Where to stay in Belgrade?

Belgrade (meaning White City) is the capital of Serbia and with its 1.7 million population, it is also the largest city in the country. The tourism potential of Belgrade is recently discovered and the city is becoming a popular tourist destination fast.

Belgrade is famous with its colorful night life. Belgrade night life is not only lively and colorful, it is also very friendly. Bars, night clubs, shows, casinos and restaurants fill the city nights but the most popular clubs are on the river boats. Belgrade casinos and night clubs draws tonnes of tourists from all around the world but especially from Europe.

In this post we will briefly guide you on where to stay in Belgrade. We will give some Belgrade hotel recommendations at the end but first introduce the popular neighborhoods in Belgrade to accommodate.

As you can see in the below Belgrade map, the city is located on the plateau where Sava and Danube rivers intersects. The historic center of Belgrade is on the river shores and is called Stari Grad (old town). This is the center of tourism and as a tourist most interesting places for you would be here.

The Belgrade city center is composed of Stari Grad, Vracar and Savski Venac Neighborhoods. We will recommend you to stay in the city center or at least just right next to it. You can take an airport shuttle from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport and you do not need to take a lot of taxis (taxi scams are fairly common in Belgrade).

Belgrade map and Belgrade's neighborhoods. Old town is the tourism center and with Vracar and Savski Venac, it forms the city center. Try to find a Belgrade hotel in these neighbourhoods

If you want to stay in a Belgrade hotel near Belgrade night life then look for a hotel near Terazije Square in the old town. But since the night life shifts to riverside in the summer, you can look for a hotel near river in this season. For this, Zemun is a very good location to stay in the summer months and you can simply take a boat on the river to the center and night life.  Many people think Zemun is a part of New Belgrade (Novi Belgrad) but this riverside neighborhood is a seperate area. If you would like to stay here, you can take a look at Belgrade Zemun hotels pages.

If you do not know Belgrade well (especially if this is your first time in Belgrade), try to find a hotel in Stari Grad or Zemun. In Srari Grad, you will find popular but relatively expensive hotels near Terazije Square. If you are looking for central but cheap Belgrade hotels, take a look at the train station area.

For a detailed list of hotels in Belgrade as well as room prices, you can take a look at Belgrade Hotels page.

Belos is also 10 Belgrade hotels with high guest ratings(*):

1 - Selection Apartments (3 Star) - Dobracina 9, Belgrade, Serbia
2 - Zira Hotel (4 Star) -  35 Ruzveltova Street, Belgrade, Serbia
3 - Hyatt Regency Belgrade (5 Star) - PO Box 067, Milentija Popovica 5, Belgrade, Serbia
4 - Hotel Srbija Garni - (3 Star) - Brankova 13-15, Belgrade, Serbia
5 - Belgrade Art Hotel (3 Star) - Knez Mihailova 27, Belgrade, Serbia
6 - Holiday Inn Belgrade (4 Star) - Spanskih Boraca 74, Belgrade, Serbia
7 - Queen's Astoria Design Hotel  (4 Star) - Milovana Milovanovica 1, Belgrade, Serbia
8 - In Hotel Belgrade (4 Star) - 56 Arsenija Carnojevica Boulevard, Belgrade, Serbia
9 - Belgrade City Hotel (4 Star) - Savski Trg 7, Belgrade, Serbia
10 - Design Hotel Mr. President (4 Star) - Karadjordjeva 75, Belgrade, Serbia

Hyatt Regency Belgrade

(*) -  These are from hotelscombined hotel search engine with highest and minimum 100 guest ratings.

Where to stay in Milan?

If Rome is representing the "old" Italy, Milan is representing the "new" Italy as being the most modern and important business, finance and fashion city in the country. In Milan, you will not only find magnificant historic structures like the The Duomo di Milan or classical art masterpieces like Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper, you will also find the modern Italy with its shopping, fashion, colorful nightlife, football and opera.

At first sight you may think that Milan is a souless city catering to business and finance while having some historic sightseeing in the city center. Although the city center is very well maintained, you cannot say the same for the suburbs. And unlike many historic cities in Europe and Italy, you will not have a historic art piece at every corner.

The most famous building in Milan is The Duomo di Milano Cathedral in Duamo Square. Construction of this building has started in 1386 and today it is not only a must see in Milan, climbing one of the towers and watching Milan view is also a must do in Milan. Other places of interest in Milan would be Saint Mary of the Graces, The Certosa di Garegnano, San Satiro's false apse and Sant'Antonio Abate.

We will cut short into where to stay in Milan question. And instead of suggesting some Milan hotels, we will briefly introduce the Milan districts popular for accomodation.

The historic center of Milan is known as Zona 1 di Milano (Zone 1). This is one of the 9 districts in Milan and geographic center of the city. If you are planning to stay in Milan and looking for a Milan hotel, you should first look at places like Brera, Centro storico, Conca del Naviglio, Guastalla, Porta Sempione and Porta Tenaglia in Zone 1.

Milan is divided into 9 administrative zones and Zone 1 is the geographical and historic center of Milan.
The Duomo Square is in the center of Zone 1.

Duomo and Milan City Center (Milan Centro Storico)

Zona 1 di Milano is the geographical as well as historic center of the city and is the best place to stay in Milan. And in the center of this zone, there is Duomo Square (Piazza del Duomo) and Duomo di Milano Cathedral. One of the oldest surviving shopping centers in the world, historic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and Palazzo Reale are also here. To the east of the square you will find colorful Corso Vittorio Emanuele and its shops and to the north you will find infamous La Scala Opera House. Shopping addicts and art lovers would love to head to south of the square where they can find Brera full of art galleries and Via Montenapoleone full of branded shopping opportunities.

If you can find a hotel here within your budget, Zone 1 is the best place to stay in Milan. For hotels and details like room rates here, you can check Milan city center hotels and hotels near Duomo di Milano pages.

Where to stay in Uzungol?

Receiving ever increasing Turkish and foreign visitors thanks to its stunning natural beauty, Uzungol is one of the most important tourism centers in Black Sea Region of Turkey and Trabzon. Located in a deep valley and formed by a natural land slide, Uzungol and its surrounding offers lush green forests, great trekking routes and delicious food.

Uzungol is just 99 kilometer away from Trabzon city center and is 1090 meters high from the sea level. It offers a fantastic getaway from the sweating hot weather of summer with its cool (and cold in the night). It is one of the legs of almost all Black Sea Tours and a must see for people visiting Trabzon.

Its oxygen rich and cool weather is a boon for everyone but nature and fresh air is only a few of all the things Uzungol offers to its visitors. The local food is unique and delicious here. Especially the local trout (named kırmızı benekli alabalık) sourced from Haldızen Stream is cooked in many ways and both butter and grill versions are must try.

