Prague

When in Prague, there is absolutely nothing at all wrong with staying in a hotel that’s also a brewery. In fact, we encourage it! Located in the city center—close to all of Old Town’s sights without being in the crazy-crowded middle of it—Hotel U Medvídků Brewery (Na Perštýně 7, Praha 1, map) is the only one of its kind in the capital, combining history (it’s a 15th-century house and former medieval brewery) and good yeasty beer from a teeny on-site brewery (and popular Czech restaurant) with 33 clean, rustic, moderately priced rooms (standard doubles from about 1,700 CZK/€68, including buffet breakfast).

You have to admire a hotel that’s affordable and green: The modern, stylish Mosaic House (Odboru 4, Praha 2, map), which bills itself as “a boutique hotel and design hostel,” is housed in a 1935 building but gets all of its electricity from renewable resources; uses energy-efficient lighting, solar panels, low-flow toilets, and an intelligent heating/cooling system; and employs a water-recycling unit (shower water is reused in toilets). Free wi-fi, a good New Town location (with some great Old Town views), and a sleek international bar/restaurant downstairs round out the better amenities. Private rooms start at €20 per person per night; beds in dorms start at €12.   

Similarly, the highly rated Czech Inn (Francouzská 76, Praha 10-Vinohrady, map), one of Mosaic House’s sister properties and a fellow designer hostel, looks much more posh than you’d guess from its price tags (shared rooms from €11, private rooms €38, apartments €64), with hardwood floors, exposed brick, a simple color palette, and a cute café downstairs. It’s further from the city center—either a longish walk or a short tram ride—but you’ll feel a bit less like a visitor out here. And getting around on public transport in Prague is super easy and efficient.

To settle deeper into Prague’s impressive history, try the homey Dům u velké boty (Vlasska 333/30, map), or House at the Big Boot, a small family-run hotel in quaint Malá Strana, on the west bank of the river Vltava. The hotel spans three floors of house built before 1669; modern, refurbished rooms are spacious and start at 2,700 CZK. The breakfast, an optional 200 CZK, gets rave reviews, as do the helpful hosts.

For more hotel ideas—specifically regarding those costing less than €100 a night—check out this site.