Former monastery, Venice
Venice is a place where you want to maximise your time and enjoy its unique atmosphere; a stay at the Hotel Abbazia let me do both last summer. The hotel is a former monastery, home to Carmelite monks in the 15th century, and is just a three-minute walk from Santa Lucia station. It has a lovely courtyard, perfect for reading a Donna Leon detective book and sipping a spritz while waiting for the evening train to Rome, as I did. The rooms have lovely classical paintings and polished wooden tables. You can also relax around the wood fire in the lounge where the monks used to have their Bible readings.
Doubles from €117, abbaziahotel.com
Ann
A poetic stay in the French Ardennes
Just a five-minute walk from the main station at Charleville-Mézières (a major town in the Ardennes, north-east of Reims), Le Dormeur du Val plays on the area’s links to the poet Arthur Rimbaud with individual modern designer rooms, a spa and a restaurant. You can find copies of the poet’s books literally hanging around (on hooks) in the hotel or walk up to Place Ducal, the impressive square in the centre, and the nearby Rimbaud Museum.
Doubles from €75, Le Dormeur du Val
Chris Allen
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Our surprise stopover in Narbonne was brilliant
Hôtel La Résidence in Narbonne, south-west of Montpellier, is a 10-minute walk from the station that brings you right into the heart of this beautiful city. We stayed here in the summer after getting stranded because of a cancelled connecting train. Our unplanned short stay became one of our favourite parts of the whole trip. It was excellently located, staff were friendly with great recommendations, the rooms were comfortable and there was a fantastic breakfast buffet. And the next morning we were only a short walk from the station to continue our journey.
Doubles from €85, La Résidence
Josefin
Tivoli Gardens on your doorstep in Copenhagen
There’s a delightful boutique hotel called Profilhotels Copenhagen Plaza right next to Copenhagen central station. It’s reasonably priced considering the location, with the glorious Tivoli Gardens right across the road, and Copenhagen’s huge pedestrian shopping street Strøget just 10 minutes walk away. The hotel is far from new and could be considered a bit rundown, but it more than compensates with bags of old-world charm and quirkiness. A pillar in the lobby lists dozens and dozens of famous guests since the early 20th century, and the lift is an experience in its own right.
Doubles from about 900 Danish kroner (€130), copenhagen-plaza
Per Bilse
Stay by the Roman arena, Nîmes
The Hôtel de l’Amphithéatre in Nîmes, southern France, is a charming boutique hotel, a stone’s throw, as its name suggests, from an ancient Roman arena. Arriving at the Gare de Nîmes, the hotel is a leisurely 10-minute walk from the station along the wide, tree-lined Avenue Feuchères. As you reach the end of the avenue, the arena suddenly comes into view, a magnificently preserved building, still in use for concerts throughout the summer months. Just beyond it, tucked away down a narrow street leading to the old town, is the charming 11-bedroom hotel. Several of the rooms overlook the Place du Marché, with its palm trees and Fontaine du Crocodile.
Doubles from €75, hoteldelamphitheatre
Kathleen McPherson
Baroque buildings and brilliant breakfast, Münster
Münster’s a beautiful town on the main line from Cologne up to Hamburg (and onward to Scandinavia), with rows of picturesque merchant houses, historic churches and cobbled streets to wander – a great place for an overnight stop. Hotel Feldmann is an easy walk from the station. Located on a quiet square near the town centre, it’s in an elegant brick baroque building, with a mix of modern furnishings alongside wood panelling and other traditional features. The staff were welcoming, the breakfast phenomenal (€14) and my room had a fantastic view directly on to the sculpted gable of the church opposite.
Doubles from €130, feldmann-muenster
Ben
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Pastel shades in Poland’s Zielona Góra
City Boutique hotel in the city of Zielona Góra, west Poland, has been faithfully restored outside and tastefully modernised inside with friendly staff and wonderful fresh breakfasts (not included in room price). It’s a pleasant 20-minute stroll from the neat station along tree-lined boulevard al. Niepodległości. In May I ate breakfast on a veranda overlooking the pedestrianised streets with their individually styled baroque buildings in pastel shades. In the afternoon I relaxed in the shade at Piwniczka Winiarska wine bar, set in a vineyard near the huge modern Palm House overlooking the city. A pearl of a hotel in a beautiful and walkable small city at the centre of Poland’s wine producing area.
Doubles from about 600 Polish złoty (€140), cityboutiquehotel
Rex
Rooftop cathedral view, Cologne
The Urban Loft hotel has a roof terrace offering a 360-degree view over the city, perfect for watching sunsets. The rooms are a decent size and the hotel offers breakfast (not included in room price), although there are plenty of nice German bakeries within easy walking distance. The seating area on the ground floor has a coffee bar and snacks and allows for working from home, catching up with friends or chilling out. They also have a gym to work off all the bread and beer. It is five minutes from the main station and 10 minutes to the cathedral.
Doubles from €80, urbanlofthotels
Carolyn
B&B apartments in Arnhem, the Netherlands
The B&B apartments at De Burgemeester are a 10-minute walk from the station and opposite one of the most beautiful parks in the Netherlands, Sonsbeek Park. Comfortable, large rooms with high ceilings and a small kitchenette. Walk to Stadvilla Sonsbeek for a coffee or an excellent meal and the view over town, which will soon be full of festive spirits. Also near the station is Café Classen where’s there is live music every Friday night (free entry) and jam sessions every Tuesday.
Doubles from about €40, arnhembedandbreakfast
Monique Gadella
Winning tip: Hot whiskies and cosy fires, Galway
Once called the Railway Hotel, the Hardiman is a welcome sight after any journey. It has dominated the western side of Galway’s Eyre Square since 1852 and is still as grand as it must have been then. It has the three most important things that any hotel needs: a great bar, a welcoming dining room and a buzzy lobby. Staff are friendly and rooms are enormous. It’s great to come in deep winter when it’s all hot whiskies and cosy fires. You’ll enjoy being in one of Ireland’s wettest cities!
Doubles from €129, thehardiman
Ciaran