Let's now answer where to stay in Uzungol question. The signnificant improvements of the roads and resulting easy access created a tourism boom in Uzungol which is translated into a lot of tourism investment. Now you can find many boutique hotels as well as small motels in Uzungol village and in the surrounding hills. Basically you have two alternatives to choose among in terms of a place to stay in Uzungol : you can stay in the village near the lake which offers easy access to the lake and the facilities in the village but is in the middle of everything including the massive crowd pouring into Uzungol during high season, public holidays and weekends. Or you can choose to stay in an Uzungol hotel a little bit up in the hills. Although these hotels are far from the village, they offer fantastic view of Uzungol and are more secluded and relaxed. If you do not have a car though, you will need to walk to the village.

If somehow you cannot find a place to stay in Uzungol, you can also stay in Trabzon and have a day trip to Uzungol but the real deal is staying here.

Uzungöl is one of the poster childs of Turkish tourism and the most popular tourism center in Black Sea Region.

Below, we have given some Uzungol hotel recommendations. If you want to take a look at a more complete list of hotels in Uzungol with details such as room rates, you can visit Uzungol hotels page.

Zeren Pansiyon
Uzungöl Mah. Cami Sk.Inonu Caddesi no 7, 61960

Zeren Pansiyon offers large, clean and comfortable facilities as well as a stunning view of Uzungol. The hospitality is very good. It is a little bit far away from the village but it is spared from the crowds of high season and holidays and is a good alternative if you want to stay away from the crowds.

Uzungöl Apart
Yeni Mah. Uzungöl İnceli Kume Evleri No:2 Çaykara, 61960 Uzungöl

Uzungöl Apart offers a great view, stunning nature surrounding the property and great hospitality. If you do not have a car, it will take 20 minutes to walk to the lake but the nature surrounding the path is amazing and this long distance becomes an attraction of the hotel rather than a negative.

Göbleç Otel
Uzungöl Yeni Mah Çaykara, 61960 Uzungöl

Göbleç Otel is just 500 meters from the lake and offers a stay near the lake. The property is a traditional wooden structure and the hotel offers a good breakfast, clean and nice rooms and good service. The rooms have balcony which is a bonus. 500 .

İnan Kardeşler Otel
Gölbaşı Mahallesi Fatih Caddesi Uzungöl Çaykara, 61960

İnan Kardeşler Oteli is just 150 meters from the lake and offers a stunning forest view. The accomodation is wooden structures but they offer TV and heating.

Özkan Otel
Yeni Mahalle Uzungöl - Çaykara, 61940

Özkan Otel is right next to the lake and its location and lake view are its positive sides.

Where to stay in New York?

New York is the most populous and developed city in United States of America (USA) and the most important financial, business, culture, culinary, trade and art center in the world. New York houses the most impressive skyline in the world with the infamous skyscrapers on Manhattan Island.

New York is a very popular tourist destination and New York hotels are expensive. Even hostels in New York charges nightly prices starting from 50 USD and a mid-range hotel in New York would charge 250-350 USD per room per night. And luxury New York hotels like Waldorf Astoria and The Plaza would charge thousands of dollars per suite per night.

Although New York hotels are expensive, you will be spoilt for choices. All the chain hotel groups you know (and probably do not know) have a hotel in New York. Manhattan is the most expensive place to stay in New York and any Manhattan hotel below 200 USD per night would be a tiny cell with a bed, TV and a little more. In New York hotel prices range significantly as well as their quality so check the customer reviews of the hotels online before booking one. Some places like the outer regions of West Side High Way and Queens may offer cheap hotels where main customer group are the customers of the sex workers booking “hourly” for the trade.

New York hotel rooms are usually advertised without taxes added. You would need to pay plus 2 USD + 5.8% hotel tax and 1.5 USD extra. So a New York hotel room advertised as 100 USD per night will cost you around 118 USD per night.

Ok, we may have scared you up to this point but do not worry: It is still possible to find relatively cheap hotels in New York if you follow our tips:

• Use online hotel booking sites for the best and cheapest prices as well as discounts. Online bookings will almost always be cheaper than the reception rack rates and there are also significant price differences for the same type of room in the same hotel among different booking sites. We suggest using a hotel meta-search engine like hotelscombined.com which auto compares almost all online booking site prices and lists them for you.
• The low seasons for New York hotels are January and February especially the days after the New Year; the last 2 weeks of August; 3 days before Thanks Giving and Sunday’s. If the cold and snow does not scare you, hotels in New York are cheapest in January and February.
• Sometimes the airline you use to fly to New York or the travel agent offers “flight + hotel” packages which may provide cheap hotel accommodation in New York.
• Instead of staying in a hotel. you can stay in a B&B or private apartment room advertised on sites like Airbnb starting from 50 USD.

So where to stay in New York? Let’s answer this question with some of the most popular places to stay in New York.

Midtown Manhattan

Housing some of the most iconic places in Manhattan such as Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, United Nations HQ, Sixth Avenue, Madison Square Garden, Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square, M'dtown Manhattan is also the most popular and the best place to stay in New York. The area contains the largest number of hotels in New York and although it is expensive to stay here, its central location in Manhattan makes it the best place to stay in New York.

For hotels in Midtown Manhattan as well as useful details such as  room rates and price comparisons, you can check New York City Midtown Manhattan hotels page.

Panaromic view of Midtown Manhattan from the Empire State Building

Central Park and the Upper East Side

Upper East Side is to the north of the Midtown and to the east of the Central Park. It is one of the most affluent neighbourhoods in the city. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fifth Avenue,  Jewish Museum, Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Temple Emanu-El of New York are here. The area hosts some of the most famous museums in the world and the strings of museums along the infamous Fifth Avenue fronting the Central Park is called "Museum Mile" (it was once named Millionaire's Row). Madison Avenue and Second Avenue offers some cool bars while Central Park is a must see in every New Yok itinerary. Also do not miss The American Museum of Natural History on the west side.

For thew hotels in this affluent New York neighbourhood as well as a room price comparison list, you can check New York Central Park hotels ve Upper East Side hotels pages.

New York Central Park

Chelsea and Greenwich Village

With its brown colored stone mansions, green streets and wonderful art galleries, Chelsea is just two blocks to the south of 34th Street. You will love the restaurants, delis and bakeries here. Greenwich Village may be an affluent neighbourhood today but this area below 14th Street has a bohemian past which is still preserved. The Village Vanguard offers fantastic jazz music in the nights while the street musicians on the Washington Square offers a feast of music of its kind. You can find hip clubs and restaurants in Meatpacking District and head to The East Village for a Rock & Roll atmosphere.

For hotels in these central New York Districts, take a look at New York Chelsea hotels and Greenwich Village hotels pages.

