22 Affordable European Hotels

At the London Bridge Hotel, 400-thread-count sheets, Miller Harris bath products, and at-the-ready service mean that a stay next to the Tower Bridge will be cool and comfortable. The hotel is located in the small neighborhood of Southwark, just a quick walk from the Tate Modern, the Globe Theatre, and the epicenter of London’s locavore movement, Borough Market. The 24-hour concierge desk is worth a visit, too: veteran staffers, who come from such impeccable London properties as the InterContinental Park Lane and the Mayfair, are able to score coveted seats to Arsenal soccer games and tickets for concerts at the O2 arena.22 Affordable European Hotels

Standing outside on orderly Dawson Street, you’d never imagine the Indo-Asian fantasy that lies behind the door of this Georgian manse. La Stampa Hotel & Mandala Spa is flamboyantly chic, its 37 rooms adorned with Balinese wall screens, teak furniture, potted palms, gold moldings, and mirrors. For dinner, it’s prawn toasts and pad thai in the glow of lanterns at Tiger Becs, one of the city’s most popular Thai restaurants.22 Affordable European Hotels

What you know of the Ninth Arrondissement is still generally true—this boho district is no St.-Germain—but gentrification has struck, and the Hôtel Amour is an example of how much. Located on a slender corridor that feels more St.-Georges than Quartier Pigalle, the hotel is the brainchild of three nightlife aficionados who know their target audience well (think iPhone-toting media types) and chose their amenities accordingly. You’ll find cheeky framed photographs in the restaurant, rooms with toys from Kidrobot, and even a foosball table in the basement. Want more proof that the area is ready for travelers?Rue des Martyrs, around the corner from the hotel, has become the spot to shop for fine cheeses and groceries.22 Affordable European Hotels

Hôtel Thérèse is set in an 18th-century town house on a quiet side street in the heart of the First Arrondissement. On the Right Bank, blocks from the Louvre, the Thérèse has 43 rooms that are on the petite side, but budding hotel doyenne Sylvie de Lattre (the woman behind another T+L favorite, the Hôtel Verneuil, in St.-Germain) has established an uncluttered aesthetic and filled the rooms with Parisian paintings garnered from local flea markets.22 Affordable European Hotels

Portuguese architect Francisco Aires Mateus renovated a 1908 iron factory to create the Fontana Park Hotel. Keeping its exterior intact, he gutted the building to make way for Zen-like interiors. Open expanses, including the Bonsai restaurant and Fontana bar, are punctuated by sharply angled glass staircases and sheaths of hammered ironwork—homages to the building’s first life. The 139 simple black-and-white rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows that provide panoramic views of the city.22 Affordable European Hotels

Dominican monks called this cloistered palace off the Grand Place home 600 years ago, but today the candlelit lobby of the Dominican welcomes all sorts, from ambassadors to twentysomething DJ’s. The 150 rooms, some with mezzanine lofts, balance 21st-century convenience (flat-screen TV’s; complimentary Wi-Fi) and baroque touches, including Fortuny printed pillows and satin bedspreads on pillowy-soft beds.22 Affordable European Hotels

If proximity to Gucci is crucial no matter what city you’re in, the Hotel Patou on the PC Hooftstraat, Amsterdam’s version of Rodeo Drive, is for you. The 12 spacious rooms are elegant in the Dutch way (streamlined and spare), with oak-plank floors, a somberly sexy palette of putty-gray, black, and white, and bathrooms with Bisazza-tiled showers and huge marble sinks. Request room Nos. 40–44, all of which have mansard ceilings.22 Affordable European Hotels

Denmark’s architectural history is on display at the Avenue Hotel Copenhagen where Emil Blichfeldt, the man who designed the arched entrance to the neighboring Tivoli Gardens, created the hotel’s original 1899 structure. Inside, patterned Missoni bedspreads brighten the 68 basic rooms. Guests take their breakfast of house-made bread and fresh coffee on the bamboo-shaded patio.22 Affordable European Hotels

Intimate, affordable, and environmentally friendly aren’t words typically associated with Russian hotels, which is why the Alexander House is such a great find. Owner Alexander Zhukov, a former war correspondent for the Associated Press, turned a 19th-century mansion about two miles from Palace Square into a hotel with a familial vibe (Zhukov and his wife personally attend to guests). Each of the 18 rooms is distinct and named for a global city: several, like the airy second-floor Paris, London, and Rome rooms, have canal views.22 Affordable European Hotels

Looking for a place that evokes Germany’s 1920’s Art Deco style?Then try the Ellington Hotel. Set in what was once a mammoth office building, the original 20th-century façade belies the updated all-white interior. The hotel is also conveniently situated on Nürnberger Strasse, the main artery of former West Berlin, and close to shopping mecca KaDeWe.22 Affordable European Hotels

