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Budget hotels in Europe and elsewhere: Accor


WillTravel
By WillTravel,
in

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Priceline is great for a lot of cities, but there are some where it is not too much help. Many of these cities are in Europe. Hotwire does not have any European hotels at all. So finding cheap rooms can be a challenge, particularly if you want American-standard accommodation.

The Accor company http://www.accor.com has several cheap brands in Europe: Ibis, Etap, and Formule 1. Mercure is also reasonably cheap, but I think it's slightly higher-end. From what I've read, the rooms tend to have 1 double bed and 1 single bed, and the charge is the same whether you have 1 person or 3. All of them have private bathrooms, except for Formule 1, which is the cheapest by far and has the bathrooms in the corridor. Ibis and Etap are said to be functionallly equivalent to a Motel 6, or a cut above. So if Priceline doesn't work, or you know you need triple occupancy, consider these hotels if you want basic, standard accommodation.

I think all of these also have buffet breakfasts available for a reasonable fee.

For the most part, although not entirely, these hotels are not in the most popular parts of town, and tend to be more on the outskirts. Prices for Ibis and Etap seem to be in line with what you would pay for a Motel 6 in the US.

Although I've mentioned Europe, these hotels can also be found in Australia, Israel, Turkey, New Zealand, and Japan, and probably elsewhere too.

Accor is the same parent company that runs Motel 6, Red Roof Inn, and numerous other hotel chains too.

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I can add a few pertinent comments specifically regarding Ireland....

1) Although it's no surprise to experienced Irish or European travelers, as a first-timer I was amazed at the B&B accomodations. Unlike some B&B's in the UDS, it never felt like I was intruding in someone's house - it was more along the lines of a nice Key West style guest house - plenty of privacy and a great breakfast top boot. Only saw the owners when we called for them. Our prices ranged from $55 Euro per night for two people up to $80 and these were wonderful, ideally located places including a huge breakfast and private bath. I think you can find good ensuite (private bath) B&B's for as little as $45 Euro per night or less if you look around.

2) Beware of the socalled discount websites for the UK and Eire (not sure about Europe). WE need a room by the Dublin airport for an early AM flight out and PL was not an option - the "discount" sites showed the Great Southern airport hotel at $155 - $185 but we got it for $130 (Euro) on the hotel's own website. I'm spoiled by PL and can't remember the last time I paid this much for a hotel room but this place was great - akin to a really nice Hyatt Regency or a Westin.

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  • 1 month later...

We stayed at the Ibis Goteborg City Centre hotel in Sweden a week or so ago. This is a hotel on a moored boat, and the rooms were what I imagine cruise ship cabins are like. One great feature - a view right over the river - totally beautiful at sunset. The bathroom was among the nicest I saw anywhere in Europe so far. The room was small, but we expected that. My kid got a bunk that came out of the wall above my double bed. A full buffet breakfast is about 5 Euros extra. It was about 2 km out of the city centre, so not the most convenient that way - but it was close to where the boat tours leave and close to the opera house (if anything had been playing). It was just a bit odd to have to pay by credit card at the end of our stay - unlike the Priceline stays I have become so accustomed to! But Priceline just did not work for this city.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...

This looks like an interesting concept for Finland:

http://www.omenahotelli.fi (and click on the English link at the bottom right)

It's self-service, but the rooms look a lot nicer than the typical budget hotels. They also include a kitchenette, which is not very common in European hotels.

The hotel chain has partnered with RyanAir - the web site says their goals are similar.

55 Euros total for 1-4 people, for a city center room, is an outstanding deal.

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  • 2 months later...

If you haven't already done so, sign up at AccorHotels.com for their newsletter, and also look at their last-minute specials. (If you go to AccorHotels.com you see the link at the upper right.)

As an example, I saw the unbelievable rate of 54 Euros for Ibis Crown Copenhagen for the next few days. I've never seen any sort of hotel in Copenhagen for this price, even the most basic ones. Although Ibis is admittedly a budget hotel, it does have ensuite facilities and this one is centrally located. If you click through, you see that you have to prepay and it is nonrefundable. But for last minute bookings this wouldn't be a problem (and you have to do that with Priceline anyway, of course).