SoHo and the Lower East Side

You can find the art and fashion center SoHo just to the south of Greenwich Village. Nice restaurants, boutique fashion shops and shopping experience is waiting for you in Broadway and its side lanes. You will find "Little Italy" in Mulberry and Mott Streets while infamous New York Chinatown is just below these two. Canal Street offers electronics, fresh fruit / vegetable and Chinese craft shopping. The Lower East side is very famous with its boutique New York hotels, trendy restaurants and bars. 

Take a look at New York SoHo hotels and Lower East Side hotels pages for details.

Where to stay in Penang?

This post is moved to Where to stay in Penang?

Where to stay in Paris?

The capital and the largest city of France, Paris, is a cosmopolitan metropol with 12 million souls living in it. Located on both sides of Seine River is not only one of the largest cities in France, but it is also one of the most beautiful and romantic one. Known also as The City of Lights (La Ville Lumière) and The Capital of Fashion, Paris is the motherland for many luxury brands such as Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint-Laurent, Guerlain, Lancôme, L’Oréal, Clarins, etc.

Historic center of Paris is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and houses almost all the iconic tourist attractions in Paris such as Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Catedral, Louvre Museum, Moulin Rouge, Lido etc. All these makes Paris the most popular tourist destination in the world with 45 million tourists visiting it every year.

Where to stay in Paris? The answer to this question depends on your budget and the reason you are visiting the city. If you are in Paris as a typical tourist the best place to stay is the historic center of the city. If you are in Paris for Disneyland Paris, then you should stay in and near this amusement park. And for the budget: although Paris is an expensive place to stay, you can find a wide range of accomodation ranging from B&Bs and hostels to luxury boutique hotels or hotel chains.



Historic center of Paris is divided into 20 districts (arrondissement) which can be seen in the below Paris map. If you look at the map carefully, you will see that the twenty arrondissements are arranged in the form of a clockwise spiral, starting from the middle of the city, with the first on the Right Bank (north bank) of the Seine which divides the city into two. The city started on Île de la Cité, the island that houses Notre Dame De Paris in Arrondissement 4 (Hôtel-de-Ville). But the geographical center of the historic city center is Arrondissement 1 (Louvre) where you can find The Musée du Louvre, the Jardin des Tuileries, Place Vendôme, Les Halles, Palais Royal, Comédie-Française, and Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. Arrondissement one is a great starting point for travellers.

Historic center of Paris is divided into 20 districts (arrondissements) Source : www.parishotels-discount.com

Each arrondissement of Paris have their own distinctive culture and lifestyle. Usually, the Left Bank (South) of Seine and Latin Quarter is known to be the area of/for artists, intellectuals and students and Left Bank (North) of Seine is known as the place of business and wealthy people.

Here, we will give some information on the popular areas to stay in Paris so you can choose the best area to stay in Paris suiting your own requirements.

Paris Latin quarter – Saint Germain des Prés (Arrondissements 5,6,7,13 )

The banks of Seine river from Eiffel Tower (Arrondissement 7 - Palais-Bourbon) to the end of Arrondissement 13 (Gobelins), especially the area surrounding the Latin Quarter (Arrondissement 5 and 6) is known for for its student life, lively atmosphere and bistros. The Latin Quarter area is named after Latin Language because  Sorbonne University is here and in middle ages Latin was spoken in the university world.

With its narrow streets, cafes, restaurants and shopping options catering to young people, this area is closed to many Paris attractions and you can walk (or take public transport like Metro) from here to every central district in Paris.

If you would like to stay in this lively area of Paris, you can check the list of hotels, room prices and special deals and discounts at Paris Latin Quarter Hotels page.

La Sorbonne

Paris Montmartre – Sacre Coeur (Arrondissements 18,19,20)

If you are looking for a romantic place to stay in Paris, do not look somewhere other than Montmartre. Named after the 130 meter high Montmartre Hill, the area’s most famous building is Basilica of the Sacré Cœur (see the photo below). Although we have said it is romantic here,  Montmartre is also known as the night club area of Paris and those looking for naughty night life will find it here.

Montmartre has a fantastic view of Paris. France’s National Day Fireworks (14th July) is best watched from here. Although in the historic center, you will encounter wine yards and wine houses here.

Montmartre and its surrounding area was popular among painters such as Renoir Toulouse, Lautrec and Picass. Today you can see many painters in Tertre Square (and most of them are just there to earn your tourist money).

Montmartre is not near the main tourist attractions in Paris. So, why do we suggest here? This is because first of all with the fantastic public transportation in Paris, the distance is not a big deal, especially if the area saves you a lot of money. Montmartre houses many relatively cheap Paris hotels and is the most hotel concentrated place in Paris. This makes it an ideal place to find something for all budgets and tastes.

Montmartre is the best place to stay cheap in Paris. If you would like to stay in Montmartre , you can check the list of hotels, room prices and special deals and discounts at Paris Montmartre Hotels page.

 Paris Montmartre 

Le Marais – Le louvre (Arrondissements 1,2,3,4)

If you are in Paris for shopping or smell the new trends in the Fashion Capital, Le Marais and surrounding area is for you to stay. Here you will find 16th century historic buildings face to face with steel and glass facade of Pompidou Museum. The area is known as  the aristocratic district of Paris and hosts many outstanding buildings of historic and architectural importance. The Marais is known as one of the main centers in Paris for art galleries and it is home to many trendy restaurants, fashion houses, and hype galleries.

Do not get scared with this “aristocratic ” word because you can still find something for your budget here. Even if you do not stay here, spend time to visit this area. Le Marais is a very central location and you can walk to many tourist attractions from here.

If you want to take a look at your hotel options in Paris Le Marais, take a look at our hotel list here : Paris Le Marais Hotels.

The Louvre or Louvre Museum, one of the largest museums in the world, requires no introduction. The areas around Louvre, Arrondissement 1 is geographically the center of Paris and is the best area to stay in Paris if you are planning to discover Paris on foot (the best option) or spend a lot of time in Louvre Museum (it may take several days if you want to see everything displayed here).

For hotels and room prices in this area, take a look at to our Paris 01: Le Louvre Hotels and 02: Bourse Hotels pages.

Louvre Museum

Champs Elysees- Trocadero (Arrondissements 8,9,16,17)

Many tourist attractions like Arc de Triumph, historic buildings, super expensive Champs Elysees Avenue is here in Champs Elysees.  Avenue houses many big luxury brand names and their main stores: Cartier, Lancel, Hugo Boss and Louis Vuitton (1800 metersquare giant shop). A definite heaven for shopping wifes and a hell for paying husbands. Still a must see for all visitors to Paris.

Champs Elysees and Trocadero are the most expensive but exclusive places to stay in Paris. To check how high the prices can go and how luxurious and comfortable the hotels are check Paris 08: Champs Elysees Hotels page.

