the definite article - hence "The Astoria Hotel" or simply "The Astoria".
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I think deep down, everyone
I think deep down, everyone knows what you’re talking about. Pot luck with internet bookings is like jumping off a rock face before checking for water: it could end in great fun, or could be a bitter disappointment for all involved (well, except for the hotel). I do agree, Accor do have quite good value-for-money in terms of accommodation. Personally, I was a Sheraton kind of person beforehand, but now, with the GFC, I’ve had to look to places like Accor and others like it, such as Best Western and other chains like them. Sure, the pergolas might be a little rusty and the lifts may be prone to breaking down, but so long as you have a place to stay that’s reasonably comfortable, why complain?
Another cheap way for
Nice article
Another cheap way for
Another cheap way for booking an accommodation is this site for hotels. They have quite nice offers from time to time and you can find very cheap luxury accommodation. I just wanted to share it with you, thinking it might help.
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