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Sandras Great Sleeps Tips
1. Stay central to your sphere of interest. What may appear to be a Cheap Sleep on the fringes, may turn out to be more expensive in terms of time and money spent commuting back and forth to where you really want to be.
2. Twin beds in a front facing, or view room, will cost more than a double on the back of the hotel with no view. Any room with a private shower will be less than one with a bathtub.
3. Shower curtains, especially in Italy, are rare and so are daily fresh towels in budget one-star accommodations.
4. For the best rates, deal directly with the hotel. If the hotel has a website, always check it to see if special rates are being offered to those who book online. If this is not an option, telephone the hotel personally, and ask for the best rate available. Remember, however, smaller, less expensive hotels have very little margin for negotiation. You will get the best discounts from larger hotels that can make discount adjustments on rack rates.
5. Many hotels use the off-season time to do renovations or perform large maintenance projects. To prevent contending with noise, dust, dirt, new carpet and paint orders, always ask if renovations will be taking place during your stay. Along these same lines, it is a good idea to ask if the exterior of the building is undergoing renovations or painting. If so, you could be trapped behind plastic covered windows and scaffolding, with workmen arriving early, making noise and creating all sorts of unpleasant conditions that are hardly conducive to Great Sleeps....anywhere.
6. For security's sake, avoid rooms on the ground floor. In France the ground floor (rez-de-chausée) is what Americans call the first floor. The French first floor, premier étage, is what we consider our second floor. In Italy piano terra means the ground floor, and primo piano means the first above ground level.
FAVORITE PLACES TO SLEEP
Fraterna Domus In rome is a "holy hotel" run by Catholic nuns. Its 15 simple rooms have private baths, it's near the Spanish Steps, and it has a good restaurant. An excellent choice for budget cheap sleepers." From $60 with breakfast; 011-39-06-688-02-727.
Casa Stefazio on the outskirts of Rome is the "Rolls-Royce of Italian B&Bs." The owners also will prepare gourmet meals and plan trips. $180 with breakfast; 011-39-06-8712-0042.
Contessa Rimbotti apartments in Florence, Italy, consist of a dozen units ranging from a studio in a tower to a five-terrace spread with splendid views. Rentals are for a minimum of two weeks and "make fabulous sense for a family." From $888 a month (available only through Rentals in Italy and Elsewhere): 800-726-6702.
Pension Dientzenhofer near Prague's Kampa Park overlooks the Certovka River and has seven simple rooms and wonderful breakfasts. Book well in advance. From $80; 011-420-2-53-16-72.
Residence Nosticova in Prague is an all-suites hotel furnished with magnificent Italian and French antiques. From $150; 011-420-2-57-312-513.
The Cloister Inn/Pension Unitas in Prague is in the former residential prison run by the secret police. The Inn (from $100) is nice; the pension (from $35) caters to budget travelers. Smoking and alchol aren't permitted but dogs are; 011-420-2-23-24-833.
Stay central to your sphere of interest. What may appear to be
a Cheap Sleep on the fringes may turn out to be more expensive in terms
of time and money spent commuting back and forth to where you really
want to be.
Twin beds cost more than a double, and any room with a
private shower will be less than one with a bathtub. Back rooms
often face blank walls or dreary courtyards and are usually smaller,
but they cost less and are quieter.
LONDON
Some of the most impressive Great Sleeping bargains in London are found in University or College dorms. The accommodations are available to anyone, but can be reserved only when classes are not in session. Most are very centrally located, have small kitchens on each floor, or offer low-cost, cafeteria meals. Very few have private bathrooms or a shred of charm. Two popular choices are More House on Cromwell Road which is close to the Victoria & Albert Museum, Royal Albert Hall, and Kensington Gardens, and Intercollegiate Hall which has several locations in Bloomsbury.
Another budget sleep can be had at the Baden-Powell House on Cromwell Road. Run by the British equivalent of the Boy Scouts, this remarkable facility is open not only to scouts throughout the world, but to all of their family members. There is a cafeteria and a parking garage.
ITALY
Holy Hotels: Convents, monasteries and other religious institutions provide low-cost, rooms to travelers who do not mind austere surroundings. In Rome, check into Fraterna Domus, which is centrally located near \piazza Navona and the Spanish Steps. The rooms are usually comfortable, meals are served (wine too) and the sisters are warm-spirited and friendly. In Florence, Suore de Santa Elizabetta costs three times less than the overrated hotel next door and is ten times better. It is run by a cheerful group of sisters who provide a warm welcome in a large villa set in a pretty garden which the guests are encouraged to enjoy. A bus to the city center stops across the street, or if you are feeling energetic, the walk to Il Duomo will take about thirty minutes....If you don't stop to window shop along the way.
PARIS
If you are planning to be in Paris for more than a few days, and want to experience Paris comme les Parisiens, consider a short-term apartment rental. This option not only gives you more space and saves money on meals, but more importantly, allows you to explore and become a part of a specific Paris neighborhood, which you will soon consider to be your own. A note of caution: Read and understand the cancellation policies, and consider taking out cancellation insurance. The following choices offer excellent services, in addition to stylish apartments. Guest Apartment Services which specializes in stunning locations in Ile St. Louis and the Marais, and a new find, Bill Cameron Ward, who has moderately priced studios and one to two bedroom choices near Les Halles and St. Germain des Pres. cameron@wanadoo.fr
** For contact information on all of the above (with the exception of Bill Cameron Ward), please consult Great Sleeps Italy, Great Sleeps London, and Great Sleeps Paris
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