Avenue des Champs Elysees from Arc de Triumph

Disneyland Paris

Many tourists visit Paris just for Paris Disneyland. This magical land is 32 kilometers south, in Marne-la-Vallée’de and if your main reason to visit Paris is to go to Paris Disneyland (previously known as Euro Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris), you should stay in and around the amusement park.

The Disneyland Hotel at the main entrance of Disneyland Paris is the most expensive but the most convenient hotel to stay here. It is walking distance to the park. The Newport Bay Hotel with its big balconies and large swimming pool is one of the best hotels to stay in Disneyland Paris especially during hot summer days.

Disney’s Hotel Cheyenne with its wild west theme is a little off the amusement park and requires shuttle bus to arrive to the park. But it is a budget hotel with a very basic setting but very good food. Disney’s Hotel Santa Fe is probably the cheapest hotel you can find around Disneyland Paris.

For hotels in and around Paris Disneyland, take a look at our Disneyland Paris Hotels page.

Where to stay in Rome?

Rome, the capital and the largest city of Italy, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe offering fantastic Italian food, 2,800 years old history, great art collection and a very good modern tourist necessities such as a colorful night life, shopping and entertainment.

The answer to the question-title where to stay in Rome is quite straightforward. In Rome, you should stay in the historic city center or centro storico. Although there are several different centers of Roman Empire, Ressienance and 19th century, Rome’s historic center is not a very large area. The historic center, the area with almost all the tourist attractions, only covers 4% of modern city of Rome.

But again although it is not a very large area, it is a very very large open air museum and you will need to spend at least 2 days and better 3 days to enjoy a bit of every major delights the city offers. Staying in the center will save you time you would spend to reach there from outside and note that the traffic in Rome is not very good.

Rome is divided into administrative districts known as Rioni of Rome. Rione I (District 1) is Monti, part of Roman Empire time historic center of Rome. In this post, we will look at the answer to where to stay in Rome questions from the perspective of Rioni’s.

Source : Wikitravel

Rome Modern Center

Rome’s night life and shopping experienced in centered in modern center. Rome’s most famous and expensive street Via Venetto (official name is via Vittorio Veneto ) is here as well as the current official residence of the President of the Italian Republic, historic Quirinal Palace is here. If you go to Rome this area is probably where you will stay.

Modern center is the area to the east of Termini station. Castro Pretorio district next to Termini  offers many smaller hotels. Via Cavour and via Nazionale host the larger hotels full of group travelers. And for those with deep pockets, Via Venetto offers some of the most expensive hotels in Rome.

Trevi Fountain in Rome

Old Rome

The most attractive part of Rome is the old Rome, the center of Rome in the Italian Renaissance era. Beautiful squares (piazze) and more beautiful streets and back alleys are full of pretty cafes, restaurants and lots of historic structures. Old Rome is the area around piazza Navona, Campo de’ Fiori, the Pantheon and the Ghetto.

For more information about Old Rome hotels you can check Piazza Navona hotels, Campo de’Fiori hotels, hotels around the Pantheon and hotels in the Ghetto.

Fountain of Neptune at the centre of piazza Navona

Colosseo

When the city in question is Rome, there is older center than the old center : Colosseo. This is the center of Rome in the antiquity during mighty Roman Empire.  Coloseeum, Roman Forum, Capitoline museums as well as the Imperial Fora, the Markets of Trajan, the Capitoline hill and lots of museums.

Here there are some nice hotels. Hotel Forum with 300++ EUR per night is the super expensive option with a fantastic roof garden restaurant with super view.  On the other hand of price spectrum Nicolas Inn (85 EUR) offers large bathrooms and a very nice dinner other than a comfortable stay.

Vatikan City

Independent city state Vatikan and the Roman areas around it like Borgo, Prati and Monte Mario probably house more historic artifacts than any place on the planet. Vatikan is a must see of course but if you are not high in Catholic spiritual ranking you will not stay in Vatikan. Still, there are many hotels to stay near Vatikan in Italian soil. For hotels near Vatikan you can refer here.

Vatikan City

Trastevere

On the opposite shores of Tiber River w.r.t Old Rome and south of Vatikan lies Trastevere, a center for Rome night life. Trastevere is full of pubs, night clubs and restaurants and houses the most of expat population living in Rome. For hotels here refer to Trastevere hotels.

Where to stay in Madrid?

With its history, culture, delicious Spanish food as well as colorful night life, Spain’s capital and largest city Madrid is one of the most interesting places to see in Spain. It offers a very comprehensive metro network (second largest after London’s) so the public transportation and accommodation is not a big problem.

In this article we will try to answer where to stay in Madrid question. Instead of giving individual Madrid hotel recommendations, we will introduce popular places for accommodation.

Madrid’s central district is known as Centro. La Latina neighbourhood here is the oldest area in Madrid, the Islamic citadel inside the city walls, with narrow streets and large squares. But the most popular central area is called Puerta del Sol (Gate of the Sun). The origin of the name is interesting. Puerta del Sol was one of the gates in the city wall that surrounded Madrid in the 15th century. The gate was in the east and sun rised from here so the place got its name. Today, this place is the heart of Madrid and is the centre of the radial network of Spanish roads. Plaza Mayor and Plaza de Santa Ana (Plaza means city square) are very near.

Puerta del Sol is also the heart of Madrid’s night life. To the north of Puerta del Sol you will find GrandVia, luxury shopping street of Madrid. Grand Via is known as “Broadway of Spain” and houses one of the most colorful night life scene in Europe. Grand Via is home to many hotels, restaurants, bars, pubs and night clubs.

Area near Puerta del Sol and Grand Via houses some of the most popular hotels in Madrid. For hotels in this area, room prices, guest reviews and latest deals you can check Madrid Centro Hotels, Madrid Grand Via Hotels and Madrid Puerta del Sol Hotels pages.

Madrid Grand Via houses one of the most colorful nightlife scenes in Europe.

Plaza de Espana and Opera

To the west of Sol is a historic area named Opera. Elegant Plaza Isabel II and Madrid’s large opera house Teatro Real is here. Royal Plaza and Plaza de Oriente are littered with sculptures and are a short walking distance away. Madrid’s center is not very large and hotels in this area are quite near to historic attractions like Plaza Mayor.

At the west and of Grand Via, you can find Plaza de Espana. Here is an important tourist destination and two highest buildings in Madrid, Torre de Madrid and Edificio de España are here.

For hotels around Plaza de Espana check Madrid Plaza de Espana hotels.

Madrid’s Plaza de España. Behind Cervantes monument with bronze sculptures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.

