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Small Italian hotel, some rooms overlook small canal and campo S. Apostoli, close to Grand Canal and Rialto, reasonable price and very friendly and helpful.
Camp San Apostoli, Cannareggio, Venice.
www.anticodoge.com/en/index.htm
A glorious, seen-better-days, art nouveau masterpiece amid the tourist tat of Wenceslas Square. The gound floor area is stunning and the pavement tables are a good place to people watch over a couple of cold ones, though a bit pricy for Prague. We stayed here in 2004 and got the room for less than £70 via a Czech website, so shop around. Though the rooms are in need of refurbishing this should not detract from the general ambience, or the central location. There is a metro station within yards and you are spoilt for choice with trams, including the night service.
The fast food kiosks all over Wenceslas Square are best avoided, a charming young lady gave me change for Kc100 when I gave her a Kc500 note, when I queried this she paid up without batting an eyelid, obviously not the first fat idiot from Gateshead she'd attempted to fleece.
Vaclavske Nam, just south of the junction with Jindrisska; nearest metro: Mustek
This hotel is redolent of Mitteleuropa and old Krakow, but like many such buildings it fell on hard times under communism. Renovation several years ago has returned its old atmosphere, and many original features survive, including the art nouveau Mirror Hall and stained glass by Wyspianski. The Pollera is reasonably priced and brilliantly located in the centre – tumble out of bed and you’re almost on the Rynek – but not too noisy.
ul. Szpitalna 30, Old Town (Stare Miasto). The hotel is a 10-minute walk from the main train station (Krakow Glowny)
This is a really cheap, fun place to stay in Fort Lauderdale, two minutes from the beach (you just have to cross the road). Although it looks a bit dodgy from the outside, the staff here are really friendly and I had a fantastic time when I went. I met tonnes of really nice people who really made my holiday!
It's on a busy street but that means you have two bus routes at your disposal, the bus is ultra-cheap too at $2 for a day-pass. It's also near the inland waterway where you can get on the boat-taxi - beautiful views of expensive mansions all the way to downtown.
2115 North Ocean Blvd;
tel: 1 954 567 7275
www.fortlauderdalehostel.com
Wombats operate two hostels - one in Munich, and the original in Vienna. The hostels in both cities are models of how hostels should be run, with a friendly atmosphere, spotless rooms, a free laundry and a bar. The free "welcome drink" at said bar is a nice touch too, even if it is just half a pint.
Grangasse6
A-1150 Vienna
Austria
www.wombats-hostels.com
Grangasse6
A-1150 Vienna
Austria Europa
tel: +43 1 897 23 36
The best hotel I have ever stayed in. It is total luxury, but expect to pay for it, not European prices, but still not cheap.
Good quality guesthouse in a well-furnished 19th-century house. Very friendly owners; comfortable sitting room; first class breakfasts suitable for carnivores and veggies. Good value at £65 per night for a double ensuite. Although a little way out of the centre, it's only £3.70 by taxi from the Europa Bus Station, and there's a bus every five minutes or so along the nearby Ormeau Road.
Ravenhill Guest House, 690 Ravenhill Road
Belfast
Antrim
BT6 0BZ
Website: www.ravenhillguesthouse.com
Email: info@ravenhillguesthouse.com
Tel: (028) 9020 7444
Fax: (028) 9028 2590
Gay hotel/self catering resort.
Friendly staff, great atmosphere around the pool. Convenient for bars, restaurant, beach.
Opposite Cita Centre (avoid rooms next to the road if you are a particularly light sleeper).
Playa del Ingles, Gran Canaria
What a great place to stay. This budget accommodation is in a brilliant location and is within walking distance of loads of tourist attractions. It is safe and friendly and vibrant and has plenty of facilities on site including a bar, restaurant and internet cafe. Lots of buses and tube stations close by too and no curfew.
229 Great Portland Street
London, W1W 5PN;
www.ish.org.uk;
tel: 020 7631 8310;
Tube: Great Portland Street Underground
This converted prison on the small island of Langholmen was home to Stockholm’s most notorious criminals until 1975. It now serves as an inexpensive hotel/hostel where the former cells have been turned into rooms, complete with original doors and small windows (minus the iron bars). Rooms are pretty basic, as you’d expect, but the building itself is impressive and has retained loads of authentic features. It’s absolutely vast, and has a restaurant, bar, cafe and museum. The traditional Swedish breakfast is worth paying extra for but we were disappointed not to see porridge on the menu.
