Sleeping in Romania, Bulgaria & Serbia

You need to at least give us a price range ($) that you are looking for.

If looking for 4/5 star hotels, here are my recommendation:

• Bucharest - Marriott - nice hotel though a cab ride away from the center. The Intercontinental and Hilton are probably better situated.

• Sofia - Sheraton, great rooms and awesome location

• Belgrade - Hyatt - again, great hotel - an easy tram ride into the center.

Can't help with Sighisoara. Try the lonely planet or rough guides guide book.

Thank you, Arnold...I would say, we are looking more in the budget hotel category (up to $100 per night). We tend to stay away from international chains and prefer sobes, pensions, etc., with cultural charm and character. We follow Steves' travel guide suggestions marked with one ($) or two ($$) dollar signs usually. hope this helps to clarify my request.

"We tend to stay away from international chains and prefer sobes, pensions, etc., with cultural charm and character." In Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria, what kind of "cultural charm" are you looking for? Bath tubs that drain directly on the floor? Decades of nicotine stains? Electric outlets that short out when you plug something into them? I've experienced all of these delights and more staying away from the international hotel chains in these countries... and if I ever go back to Sofia, I'm heading straight towards the Sheraton or Radisson.

Although SE Europe is improving, a lot of the infrastructure is still rotting away from the communist days. Just be aware that the "cultural charm" we often seek out in the West isn't nearly so pristine here.

If you want all the "charm" of central planning influenced "hospitality" in Sofia, check out Hotel Rodina.

As a general advice in Bucharest short term apartment rentals are a more convenient option than hotels - nearly all apartments rented this way are centrally located, offer the same amenities as in 3-4 star hotels and cost a lot less (studios from about $35/night, one bedroom apartments from ~$45/night etc.). There are at least a dozen local short-term rental companies which you can easily find online; try to get apartments as close as possible to Universitatii, Unirii or Romana squares.

In Sighisoara and other tourist cities pensions ("pensiune" in Romanian) are indeed a very good option, not necessarily for cultural charm and character but mainly because most of them offer the same/better conditions than in hotels at a lower price (from about $20/night in Sighisoara's case).
Browse through these lists of pensions, see if you can find one that meets your interests:

http://en.viaromania.eu/cazare.cfm/sighisoara-hoteluri-pensiuni-typ-6.html

http://www.turistinfo.ro/sighisoara/pensiuni-sighisoara.html

I stayed at the Case Legenda in Sighisoara. It was recommended to me but i was very disappointed. I would look around. It had extremely thin walls and the most uncomfortable bed and pillows too. I was traveling on a budget and I would suggest to spend a little more money and get a better place. My budget was no higher than $50/night (single room).

I loved Sighisoara! If you get a chance see Brasov or Sibiu, also very nice! I went on a half day trip to Biertan to see the Fortified Church there and I would recommend that. The TI set me up with a guide/driver that was very cheap-25 euros and he was excellent. his name is Peter Suciu from Wanderlust Tour. He also will do other tours to your liking. He speaks excellent English and knows alot about the history. His email address is wanderlust.tour@gmail.com

Pensions in Romania are you best choice. They are cleaner and cheaper than hotels. Not sure how many of those are in Bucharest, but you should look into renting an apartment there.

If you are in Sofia you might try the Hotel Serdika, which is located near the university. I own an apartment on Sofia so lodging is no longer a concern but years ago I stayed at the Hotel Serdika and liked it. It was a 3-star hotel and service was good by Bulgarian standards with small but clean rooms and penty of hot water! There is a cafe and parking, although overnight parking was not free for hotel guests. You might want to at least check it out.

Loved Romania...stayed in mid-priced hotels and found them more than acceptable. If in doubt, ask to see the room. Drove most of the countryside from Bucharest through Transylvania and dropped the car in Sighisoara to take a train to Budapest. I am a photographer and you can see my pictures of this trip on my website at www.terrykathrynlawrence.com.
We found hotels easily and without any reservations in June. (Did not care too much for Bucharest, but driving through the villages was amazing)