Retiro and Prado

To the east of Madrid’s center from Calle de Alcala, Madrid’s Art Triangle and the large boulevards around it starts. Famous Madrid museums Museo del Prado and Centro de Arte Reina Sofia are here. To the north, you will find Paseo de Racoletos and its countless cafes. The Buen Retiro Park behind Prado museum belonged to the Spanish Monarchy until the late 19th century but is now a large public park with  beautiful sculpture and monuments, galleries, a peaceful lake and host to a variety of events. Retiro Park is one of Madrid’s premier attractions.

For hotels around the park take a look at to Madrid Retiro Park Hotels.

Buen Retiro de Madrid (Monument to Alfonso XII behind)

Where to stay in Amsterdam?

With its beautiful canals, spectacular architecture and various attractions for the tourists of every age and taste Amsterdam is one of the most popular cities in Europe to visit. Amsterdam city center which dates back to Middle Ages is a must see. In fact, Amsterdam presents its visitors one of the biggest historical city center of Europe. There are 7,000 registered historical buildings in the city and since the city is barely bombed in the World War II, many of the buildings are in their original state. But what makes Amsterdam what it is now is its countless, beautifully lit bridges, especially in the nights. Amsterdam city center is actually 90 islands connected through with 400 bridges.

For most of the tourists, Amsterdam is the half circle-shaped city center where Central Train Station is located in the center.  Until 1850, the city was actually all about these areas. The historical city center Amsterdam Centrium, is inside of 6 circles of canals; Singel, Herengracht, Keizersgracht, Prinsengracht, Lijnbaansgracht and Singelgracht. All together, these canals are called the Canal Ring. Other neighborhoods in the center are Jordaan and Plantage. Nassaukade, Stadhouderskade and Murtiskdae avenues circling the city were once the places where cities then-standing walls and moots found. Rests of the avenues in Amsterdam are from post 1870 era.

Even though Amsterdam is famous with its window-popping sex tourism and free light drugs trade, it’s a place you can visit with your family as long as you don’t go around Red Light District.

An important question of course is where to stay in Amsterdam. Amsterdam hotels are spread on a wide scale that go from budget to most expensive in Europe. Amsterdam Old Center provides many hotels and hostels especially around the south of the central station and Museum Quarter. Best of the authentic hotels can be found around the Canal Ring. Even though it’s an elite neighborhood, the famous Jordaan is an area where you can find mid-range and upper class hotels. Amsterdam’s cheapest and shabbiest hostels are in the Red Light District.

In this post, we’ll introduce notable neighborhoods of Amsterdam you can stay. Later, we’ll list the best hotels in different ranges and give out Amsterdam hotel recommendations.

Amsterdam neighborhoods map

Amsterdam City Center (Amsterdam-Centrum, Canal Ring, Jordaan and Plantage)

Historical, middle ages era Amsterdam Centrum is also the most popular and visited tourist area of the city. It’s popular for its traditional architecture, canals, shopping facilities and of course the coffee shops.  Dam Square is actually the center of this area but the real interesting places are Nieuwmarkt and Spui. Amsterdam’s famous Red Light District is also in this area.

Dug in 17th century and a UNESCO World Heritage Area today, Canal Ring is the area where wealthy people built their homes to this day. Today, Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein, home to many of the famous and rich Dutch people, are two of the most important places of Amsterdam night life.

Once a workers neighborhood, today Jordaan is one of the well-off neighborhoods of Amsterdam with its art galleries, hip boutiques and nice restaurants. The Haarlemmerbuurt and the Western Islands are also in this area. Plantage is a place where Amsterdam’s most of the museums are located. Jewish Historical Museum in Waterlooplein, the Hermitage Amsterdam and its botanical gardens, Artis Zoo, the Tropical Museum and the amazing Scheepvart Museum are some of the places that you have to see here.


Amsterdam-Zuid (South Amsterdam)

Amsterdam-Zuid is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods here and a must-see in an Amsterdam vacation. Museum Quarter is also in this area. Sipping a wine in Vondelpark or shopping in Albert Cuyp Market has to be on your to do list in Amsterdam.

Even though answer to the question of “Where to stay in Amsterdam?” is the places that we listed above, hotels in the Amsterdam city center are really expensive. Amsterdam-Zuid, is the most popular accommodation area because it’s cheaper than the city center. If you don’t have deep pockets, we advise you to check Amsterdam-Zuid hotels first. Like most of the cities in Europe, Amsterdam has a very good public transit network so it’s easy to go from here to the city center. Amsterdam’s business and finance hub is also located here.

Amsterdam-West, Amsterdam-Noord, Amsterdam-Oost 

Amsterdam’s west, north (or noord) and east (or oost) regions are usually the places where local population lives. These are not the areas where the tourists stay despite being interesting places.

Bijlmer

Biljmer neighborhood in Amsterdam is the answer to where not to stay in Amsterdam. Although the security problem has gotten better over the last years, it’s still advised not to stay and not even travel to this area.

Where to stay in Antalya?

Where to stay in Antalya? You actually have two options: You can either stay in Lara Beach area which is the “all inclusive” jumbo 5-star luxury beach hotel capital of Turkey or nice and mystical Antalya Old Town (Kaleiçi(*)). The Old Town is in the Antalya city center and is a beautiful place with some nice restored buildings, small guest houses and some luxury boutique hotels. Lara Beach on the other hand outside Antalya city and about 17 kilometers away from Antalya. It offers a beautiful beach and sea as well as luxurious 5 Star hotels.

Lara Beach in Antalya takes the lion share of the tourists. The hotels here operate “all inclusive” system. Despite this, Old Town is still a very charming alternative for tourists. There are many hotels (or Pansiyon) in Kaleiçi with quite high facility and room standards. And thanks to Lara which is sucking out foreign and local tourists from Kaleiçi, supply of nice hotels with relatively low prices are high in old town. Even if you go to Antalya without booking a hotel (not advisable anyway) you can still find a nice room with quite good standards and price here.

Otantik Butik Hotel Antalya (from €29), Elegance East Hotel (from €29), Mediterra Art Hotel (from €25) and Puding Suite Antalya (from €98) are high-end hotels you can find in Antalya Old Town. There are also many nice 2 to 3 star hotels in Kaleici with very high customer ratings such as Urcu Hotel (from €22), Candles House (from €19), Tuvana Hotel (from €49).

If you really want to dig into more information on hotels in Antalya Kaleici, you can refer to Antalya Old Town hotels page which compares the prices and compiles ratings from many online booking sites.

Antalya Marina in the old town (kaleici)

Antalya Lara Beach is full of 4/5 star beach hotels that cater for the all inclusive holiday market. These large hotels offer large pools, restaurants, private beach, see view rooms, many activities and easy access (tours) to many attractions around Antalya.