Langholmsmuren 20, Gamla Kronohaktet, Langholmen; nearest station is Hornstull;
www.langholmen.com
Vegetarian/vegan restaurant and tiny guesthouse in the Alpuharas Mountains outside of Granada. After weeks of salad and chips, this vegetarian couldn't get enough of the varied and inventive multicultural fare on offer. Set in a peaceful village, situated in the heart of trekking country, it’s a perfect break in the journey or a place to unwind at the end of the day. Recommended in Rough Guide to Andalucia, but should be more widely known.
Calle Alberca s/n, 18416 Mecina Fondales, La Taha, Granada;
tel: 958857 501;
www.ivu.org/atelier
A pub with rooms and great food. There are 10 en-suite bedrooms with fantastic views across the Cheshire plain. The food is great, popular with walkers along the Sandstone Trail footpaths, so large portions at reasonable prices.
Higher Burwardsley near Beeston and Peckforton castles. Signposted off the Tattenhall-Burwardsley road. Turn by the Post office in Burwardsley village
A reasonably priced (65 euros per day) apartment a stone's throw from the sea. There’s a peaceful fishing villagey atmosphere, but it’s only a 15 minute walk from the Ramblas. A perfect place to stay for a short break in Barcelona.
Barcelonetaflat@gmail.com;
tel: 661470354
This card is excellent value for money. You get a discount on hotel rooms plus access to any public transport, to most of the museums and even to some of the boat trips on offer. You don't have to worry about tickets, which makes your stay much more relaxed. The hotels on offer suit any of your needs – ranging from two to five stars.
The Czech Inn is Prague's newest hostel and it is fantastic. Great location (walk or tram to centre) with some very cheap eateries nearby. The staff are superb; welcoming , friendly and very accommodating.
If you think a hostel means grubby beds, grubbier people and grubby amenities then think again. Showerheads the size of dinner plates, crisp white bedlinen, polished wooden floors, an 'all you can eat' buffet breakfast, decent coffee, brilliant bar area, free internet and expert advice all contribute to what makes this place rock. They will also arrange transfers and walks for you.
Francouzská 76
101 00 Praha
tel: 267 267 600
email: info@czech-inn.cz;
www.czech-inn.com
If you want to stay at an eco-friendly resort that offers cheap, well-designed bungalows and some of the most beautiful views in the province then you should visit Phanom Bencha Mountain Resort. The enchanting gardens, natural spring water swimming pool and all the peace and quiet you’ve ever wanted, combine to make the mountain resort one of my favourite places in Thailand.
A peaceful retreat in a beautiful valley, seemingly untouched by the outside world. Walking, horse riding on the doorstep. The book town of Hay-on-Wye is eight miles away. Yoga and drawing weekends. Great vegetarian breakfasts. Singles £25, doubles £40, ensuite £45, children £10.
Pen-y-Maes, Capel-y-Ffin, Powys
01873 890477
www.thebarn-wales.co.uk
The best thing about staying in the Lakes is waking up to amazing views - and this place doesn't disappoint. All 12 rooms look out across the Troutbeck Valley. The bar is suitably cosy and serves real ales and there are more views from the Garden restaurant. Rooms from £45pp b&b.
Troutbeck, Windermere, Lake District, Cumbria LA23 1PL
015394 33193
www.themortalman.com
The Gladstone is a Georgian town house, simple, elegant and airy. It overlooks the River Dee estuary on one side and the High Street lined with multi coloured houses on the other. The tiny port has art and jazz festivals and The Gladstone does a dollop of haggis with breakfast. The Selkirk Arms, a stagger up the road, was reputedly where Robert Burns drank and wrote.
48 High Street, Kirkcudbright, DG6 4JX;
tel: 01557 331734
This hostel is so unexpectedly swish that you have to stay there once if only to realise that budget accomodation is not as bad as you
think. It's packed full of facilities, including a free all-you-can-eat breakfast, 24 hour reception and a ludicrously cheap,
buzzy bar - and it's only £10 a night. Not bad for a hostel slap bang in the middle of London (between Euston and Kings Cross).
The Generator, Compton Place (off 31 Tavistock Place), London, WC1H 9SE
020 7388 7666 www.generatorhostels.com/london/
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