Holiday Inn Dresden - Dresden, Germany     

My wife and I used the Holiday Inn as our base for a four-day visit to Dresden, Meissen, and Morizberg. Although located a bit of a distance from the "Old Town" with its major tourist sites, the Holiday Inn is still fairly convenient, since the tram stop is only about a five minute walk away and tickets can be purchased at the hotel desk (ask for a ticket good for the entire day.) If you enjoy walking, the thirty or forty minute trek from the hotel to the river is a pleasant experience that permits one to see some of the real, "non-touristy" neighborhoods. The nearby train station in the "New Town" is a good place to catch trains and buses to other towns for day-trips. The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful. Since the hotel was not crowded when we were there, they upgraded us to the "executive floor level." The room was spotlessly clean and had in-room coffee/tea. The buffet breakfast was a bit pricey, but the food selection and quality was great, so good for an occasional splurge, especially since we often do not stop touring to have lunch. The outstanding feature for me was the spa (with indoor pool and sauna), which is open late and very relaxing after a long day of walking, sightseeing, and attending concerts. The first couple of days we were there, the weather was warm and sunny, but then turned cold and snowed. Returning to the hotel after treking around in the cold, it was nice to warm up in the sauna and swim while watching the snow fall on the glass roof over the pool.

We stayed in this Holiday Inn in 2005. Two years later, in February, 2007, we tried to book it for the following May. It was already full!!. Which shows two things. It's popular, with a loyal clientele, and Dresden itself has become a big tourism success story (though still mainly for Germans) since the rebuilt Frauenkirche opened two years ago. It's a clean, modern, reasonably priced hotel in Dresden Neustadt - the historic "new town" with its own artists' village - on the other side of the Elbe from Dresden proper. The're's only one minor problem. The nearest tram stop is a 10-minute walk from the hotel (or less, if you're fitter than me!), and then it's a 10-minute ride across the Elbe bridge to the Semper Opera square. But this apparent disadavantage becomes an advantage, as you see the incomparable Dresden panorama (the one in all the classic paintings!) laid out before you as you go into town every day. It's some view, believe me!