Some hotels which are topping the list in Antalya Lara Beach based on guest reviews are Barut Lara Resort Spa & Suites, Delphin Diva Premiere, Liberty Hotels Lara, Delphin Palace Hotel, Limak Lara De Luxe Hotel & Resort, Royal Wings Hotel, Delphin Imperial Hotel Lara, Saturn Palace Resort and IC Green Palace.

If you really want to dig into more information on hotels in Antalya Lara Beach, you can refer to Antalya Lara Beach hotels page which compares the prices and compiles ratings from many online booking sites.

And Aladdin wishes a 5-star luxurious hotel from the jinn.

(*) - "Kaleiçi" means inside the castle (kale)

Where to stay in Izmir?

Port city of Izmir is one of the biggest cities in Turkey and the largest city on Aegan Coast. Izmir is not only an important business city, it is also closed to many tourist resorts on Aegan and Mediterranean Coast of Turkey and important tourist attractions like Ephesus.

Most business and leisure travelers stay at the old center of Izmir named Konak. Most of the top luxurious Izmir hotels are located near Konak and Kordonboyu, the coastline.

Konak area has some 4-5 star hotels operated by international hotel chains like Swissotel, Moevenpick and Hilton as well as luzurious boutique hotels.

Hilton İzmir (Çankaya Mahallesi Gazi Osman Paşa Bulvarı No:7 Küçükyalı, Konak, İzmir) is one of the most famous hotels in Izmir. Its 35 storey landmark building is the highest building in Izmir and Aegan Region of Turkey and offers an unparalleled view of Izmir Harbour. Hilton İzmir is very centrally located and offers the high standards of Hilton hotel chain in Izmir.

Swissotel Grand Efes İzmir (Gaziosmanpaşa Bulvarı No: 1, İzmir 35210) is a little inside from Kordonboyu. This 5-Star centrally located Izmir hotel is for ones who are looking for luxurious and large hotel with 402 large rooms and facilities. Swissotel Grand Efes İzmir offers a pool, SPA, fitness center and located to business centers in Izmir.

Another centrally located chain hotel in Izmir is Moevenpick Hotel İzmir (Cumhuriyet Bulvarı. 138, İzmir 35210) which is very near to Cumhuriyet Square and Izmir Pasaport Jetty. Moevenpick Hotel İzmir is one of the best business hotels in Izmir and in Turkey. Hotel has185 modern rooms and highly reviewed by its service standards, comfort, cleanless and location.

Park Hotel İzmir (1367 Sok. No:9 Basmane, Konak, İzmir 35240) is a centrally located boutique hotel. It is a new hotel serving since 2007 and Park Otel İzmir is 3 minutes to İzmir Exhibition Center and 5 minıutes to Kordon. Hotels interior design is made by an artist instead of an interior architect.

Key Hotel (Mimar Kemalettin Caddesi No:1 | Konak, İzmir 35260) is on Izmir Kordonboyu and just 500 metres away from Konak Square. Key Hotel is one of the best rated central hotel in Izmir. It has 34 rooms (24 standard rooms, 7 superior rooms, 1 executive room, 1 deluxe suite and 1 grand suite) and offers one of the best price-to-value in the city.

Moevenpick Hotel İzmir

Met Butik Otel (Çankaya Mahallesi, Gazi Bulvarı. No:124, İzmir) has 30 standart rooms and 8 suites in different classes. Met Butik Otel is very central and closed to 9 Eylül Square and 5 minutes walking distance to subway station.

Tempo Residence Comfort (Gaziler Caddesi No:206 Basmane, Konak, İzmir 35240) is one of the best serviced apartments in Izmir. Tempo Residence Comfort offers 1+1 rooms with American kitchen. You can cook in these luzurious flats or can order food to there. You can even prepare a shopping list which will be bought by a hotel staff and brought to you.

Where to stay in Lyon?

Situated between Paris and Marseille, Lyon is the largest city in France after these two. Lyon’s magical Old Town (Vieux-Lyon), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its capital of gastronomy in France status as well as famous ‘Fête des Lumières‘ light festival makes it one of the most popular city in France to visit.

Lyon is 2,000 years old and was founded by Romans. Since then the city had no major earthquake, fire or air strike so its historic buildings from Roman times to medieval buildings to Renaissance Palaces are still standing still and are original. Add the modern skyscapers to the mix and you will have an architectural wealth you can only witness in Lyon on the planet.

The most popular time to visit Lyon is during Fête des Lumières (Lights Festival) which was a local religious ritual but have become an internationally known large scale event in the past decade. For 4 days around December 8th, artists from all around the world display fantastic light shows and exibitions throughout Lyon.  With them, 4 million tourists flow to the city. So if you are not into Lights Festival, this is probably the time to avoid to visit Lyon since the weather will be cold, city and hotels will be packed and everything will be very expensive. Other than Fête des Lumières, some important professional trade shows like SIRHA (food, hotels and restaurants) and POLLUTEC (environment technology) also draw high number of visitors to the city and makes finding a Lyon hotel room very challenging and expensive.

Lyon is 470 kilometers south-east of Paris and two rivers passes through the city: Rhône in the east and Saône in the west. Some important districts of Lyon are Fourvière hill, Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon), Presqu’île, Croix-Rousse and Part-Dieu. You can see these districts and their orientation in the Lyon map below. Here we will answer where to stay in Lyon question by introducing the popular and convenient districts among tourists to stay in Lyon.

Lyon map and its main districts. Fourvière, Vieux Lyon,
Croix-Rousse and a significant part of  Presqu’île 
is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Presqu’île

Presqu’île is the hearth of Lyon and is the best place to stay in Lyon for visitors. Located between two rivers (Presqu’île means peninsula in French), the cafes, restaurants, luxury shops, banks, government buildings, museums, cultural centers and lots of historic buildings dot Presqu’île starting from Croix Rousse Hill all the way down to the point where the Rhône and Saône meets. For visitors as well as Lyonnais (residents of Lyon), Presqu’île is the center of economic, cultural and the night life in Lyon.

The most important areas in Presqu’île are Terreaux and Bellecour. Bellecour and Hôtel de Ville at the north end of Presqu’île are the centre for high-end shopping, the National Opera and restaurants of all kinds and is home to Lyon’s top museums such as Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Textiles. The Place des Terreaux and Place Bellecour are here.

Perrache to the south of Presqu’île was an industrial area to avoid until recently but is slowly transforming itself into a cultural area.

Presqu’île is the heart of Lyon and is the “happening” place in the city. If you would like to stay here, you can check Lyon Presqu’île hotels page for latest hotels and room prices lists as well as customer review rankings.

La Place des Terreaux (Terreaux Square) in Presqu’île Lyon

Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon) and Fourvière Hill

Vieux-Lyon is the oldest area in Lyon and with its 424 hectare area right under Fourvière hill,  it is the largest Renaissance era old town in Europe after Venice. With its narrow, cobblestone medieval streets and 15.th to 17th century buildings once housing German, Flemish and Italian merchants (in the past the buildings in Lyon were the highest in Europe) offers a magical historic town experience to its visitors. Since the place is very crowded with tourists and many stalls catering to them, try to visit  Vieux Lyon in the early morning and even better stay there if you are in Lyon for the history.

