EuroCHEAPO Digs Up Bargain Hotels in European Cities

9/14/2006 at 12:16 PM
Tags: Hotel Deals

It's not easy finding a bargain hotel in Europe these days, but EuroCHEAPO is doing its best to help us out. With the "cheapo" part in all caps in their logo, there are no pretensions on this site.

You pick a city, then a neighborhood, and the best hotel deals in that area pop up, all reviewed by someone in person. Each review features a non-doctored photo of a room, taken from a normal angle. (As in no tricks to make it look huge when it's really not.)

We like the fact that reviews are written by people who have seen what the whole neigborhood has to offer and have actually taken notes on the details. Here's a sample from the Hostal Goya in Barcelona, pictured here and starting at 62 euros ($77) for a double with a bath.

Angels, the super-friendly owner, showed us around, proudly pointing out the latest renovations. Let's just say the sink faucets were trendier than some of the fixtures we've seen at four-star venues. The refined look continues in the bedrooms, with modern furniture, down comforters, leather headboards, and brushed chrome fixtures.

As for the hostal-wide TV and telephone boycott, it sure keeps things quiet! The beautifully lit public rooms offer shelves of books as well as complimentary tea and coffee all day.

The hostal's staff is baby-friendly, offering special amenities for guests bringing their little ones.

The site doesn't cover the entire continent, but the most popular cities are represented, such as Prague, Barcelona, Paris, Rome, and Amsterdam. If you choose a city they haven't covered yet, you get switched to the booking system of Venere.com, which isn't a bad second choice in terms of finding deals.