Cheap Europe Accommodation - Etap Hotels Review

Cheap Accomodation in Europe - Etap Hotels ReviewEtap Hotels are a cheaper alternative to the traditional hotels and a more comfortable alternative to the youth hostels. Basically one could say Etap Hotels are somewhere in between the hotels and the hostels. I want to make it clear right from the beginning of this review that I have no connection whatsoever with Etap Hotels. I am simply a backpacker grateful to have discovered an Etap Hotel just behind the Munich main rail station while looking desperately for budget accommodation in an expensive city. Since then I´ve stayed in different Etap Hotels around Europe and they grew on me because every time I opened a hotel room door it felt like home as I knew what to expect. It´s like McDonald´s - everywhere same quality.

The Etap Hotel Network belongs to The Accor Hotels Network. There are more than 400 Etap Hotels around Europe in the main touristic cities and the prices and the quality is pretty much constant. The rooms rates go ruffly between 35 euros and 50 euros for 2 people. Some hotels charge a 12 euros fee for the third persons, others don't. The rooms are prepared for up to 3 people, with 1 double bed and 1 single bed. All rooms have private bathrooms and shower. Etap Hotels provide you the towels, the soap and the shampoo at no extra cost unlike most of the European hostels and you get daily cleaning service too. I found all the Etap Hotels I've stayed with generally clean, I would give them a 9 out of 10 points, as nobody is perfect. Plus most of the Etap network's hotels are of new opening and you can actually notice that looking at the furniture and the carpets. And speaking of carpets, I found the decision of having carpets instead of parquet a bit strange but in the mean time they give the rooms a warmer feeling.

All the Etap Hotels rooms have air con and small TV with remote control with volume limit, which is good for your neighbors and for your good night sleep too. The windows are modern PVC, which means they keep away the street noise. The shutters are easy to use and they fulfill their job successfully so you can sleep all day long. But don't! You are supposed to visit that great city, not to sleep!

Most of the Etap Hotels have 24h reception. There is always somebody at the desk ready to help you out and you can check in anytime you like. The staff speaks English except maybe the night shift. At the reception, when you check in you are given a card that is your room key digitally programed with a code that resets itself automatically at 12a.m. on the day of your departure as an extra security measure.

If you are a travel writer or a business person or you just can't live without checking your Tweets, Etap Hotels provides you with free Wi-Fi access. In the morning there is a continental breakfast buffet that you can contract separately, on a particular morning or every morning. You don't have to pay the breakfast in advance. Suffices with you going in a particular morning to the reception and pay for it. Pets are welcomed too, one per room, but they cannot enter the cafeteria area during breakfast.

Each Etap Hotel has hundreds of rooms and they usualy have short notice availability even during the high season. If you travel from one city to another in the same country you can ask your hotel to make a reservation in your name to another Etap Hotel from another city in the same country. They won't charge you anything for this service and they even give you a written confirmation of the booking.

Etap Hotel are suitable for any ages. You can be 5 or 95, nobody will ask for your passport except for the receptionist who will anyways keep your age secret. The elevators are disabled friendly and the rooms though modern and simple are useful and clean. There isn't much furniture in the rooms, except for the beds, a desk and a chair and some hangers for your clothes. No real wardrobe there, white walls and no fancy decorations, but for the price difference between Etap and a classy hotel, I think it is worth it. It's not like you are going to live in the hotel forever.

I hope this review was helpful. I personally like Etap Hotels and I think they are a great concept, a good choice for budget travellers and good value for your money. Though many Etap Hotels are located next to the airport, which is not particularly bad, or next to main roads, at the outskirts of the cities, some of them are actually located next to the city center, like the one in Birmingham or the one in Munich mentioned above. But no matter where the Etap Hotels are situated, there's always a metro station or a bus station near by so you won't have problems visiting the city center.

I hope this helps and next time you visit Europe and you are looking for budget accomodation you will have a look on the Etap Hotels page to see if there is an Etap Hotel in your city of destination. Enjoy your stay!

Remember that Etap Hotels are budget accommodation. In some countries they are not even considered hotels. If you are looking for luxury, a 4* or a 5* hotel is probably better for you. Etap Hotels are meant for people who don't want to spend much money on accommodation and for that they are great value. And they are far cleaner and comfortable than a slightly cheaper youth hostel with dorms for 12 people.

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