We are looking for suggestions on a hotel in Hamburg. Our budget is around $150 a night. We'd like to be located close to public transport. Thanks in advance.
Do a map search on either momondo.com or trivago.com and as a budget set €110 per room and night. Depending on when you want to go to Hamburg you'll even get a nice 4 star along the Binnenalster downtown lake for that price... Generally speaking the downtown Radisson Blu is a nice hotel, only a few 100 yards from public transport, newly renovated...
Check out the ibis Hamburg Alster Centrum, near the main train station, and the Motel One Hamburg-Alster, one U-Bahn stop away (the statiion in directly under the hotel). If you're going to be in Hamburg over a weekend it might be worth checking out some of the more posh hotels; they can save some good weekend rates.
I don't remember how much I payed, but it was a business class hotel. Hotel Baseler Hof, which sits just around the corner from the Binnenalster, and about across the street from a U Bahn stop. The breakfast spread was fantastic, and the restaurant served some interesting regional dishes, as opposed to the tasty but boring meals you usually find in such hotels.
We stayed at the NH Hamburg Norge two years ago. It is a short walk from the U-Bahn station and very fine accommodations. Not a Rick Steves' B+B, on the contrary, large and contemporary, but nonetheless convenient and a dynamite breakfast buffet.