Lindwurmstrasse, just outside Sendlinger Tor and the Old City, is a residential avenue lined with comfortable cafés and, now, the Cocoon. Guest rooms are sexy spaces fit for Barbarella, with bubble chairs, recessed lighting, and varying configurations made possible by sage-green sliding partitions. The nicest touch is a windowside reading nook, complete with a cozy daybed.22 Affordable European Hotels

It’s old meets new at the Hotel Franziskaner. Outside, an ancient square is anchored by a splashing fountain and medieval church bells toll. Inside, the hotel’s 23 funky rooms—some in herbal greens, others in bright reds and oranges—are outfitted with low-slung platform beds and plenty of space to hang your clothes and coats.22 Affordable European Hotels

Located in a 110-year-old former factory showroom, the 42-room art-centric Hotel Altstadt Vienna is sandwiched between residential Josefstadt and the monuments of the MuseumsQuartier. Museum-quality works include original paintings by Andy Warhol and Markus Prachensky, but what makes the hotel stand out is the friendly staff, who are always happy to discuss the art with interested guests.22 Affordable European Hotels

The glass-and-steel–clad Andel’s Hotel Prague next to a Jean Nouvel–designed building in the now-fashionable Smichov neighborhood, pays homage to minimalism. The 239 spacious rooms can hold their own with the city’s luxury properties: high-speed Internet, DVD players, stylish furniture, and, because of the hotel’s glass exterior, plenty of natural light.22 Affordable European Hotels

The Casanova by Rafael Hotels prides itself on top-notch service. Housekeepers leave bonbons or flowers on pillows in Superior rooms and suites, and concierges create unique itineraries (a tour of La Boqueria market with a Spanish food expert, for example). Such attention extends to the 124 light-filled rooms and public spaces, which feature works by Catalonian artists—a nod to the nearby Bohemian artists’ enclave, El Raval.22 Affordable European Hotels

Despite its setting in Barcelona’s busy pedestrian zone, Hotel Murmuri is unexpectedly serene (murmuri means murmur). Almost half of the 53 gray-and-beige rooms feature open-air balconies. There’s also a solarium on a leafy sixth-floor terrace that overlooks Gaudí’s La Pedrera apartment building, on the Passeig de Gràcia.22 Affordable European Hotels

For a hotel chain known to be business-friendly, Vincci has been having plenty of fun lately. Witness its newest outpost, Vincci Via 66, right on the Spanish capital’s ornate thoroughfare. Old-fashioned Hollywood glamour—with a touch of Almodóvar camp—inspired the public spaces and the 116 guest rooms, each decorated with photos of silent-era stars, vampy lipstick-red accents, and cutout patterns on the wall that evoke Spanish lace. Don’t miss the tapas bars of lively Chueca, five minutes away by taxi.22 Affordable European Hotels

In the bohemian Oltrarno neighborhood, Floroom 1 is run by members of the families behind budget airline Blu-express and fashion company Save the Queen. Though small in size (there are only four suites), the hotel is high on style. Stark white walls are hung with black-and-white photographs of Old Florence; handcrafted wood furniture and restored ceiling beams are a nod to the Tuscan region. A sister property—Floroom 2—is set to open in July near the shops on Via Tornabuoni.22 Affordable European Hotels

In the heart of the Italian capital, the five-room Casa Montani is a blissful hideaway, thanks to a state-of-the-art soundproofing system that hushes the noise from the Piazza del Popolo. Inside, beds are fitted with towels by Frette, furniture was designed by architect Liliana Sciacca, and breakfast (fresh cornetti with organic jams) is served on fine porcelain. Although room service isn’t available for after-hours cravings, owners Giuseppe and Charlotte Montani give out their cell phone numbers for late-night restaurant queries.22 Affordable European Hotels

Some of Greece’s most influential names—including Greek Vogue fashion director Michalis Pantos—are behind the design of Classical 2 Fashion House Hotel The 110 rooms (some fuchsia and dark green; others sky blue and brown) have faux tiger-skin rugs, while Room 415 is painted with a mural of winged angels.22 Affordable European Hotels

Amid the Romanesque and Gothic buildings of Buda, Lánchíd 19 stands out for its contemporary aesthetic. The 48-room property lights up the Danube River with a luminous glass façade (it’s composed of 150 panels that rotate and change color throughout the day). Glass bridges connect the guest rooms to the lobby, which has a transparent floor revealing Roman ruins underneath.22 Affordable European Hotels

The modern interiors created by Turkish firm Autoban are attracting design aficionados to the new 17-room Witt Istanbul Suites. Laser-cut floral motifs, reflective subway tiles, and unusual furnishings (like a pumpkin coffee table) add whimsy to the loftlike 600-square-foot rooms. Best of all is the surrounding neighborhood: Cihangir, an olive’s toss from Beyoglu’s busy restaurants and nightlife.22 Affordable European Hotels