Where to stay in Dresden

I rarely recommend the hotels I use because my preference is for an inexpensive place, and those tend to be basic and charmless. Occasionally, though, I am forced into a higher category of hotel as a result of booking late. That happened last July in Dresden. It was very hot and I needed an air-conditioned hotel. I was really unhappy that the a/c was not working the entire 3 days I was there. I guess the problem was that my stay was over a weekend. In any case, a/c would not be an issue for you in December. You'll have to decide whether leaving clients without a/c for 3 or more days in 85-90 degree heat suggests underlying problems with the hotel management.

So you might consider the Art 'Otel Dresden. It's one of those "design" hotels whose furnishings are selected for visual impact rather than functionality. For probably 60 to 80 euros, you'd get a stylish room that's not much more than a 5-minute walk from a tram stop (tram leaves from RR station). It's a good little walk to the small historic district and museums (maybe 15 minutes?), but using the tram would reduce that. A disadvantage is that the area immediately around the hotel doesn't have much of anything in the way of food options, though I think the hotel itself may have a restaurant.

If you haven't written this off as a possibility, take a very good look at the room photos on the hotel website. Isn't the round vanity top pretty? But the basin is set about 6" from the edge, which is a bit awkward for brushing teeth, etc. And a round top doesn't fit well into a square corner, so leaving something breakable on that surface is risky. Some rooms have inadequate bedside-table space as well. But the rooms look good. It depends on what's important to you.

If you don't mind large chain hotels, there are three Ibis hotels in a row near the train station. The rooms are fine, it's inexpensive and good value for money, and for €10 you can get a huge and varied breakfast buffet that will carry you through most of the day. The desk staff spoke good English and were very helpful. There's no "local character," if that's important to you. Lots of German tour groups seemed to be staying there.

The names of the three hotels are (in order coming from the train station) the Ibis Hotel Dresden (formerly the Hotel Ibis Dresden Bastei), the Hotel Ibis Dresden Koenigstein, and the Hotel Ibis Dresden Lilienstein. I stayed in the Lilienstein in 2004 and in 2012 (I had waited too late to book the smaller places closer to the historic areas, and it was a fine alternative).

I see there's now an Ibis, the Hotel Ibis Budget Dresden City, in the historic area (the other three are just outside it, about a 10 minute walk away). I don't know how it compares; the "budget" in the name may mean it's a lower grade of hotel.

Dresden appears to have relatively few of the boutique type hotels that people on this website usually go for. The only options in the rebuilt historic Neumarkt district are business and luxury class lodgings. I had a very nice stay at the Steigenberger der Saxe, but I was traveling on an expense account. It would have cost me considerably to stay there on my own pocket.

Plenty of cheaper options line the pedestrian shopping street that leads from the Altstadt to the Hauptbahnhof. Most are international chains. There's nothing wrong with this area, but don't expect Old World Charm. It's all completely modern.

There might be something a little more cozy on the opposite side of the river, but I don't know this area as well.

Dresden appears to have relatively few of the boutique type hotels
that people on this website usually go for.

They exist, but not in the city centry, which is a mix of Commie and reconstructed buildings. The former aren't privately owned, and the latter much to expensive for small businesses like these. The Neustadt on the other side of the river caters to the young, hip, alternative crowd, that's why you'll find quite a few hostels there. The boutique hotels are along the Elbe in the villa quarters and wine villages between the Blue Wodner Bridge and Pillnitz and in and around Radebeul.

Hmm this is all very interesting and surprising that Dresden doesn't have a lot of boutique style hotels in the city centre.

The boutique hotels are along the Elbe in the villa quarters and wine villages between the Blue Wodner Bridge and Pillnitz and in and around Radebeul.
Martin, would this area be too far away from the city centre to stay in without a vehicle?

Has anyone stayed in an AirBNB in Dresden? Do you think Dresden is worth staying in for four to five nights? We are flexible as to where to stay for a few nights (traveling between Berlin and Prague) but picked Dresden as it is quite central to a lot of sights we're interested in before we make our way to Prague. Would there be a better city to stay in in that area of Germany for a more unique experience or should we stick to Dresden as our centre point?

To my mind Dresden has a major advantage: its glorious museums (timed-entry ticket needed for the Historic Green Vault). The major negative is that it was obliterated during World War II, and only a small area has been historically reconstructed. There are other German cities that fared much better during the war, but I don't know that there are any in that area of Germany that have the sort of transportation links you'd be looking for. For sheer architectural interest, I highly recommend a side-trip from Dresden to Gorltz.

You might try one of the two MotelOne locations. It's an up and coming German hotel chain with simple but modern rooms and open and inviting lounges. It's my go to hotel for business or leisure travel in Germany.

DJ

Last December we stayed in Dresden and booked a suite at the Hotel Suitess. It had a courtyard deck with direct view to the Frauenkirche and our suite had 2 floors with a great kitchen. The view to the church was a few meters away it was wonderful. I wrote a review on tripadvisor. I highly recommend it! Parking was free they have valet parking. http://www.suitess-hotel.com/apartments-en.html The Hotel is in the middle of town and we walked to restaurants, bakeries and yes all the Christmas markets. I fondly remember the trip as we visited Meissen porcelain with my father. Little did I know then he would pass away January 29th...

I stayed at the Art-Otel in Dresden in 2011 for 2 nights. My experience was like craven's description. I'd never stay there again.

The area around the train station is nice, with restaurants, shops and the trams that get you quickly to the other parts of the city. That would be my choice if I were going back.

Ibis is standard. Often the rooms are small - but really, how much time do you spend in them? I've stayed in many throughout Europe, the AC/heating always works well (individual controls), the beds are comfy, there's (barely) adequate storage space, windows open. I would avoid Ibis Budget - on the accorhotels.com website, they list all the Ibis hotels in Dresden at 3-stars, but the Budget at 1-star!

Martin, would this area be too far away from the city centre to stay
in without a vehicle?

It takes ~30-40min to get to the main train station and the old town. If that's no problem for you I would say stay there, because the area around the Blue Wonder bridge is very pleasant. In the 1930s it was the most expensive residential neighborhood of Europe(!), and today it's the most popular part of the city among the locals, because it feels as if you are on holiday, with the half-timbered houses of the old wine village, the posh villas, the three castles nearby, the wide flood plain in the middle of the city and the garden restaurants. The paddle steamers also stop there.

Do you think Dresden is worth staying in for four to five nights?
Would there be a better city to stay in in that area of Germany for a
more unique experience or should we stick to Dresden as our centre
point?

No, it doesn't get more unique. If you stay there you can do and see everything Germanys has to offer, except for a real medieval castle maybe.
You need 2 days for Dresdens old town and the museums there, at least a full day for Saxon Switzerland (if you like nature spend as much time there as possible), a full day for Görlitz (+ Bautzen maybe), half a day for Pillnitz and/or Moritzburg castle, maybe you want to see Leipzig, Meissen deserves a visit too etc...

Karlee,
I stayed in Dresden last June while on the Rick Steves Berlin Prague Vienna tour. We loved Dresden and wished we could have had another day or two there.

We stayed in the Hotel Martha near the city center. It provided a full breakfast- we were on a tour so you would have to find out if that applies to you. Rooms were nice, too. The hotel was a former home for women in need, there is a plaque explaining the history. It is within walking distance of the sights. Also, very good trams or streetcars to take you across the river. A gem of a city!

Judy B