Accommodations in Krakow and Warsaw

We stayed at the Hotel Wielopole several years ago and liked it very much. I don’t know if RS recommends it, but we have stayed in many of his recommended hotels and this place is, I think, well within the range. The location is excellent, a 5 minutes walk to the main square, the breakfast was huge, and I absolutely remember thinking you needed sunglasses in the bathroom...it was the cleanest, shiniest room I had ever been in. The people were friendly and helpful. When we checked in, they told me “Your rate has declined since you booked. We are giving you the new, lower rate.” Nice. They also made tour arrangements to Auschwitz and the salt mines, door to door minivan. A quick scan suggests favorable recent reviews. Enjoy beautiful Kraków.

That's a pretty low price range considering that Warsaw is a capital city. Go on www.booking.com and filter by price and other criteria (they'll have lots of reviews so no need to worry about "going wrong"). See what you come up with. I would stay somewhere in the Old Town or along the Royal Route in Warsaw since both areas are very scenic and walkable. Business hotels in Warsaw (in the center, not in the Old Town) are at bargain prices over the weekends; they are obviously not "Rick Steves" type of hotels, but that doesn't mean they're not a great value. Krakow is so small that you don't need to stay right by the major square...perhaps some hotels in Kazimierz will be more affordable.

I was in Warsaw a couple of years ago and stayed at 2 very fancy hotels--the Bristol and the Mamaison LeRegina--that were approximately $100 US--I know that's out of your range and probably cost more now, but I mention to show that even 5 star hotels are quite affordable so you should definitely be able to find something in your range. I use Expedia for searching amenities, location and pricing.

In Warsaw you could try Hotel Mazowiecki. I typed in random dates in April onto their website and kept getting a message that no rooms were available, but on booking.com found a few singles (I believe with bathrooms in the hall) for 49E. It's about a 20 minute walk to the central train station and two blocks from Nowy Swiat, which turns into Krakowskie Przedmiescie, the main drag leading you to Warsaw's historic center. Breakfast should be included and the staff spoke enough English and were incredibly helpful. The only issue to be aware of is that there's a nightclub (or two?) on the same street. On one trip I remember it being loud at night, so they moved me to a back room. But for money and location, I think it's a great deal.

In Krakow I've always stayed at BB La Fontaine; their website lists rooms for 42E/night, with bathroom. The main building is right on the corner of the main square. There's an annex a block or two off the square that I've stayed in once before. Breakfast included in their cellar restaurant; lots of stairs, but friendly staff.

Hope these help!

Thanks everyone for your replies. I think I should have waited a while before I booked. I wound up reserving at the Hotel Wietople in Krakow. Looks like a very nice pace, but cost $118 per night. Even them, it looks like I will average $59 per night on the trip.

Frank