Fourvière Hill to the west of Old Lyon is the place where Roman’s founded Lugdunum settlement, which will later become Lyon.

If you would like to stay in Vieux Lyon, you can check Vieux Lyon hotels page for latest hotels and room prices lists as well as customer review rankings.

Vieux Lyon Saint-Jean Square and Saint-Jean Cathedral from montée des Chazeaux

La Part-Dieu and Les Brotteaux

La Part-Dieu is the largest business and finance center in France after La Defense in Paris (Lyon is a major centre for banking as well as for chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotech industries) and is the second most important area in Lyon after Presqu’île. For people visiting Lyon for business, the focal point as well as the place to stay would be either Presqu’île or La Part-Dieu since most of the commercial centers are here. Lyon Part-Dieu Shopping Mall here is one of the largest shopping malls in Europe. Lyon-Part-Dieu Train Station in La Part-Dieu is one of the most important railway hubs in Europe.

Even if you are not in Lyon for business, you can still stay here because the city has a fantastic public transportation network and it is easy to access other districts from here by public transport.

Les Brotteaux hosts a large number of renowned restaurants such as the Splendid of Georges Blanc, a restaurant which is in front of the Est of Paul Bocuse. La Brasserie des Brotteaux is also an ideal place for those who like the Lyon’s culinary traditions.

If you would like to stay in La Part-Dieu, you can check Lyon La Part-Dieu hotels page for latest hotels and room prices lists as well as customer review rankings.

Cité Internationale

Just northeast entrance of the city, Cité Internationale is ideally served by a dense network of infrastructure, skilled hand of the Genoese architect drew light pavilions, transparent, inspired greenhouses nineteenth century. The complex, designed by Renzo Piano, houses luxury apartments, hotels, restaurants, a convention centre, vast amphitheatre and the radical Musée d’Art Contemporain.

Where to stay in Langkawi?

This post is moved to here : http://asiasingapore.blogspot.com/2014/02/where-to-stay-in-langkawi.html

Where to stay in Oludeniz?

Ölüdeniz is located 14 kilometers south of Fethiye, in the skirts of Babadağ where Mediterranean and Agean Sea’s meet and it’s one of the most popular tourism hubs of our country. Found in almost all of the promotional clips and print materials, it’s also one of the symbols of the Turkish tourism industry. With its Blue Flag bearing, wonderful 3 kilometers long Belcekız Beach, (which is one of the most beautiful beaches in Turkey), famous, turquoise blue sea, and it’s under water presenting amazing visuals for scuba diving, it’s a nice resort area with all kinds of accommodation options.
Not long ago, just 20 years ago from now, Ölüdeniz was known as Belcekız or Belceğiz, a little village where backpacker tourists camped, but today it’s a crowded, developed  resort area with about 100 hotels (inside and around) thanks to tourism. Today there are tens of different hotels, restaurants and bars right along its beautiful beach. Still this development is not as uncomfortable as it is in Marmaris or Antalya; there are no high-rise concrete blocks and ultra-loud night clubs here yet. Ölüdeniz may not be the most popular resort area in Turkey, but its relatively calm atmosphere, accommodation facilities and activities are really among the best.

In this post, we will give some information and tips regarding where to stay in Ölüdeniz. You’ve got roughly two alternatives on this one. You can stay in a hotel in the walking distance to Belcekız Beach which the life here revolves around, and you can also do that if you want to stay close to the night life to find the opportunity of spending a nice vacation. Or you can stay in the holiday resorts working with an all-inclusive system that are located around Ölüdeniz. While these facilities may offer a lot of amenities that especially your kids would love, you would find an intimate atmosphere at the better 2 and 3 star hotels of Ölüdeniz (you’re likely to meet the family and the owner in these hotels. Clients are usually the types who come every year to stay in the same hotel).

Let’s continue to our post by giving a few good hotel recommendations that are in the center of Ölüdeniz and are in the walking distance to beaches and bars.

Between the hotels that are both near to the town center and in 5-10 minutes of walking distance to the beach, the best one is probably the 3 star Asena Beach Hotel Ölüdeniz. This hotel has pretty nice pool and a restaurant inside its facilities and you can think of it as the center of Ölüdeniz since this place makes it easier to access both the beach and the night life scene of Ölüdeniz. Asena Beach Hotel Ölüdeniz has two pools. A beautiful mountain view is welcoming you when swimming in the larger one. Second pool is adults only and has a bar inside. There’s a separate pool for children.

Asena Beach Oludeniz is only 5 minutes walk to Oludeniz beach and is one of the best answer to where to stay in Oludeniz question.

Another one of the best hotels in Ölüdeniz in the walking distance to both Ölüdeniz beach and Ölüdeniz nightlife, is the 3 star Karbel Beach Hotel. While being 5 minutes of walking away from one of the best beaches in Turkey, it provides everything you need and a pool with a bar. There’s also a pool for kids for families with children. There are no restaurants in this hotel but it’s very close to the coastal road where restaurants and bars of Ölüdeniz are located.

Luxurious Hotels of Ölüdeniz

If you are looking for a luxurious hotel both located in the center of Ölüdeniz and close to the beach, with its sea level location and first class comfortable accommodation, the 5 star Belcekız Beach Club Hotel is the right choice for you.

Ölüdeniz Belcekız Beach Club is right next to Oludeniz beach (Belcekiz Beach) which is one of the best beaches in Turkey.

Another hotel close to the sea and in the center of Ölüdeniz in this category is the 5 star Club Sun City. Aside from its place and its luxurious facilities, it also has a nice pool for people who don’t feel like going to the sea.

For a complete list of Oludeniz hotels with details like Oludeniz hotel prices and customer reviews, visit Oludeniz Hotels page.

Where to stay in Bratislava?

Slovenia’s capital Bratislava, is also the most visited tourist spot in the country as well as being a cultural and business center. With its castle overlooking the shores of Danube River, city center is filled with fancy, well-preserved buildings and lovely alleys. This city is also the wealthiest city of the Eastern Europe.

Bratislava had served as a capital for Hungarian Empire for many years. Up until 1993, it was also the capital of the old Czechoslovakia. This communist era country, separated peacefully in a way that is unlikely in history and now they are countries living together with good relations and cooperation as Czech Republic and Slovenia.

Even though the Slovenians make up the majority of the population now, up until 19th century, the city had a mainly German population. After the World War I, most of the Germans and Hungarians left the city and the rest has been sent away after the World War II.

