liamvad

I have just come back from 2 days in Krakow,and I loved the place,was helped by nice sunny warm weather,and the main square is fantastic,I wish I had stayed longer,did the hop on hop off bus tour which starts at Wavel castle....great trip,may go back,pic of Krakov main square at night;

Krakow main square at night. by Dave McDermott, on Flickr

rankourabu

This is kinda hilarious.
Equating price charged with quality.

RichardInSF

Glad to provide you with a moment of hilarity. In all quality ranges there are obviously better and worse deals but even in developing nations it is generally impossible to provide a high standard of room quality and service at a very low price.

SanDiego1K

Krakow was part of the Eastern Bloc when I visited. Our rental car from Austria was a great novelty. I thought it was a great place to visit then and would expect the same now. We used it as a base for Auschwitz/Birkenau, the fascinating Salt Mines, and the medieval city center. The historic city center is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

JBord

Good advice. I've been to Bratislava and will be in Krakow for the first time this summer. To me, Bratislava is a day trip, or one night at the most.

I'm already having a difficult time planning my time in Krakow, as I'll only be there for 2 full days. There's so much more to do in Krakow, and everyone I know who's been there loves the city.

helosc

I have been to both Krakow and Bratislava and I'll vote for the extra day in Krakow as well.

Concerning hotels, I personally prefer to stay in western chain hotels as I know what to expect from them in terms of quality etc. I'm going back to Krakow this summer and I'll be staying in the new Doubletree.
It is also very cheap (~80$ per night) as the price level in Poland in general is lower than many other European countries.

rankourabu

So now Poland is a 'developing nation'? And I guess by default, anything without a corporate logo charging $85 a night is suspect?
Well thank goodness we have Sheratons, Radissons and such to provide us with "high standards of rooms" based on developed nations standards, so that noone has to slum it in backwards EU standards hotels


I can assure you, we were never a Soviet Republic.....

SanDiego1K

My apologies for my mistatement. Is it more correct to say it was under Soviet control?

stut

Warsaw Pact may be a better description.

RichardInSF

Please look back at what I said, I didn't name any country as a developing nation. The reference was intended to make the point that providing high-end services is expensive everywhere, even in countries with overall low average wages.

Getting back on topic, I'm convinced that I should do three nights in Krakow and one in Bratislava.

theSaladDays

Perhaps 'strongly influenced by' is more accurate, there was still autonomy behind the iron curtain in those states not directly part of the USSR, to varying degrees.

1Newflyer

I suggest staying at http://apartamenty.oberza.pl/?lang=en . Take a look on their site. Economical boutique hotel. Close to the main square and attractions. Food in the Kazimierz district is great and varied. You would not be disappointed. Each room is different.

RichardInSF

One problem with this place appears to be that any booking must be fully prepaid and is 100% non-refundable.

1Newflyer

Must be a change. But that is not a problem. Reserve something else that requires no prepayment and check the availability when you arrive or when you know for sure you will be there and cancel the the reserved place.

JBord

Could you elaborate on why you favor this place over other Krakow boutique hotels? I think you recommended it in another thread I participated in as well, and I also got a non-refundable rate when I looked at it. I ended up booking Hotel Stary, which looks like a nice hotel and had a good rate. It appears to be a short walk between the old town square and Kazimierz, so location doesn't seem to be a huge factor.

Is there anything unique or special about this place, or is it really just a matter of a good hotel/good price combination?

For my personal situation, I don't want to be dealing with finding hotel reservations and itinerary changes once I start my trip, but that's just me and my specific trip which I know will be short enough as it is.