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi,

as I am a Carte Ibis holder, I might as well throw in my 2cents:

The foodchain at Accor is as follows:

Sofitel (exclusive)

Mercure

Novotel

Ibis

Etap

Formule 1 (economy)

Dorint Hotels will be changed to either Novotel or Sofitel, with double branding at first.

No idea why they are giving up this highly esteemed brand, but they are...

Etap have a 3 person bed configuration (large bed "queen size"? and single bed above it), just like the German "Motel One" (also a good value choice). You get a PIN for your room instead of a key. They are small, but clean and cheap!

Ibis in Germany is typically a 2* rating Hotel.

They usually feature a large bed, bathroom w. shower, cable/satellite TV, direct dial phone.

Some rooms have a table that can be converted to a bed for a third person.

All of the newer Ibis look alike, same room configuration/interior.

The space is limited, just enough to move around in the room.

However all of the ones I've been to have been very clean (and had a curteous staff).

And one thing to mention: very good soundproofing! (at least for the newer ones)

Except for one occasion I haven't heard anything from the rooms around yet,

neither from the planes arriving at the airport half a mile away (in Hamburg).

The 3 inch door helps with that, too I guess.

Ibis never offers: Minibar, Pay-TV.

Oh, and they don't run too many specials.

I was able to get cheaper rates at some Novotels running specials (like 39

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  • 7 months later...

Thumbs up for Accor and its Ibis hotels. I'm in Budapest and waited until the morning of check-out from the Marriott to book my next nights, only to discover that Priceline will not do same-day check-in here...

Before leaving SF, saw that the Ibis Areo was going for about $73 on Expedia. Then I found it for $60 on Malev Airlines' website. Needing a hotel, went over to accor.com to check the rate there, and it also showed about $60. Proceeded through the reservations screens, and then surprise! On the last page, got an offer for their last-minute promotion: 39 Euro instead of 49. Non-cancellable, non-changeable - nothing new to us Priceliners...

The hotel is indeed in the outskirts, but right across the street from the Metro that gets you to the city center in 15 minutes. And this location is very good for getting to the airport early in the morning tomorrow.

Note that Ibis has quite a few properties in Budapest with several right around the city center. So they're not just outskirts as mentioned in a post above. As for the quality - this one (Aero) is nothing like a Motel 6. It's very clean, modern, I'd compare it to a Comfort Inn.

And - thank you Burger King! All BK restaurants in Budapest have free wireless high-speed Internet (WiFi).

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  • 2 weeks later...
This looks like an interesting concept for Finland:

http://www.omenahotelli.fi (and click on the English link at the bottom right)

It's self-service, but the rooms look a lot nicer than the typical budget hotels. They also include a kitchenette, which is not very common in European hotels.

The hotel chain has partnered with RyanAir - the web site says their goals are similar.

55 Euros total for 1-4 people, for a city center room, is an outstanding deal.

From their website:

SPECIAL OFFER THIS WEEK: BOOK YOUR ROOM (UNTIL 31.12.2005) FOR ONLY 40 EUR/NIGHT!

Thanks to all our customers!

In order to celebrate our first anniversary and thank our customers for the positive feedback and excellent occupancy rates, we would like to extend a special limited-time offer to all travelers looking for high-class yet inexpensive hotel accommodation:

If you make a reservation this week (1-7.11.2004), you will get your hotel rooms for only 40 eur/night (standard rate: 55 eur/night) on all weekdays (Sun-Fri) until December 31, 2005!

The offer is available at all Omena Hotels (not Ruka's Omena) until 31.12.2005 (not Fri-Sat, Sat-Sun). All reservations need to be made and fully paid (including invoices) by November 7, 2004. Valid for new reservations only.

Make your reservation at:

www.omena.com or

0200-39000 (0.95

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