Originally Posted by Internaut
The hotel doesn't matter to me as much as its location. In Europe, the ability to get out at night, explore and try different restaurants is more important to me than the quality of the hotel.
I definitely agree with this! (In North America, Europe, or anywere for that matter...) In Europe, I'd much rather stay in a 3* boutique in exactly the neighborhood I want to hang out in than stay in a large business hotel in an area that doesn't interest me.