Novotel Berlin Hotel - 4-star Cheap Hotel in Berlin

Posted on October 22, 2008
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Novotel Berlin Am Tiergarten is a 4-star cheap hotel in Berlin, Germany. My company reserved an apartment for me in this hotel; I wasn’t very sure weather the hotel would be satisfactory or not as they usually go for the cheapest place. However, this hotel in Berlin didn’t disappoint me at all; I had a pleasant stay there. I think I couldn’t have better place for the money we paid - comparatively nice and cheap Berlin hotel.

Excellent location is the biggest plus of the Hotel Novotel Berlin: the Tiergarten S-bahn station is right across the street (I am a light sleeper, but street noise didn’t bother, and I had a good night’s rest), Berlin s Tiergarten park is nearby and only minutes from Kurfurstendamm (very popular boulevard among Berliners and visitors), not far from Berlin Tegel International Airport (where I landed).

The Novotel Berlin Hotel is comparatively large, it was very clean inside and the young English speaking staff were very friendly and attentive. Hotel facilities included a restaurant, a bar (bar prices were a little steep), conference premises, private parking, spa and fitness areas and facilities for disabled people.

I got a good sized clean room with safe and a small fridge full of beverages, of course all basic room amenities were available as well. As for meal plan - buffet breakfast was included in the room price, excellent choice of food and drink.
There was really nothing to complain about this hotel except the fact that you needed the keycard to operate the elevator – it annoyed me sometimes.

The overall impression of the the Novotel Berlin Am Tiergarten hotel is very positive and I’d stay there again if I went back to Berlin.

Hotel Gereon Cologne - Cheap Hotel in Cologne

Posted on October 22, 2008
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My colleague has kindly provided information about very cheap hotel in Cologne, Germany. This is Hotel Gereon, which is very comfortably located in the city center – this fact makes it a perfect place to stay for those traveling on business. It is close to the international airport, so you will be able to relax soon after your arrival. The central station and the Cologne trade fair centre are nearby. The closeness to the subway station “Christophstrasse” is another plus of the hotel’s central location. Furthermore, Hotel Gereon Cologne would be a convenient settlement if you travel for some culture reasons, because it is situated right between the Cologne Cathedral and the Cologne Ring.

Hotel Gereon doesn’t have any single rooms, but offers cosy double apartments suitable for single use, triple rooms as well as quad rooms for up to 4 guests. My colleague reserved a double room; there was a shower, toilet, heating, work-desk and a colour TV set available in the room. Internet was available as well. The room was very clean; the staff of the hotel seemed to be friendly, though there were some language problems. Breakfast was included in the room price, though their daily breakfast menu could have been more diverse, but you could enjoy your food in the hotel-owned cafe in the open-air.

Perfect location and low rates are the advantages of Hotel Gereon in Cologne, while lack of room facilities and provided services could be considered as disadvantages. Don’t expect anything extraordinary here. Anyway, if you don’t care much of services and need just a clean and comfortable place to sleep in Cologne, choose that cheap Cologne hotel.

Many thanks to the colleague for sharing the information.

Hotel Villa Rondini - a Wonderful budget Hotel in Florence, Italy

Posted on August 31, 2008
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Here I’ve got a letter from Martha, who wrote a wonderful review about one of the budget Florence hotels - Hotel Villa le Rondini, a 4-star hotel in the suburbs of Florence, Italy.“We had a wonderful holiday celebrating our wedding anniversary at Hotel Villa Rondini located in the picturesque hills near Florence. The hotel is housed in three grand patrician villas, so if you are offered a room in a separate building you should know that it is quite a way from the main building and you will need to do a lot of walking to and from breakfast. But we didn’t mind walking at all – it was so romantic and peaceful after the crowds and heat of Florence itself!

Our room was very spacious and full of light. The very air of this cheap Florence hotel was full of romance and country charm. As we asked for a room with a good view, we were settled in room with balcony, which had a panoramic view of Florence and the surrounding countryside. The room was really clean, cute and cheerful. It was decorated with country furniture and lavish fabrics, which was something different from what we used to, but that was just what we needed at the moment. By the way, bring mosquito repellent as mosquitoes are very active in the evenings and at night, or keep your windows closed – rooms are properly air-conditioned.

The garden had a big open-air swimming pool, tennis courts and a children’s playground. There was a lovely bar area where it was nice to rest with a drink; Hotel Villa Rondini offers some beauty treatments in a small spa.
Breakfast included in our room rate was delicious (if you are there don’t miss a chance to try bistecca fiorentina – it’s really tasty!)

In our opinion, Hotel Villa le Rondini is an ideal place for romantic occasions, we have no hesitation to recommend it.”

Titania Hotel in Athens, Greece - a Good Business & Budget Athens Hotel

Posted on August 27, 2008
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Here I am back with a new hotel review. This time it is Titania Hotel in Athens, Greece. I stayed at this 4-star Athens hotel for 2 nights on business at the end of July. I didn’t have a chance to choose a budegt hotel in Athens myself, as a hotel had already been chosen and booked for me.

The staff at the reception desk were very attentive. The check in was very quick, even though the hotel was very busy. There were a lot of people in the lobby, but the elevators were too narrow and slow to handle with the volume of traffic. However, this is a usual situation in most European hotels, so it was expected.

My room looked a little bit old-fashioned, but there was everything I needed to spend a couple of days. It was quite small, but acceptable.  The bed was comfy, the room was air-conditioned. There was a good selection of channels on satellite and cable television. The bathroom was very clean and had a very nice shower.

The roof top restaurant-bar “Olive Garden” is probably the best thing about Titania Hotel. It was really fabulous with breathtaking views of the Acropolis and the city. The food was very expensive, but it was just excellent.

Titania Hotel Athens is a perfect base for exploring Athens. Metro station is close to the hotel and in only a couple of stops you will be at the foot of the Acropolis. Lively Omonia Square is not far from Titania Hotel, you can easily get there on foot.

In my opinion, the Titania Hotel is an acceptable business and budget Athens hotel.”

Hotel Ipek Palas in Istanbul, Turkey - Cheap and Nice Istanbul Hotel

Posted on July 8, 2008
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I haven’t written for a long time, but now I am back to publish my friend’s review about Hotel Ipek Palas in Istanbul, Turkey.

“I stayed in Hotel Ipek Palas Istanbul, for 4 nights. I booked the hotel on-line, as I usually do. I was looking for a centrally located cheap hotel in Istanbul and this hotel seemed to be situated right in the center of Istanbul and close to the city’s historical sights such as Grand Bazar, Spice Bazar, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, etc. So, Hotel Ipek Palas is close both to city’s amenities and most important historical attractions, which makes this hotel a convenient place to stay both for leisure and business travelers. It is also easy to get to the hotel from the local airport, a tram stop is just a block away from the hotel so can get the tram everywhere around the city for cheap. Moreover, Hotel Ipek Palas is comparatively cheaper than other 3-star hotels in Istanbul.

I had a single room on the fifth floor. My room was clean and cosy though it wasn’t very big. The bathroom was very clean as well and new towels were given daily. The air conditioner in my room worked perfectly, the room would be cool in less than 5 minutes. Generally, the room was quite OK for the price I paid.

Breakfast was included in the price and it was quite good, but I think they should serve more hot dishes for breakfast.
If I turn out to be in Istanbul, I will definitely stay in Hotel Ipek Palas.”

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