Instead of giving individual hotel recommendations to answer the question of “Where to stay in 
Bratislava?” we’ll respond by introducing the popular places of the city. We recommend Stare Mesto, Ruzinov and Nove Mesto districts (in this order) which we detailed down below. Let’s remind that even though city is small and crime rate is low, the Petrzalka District on the other side of the river from Stare Mesto was known until recently as the “Bronx of Bratislava” and while the crime rate is not that high today, it is still known as a “not necessarily safe” place.

Bratislava map and major districts

Stare Mesto (Old City)

Bratislava’s small and beautiful historic center is called Stare Mesto. The historic center consists of Hlavne namestie (Main Square), Hviezdoslavovo namestie (Hviezdoslav Square) and its surroundings. It spread to a small area (It’s one of Europe’s smallest city centers). Although it’s difficult to walk in some hilly areas, it’s still a place that you can travel on foot. With its bars, restaurants and cafes that are crowding the streets giving the city a very beautiful atmosphere when the weather is nice, it’s a small but nicely renovated district.

Hlavne namestie (Main Square) is the most popular square and is known as the heart and the center of city of Bratislava.  Old Town and Roland Fountain is also located here.

The historic center of Bratislava is one of the best places to stay for a tourist. To find hotels, compare prices and see details like guest reviews, you can check the Bratislava Stare Mesto Hotels page. For the most central hotels in Bratislava, you can check out the Bratislava Mains Square Hotels page.

Main Square (Hlavne namestie) in Bratislava's historic center, Bratislava'nın tarihi merkezindeki (Stare Mesto) is the heart of the city.

Ruzinov

Right next to historic center is Ruzinov District, which is filled with industrial buildings, malls, banks, and financial buildings. Although it’s known as an industrial district, it’s actually a very green and pleasant place. Štrkovec Lake in the heart of Ruzinov is the best recreation and exercise area in Bratislava. You can go to the historic center from most of the hotels here with just a 10 minute trolleybus ride.

To see Bratislava hotels in this area, you can check the Ruzinov Hotels page.

Nove Mesto

In the skirts of Little Carpathians, just north of the Stare Mesto is Nove Mesto (New City), covered mainly by the Bratislava Forest Park. One of the city’s main tourist attractions Kamzik Tv Tower is also located in this forest. Nove Mesto is full of modern buildings and it’s close to the city center. It’s a good alternative for accommodation in Bratislava.

You can check the Nove Mesto Hotels page to see Bratislava hotels here.

Where to stay in Munich?

Munich is the largest city in Germany following Berlin and Hamburg. Its stunning architecture, cultural scene, museums, shopping opportunities and colorful nightlife makes it even more beautiful than Berlin. The historic center is magnificent and looks very original (although it was almost completely destroyed in World World II bombings and later rebuilt again).

Other than all these beauties attractive to average tourist, Munich is also a very important global city for business, finance, engineering, Research & Development as well as healthcare. Thanks to rich business life, Munich is also the wealthiest city in Germany.

If you are planning to visit Munich, where to stay in Munich is a very important thing to determine. Here in this article, we will introduce the main areas tourist can and should stay, instead of going into individual Munich hotel advise. One thing you should note is that it is very difficult to find a reasonably priced hotel during trade fairs and events like Octoberfest which falls between mid-September and mid-October. During these times, Munich hotel room rates are tripled.

Below is a Munich Districts map. Munich’s city center, Altstadt-Lehel (Number 1), and the districts surrounding it are the best places to stay in Munich.

Munich Districts map. Munich city center is Altstadt-Lehel.

Munich City Center (Altstadt-Lehel)

Once, Munich was only Altstadt and Lehel was a suburb. Altstadt was once protected by city walls. The fortification has gone but its path now is a traffic loop known as the Altstadtring. Almost all the must-see tourist attractions in Munich are in Altstadt-Lehel area. New City Hall/Glockenspiel, Old City Hall, Frauenkirche, the Feldherrenhalle, the Residenz, etc. are all here. Other than historic structures, you will find museums, historic squares as well the main shopping street in Munich such as Neuhauser Strasse, Kaufinger Strasse, Maximilianstrasse, Theatinerstrasse, Residenzstrasse and Brienner Strasse with their luxury shops.

Altstadt-Lehel is the best place to stay in Munich if you just want to walk to almost every attraction from your hotel. For hotels in this area, their room rates and customer reviews, you can check Munich City Center (Altstadt-Lehel) Hotels page.

Two iconic buildings in Munich : Frauenkirche and Neues Rathaus

Maxvorstadt

Immediate North-west of Altstadt is Maxvorstadt with its importan acedemic institutions and art scene. Two of the best universities in Germany, The University of Munich (LMU) and Technische Universität München (TUM) are here. Famous Munich museums Pinakotheken, Museum Brandhorst, the Lenbach Haus, Glyptothek and Staatliche Antikensammlungen are also here. Apart from museums, Maxvorstadt houses many art galleries.

Right next to Munich’s center with its art and science scene, Maxvorstadt offers a very central and convenient area to stay in Munich. For hotels here you can refer to Munich Maxvorstadt Hotels page.

Aerial view of Munich Maxvorstadt

Schwabing (Schwabing-West, Schwabing-Freimann)

Schwabing is very popular among tourists and locals. It used to be Munich’s famous bohemian quarter and it offers many bars, clubs, and restaurants. Since Munich’s largest universities, Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universität and the Technical University of Munich can be found in nearby Maxvorstadt, there is a lot of student activity on and around Leopoldstrasse. Another popular attraction is the Englischer Garten, or English Garden, one of the world’s largest public parks.

This is a very good place for young people to stay in Munich. If you are looking for a hotel in Schwabing, you can check Munich Schwabing hotels page.

Au-Haidhausen

On the other side of Isar river and to the south east of Altstadt-Lehel, Au-Haidhausen is a residential district in Munich housing important night life spot Kultfabrik and Ostbahnhof (Munich East Train station). Kultfabrik/Optimolwerke is a 60,000 square-metre entertainment complex which houses many discos and clubs on a relatively small area.

For hotels around this area, you can check Munich Au-Haidhausen hotels page.

Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt

Situated north-west of the River Isar and southeast of Munich’s Old Town, Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt houses beautiful Gärtnerplatz square surrounded with pubs, bars and clubs, Munich Central Station (to the south of the station there are many hostels and budget hotels) and Theresienwiese which is the site of Oktoberfest (Wiesn in local Bavarian language). Ludwigsvorstadt is a immigrant residential area and is quite colorful with a lot of Asian and Middle Eastern touch.

Oktoberfest (Wiesn in local language) is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810. With more than 6 million people from around the world attends the event. During the event times, hotel prices goes to roof.

For hostels and hotels in this area with their room prices per night and customer reviews, you can take a look at Munich Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt Hotels page.