Nonsmoking Room: Yes, the entire hotel is nonsmoking! Yeah!
Private Bath: Yes
Centrally Located: Yes, ten minute walk from the train station and five minutes from the Roman baths.
Reasonably Priced: No. Expensive, but a worthwhile splurge. 90 pounds sterling/night

This was an expensive splurge, but Pete and I had our reasons. Bath was our first destination in Europe, and after fourteen hours of air and train travel, we figured we owed it to ourselves to stay in at least ONE really nice, comfy room! Jackpot! The Kennard is a converted 18th century Georgian townhouse, with narrow halls, high ceilings and newly renovated sparkle. Our room was quite large, with a queen-sized canopy bed covered with rose and pale yellow floral damask, a sitting area, bath basin and mirror, and shower in a separate room. Everything was spotless. There were all kinds of nice touches as well, like a porcelain tea service, tea kettle, bottled water, and biscuits in the room, as well as their delicious full breakfasts, which were served in a sunny little dining room downstairs.

Liked Best: Beautiful decor and wonderful service
Liked Least: The price, and after a local soccer match, some late night whooping in the streets

Nonsmoking Room: Yes
Private Bath: Yes, HUGE
Centrally Located: Right on the edge of Breacon Beacons National Park, about a 25 minute walk into town
Reasonably Priced: Yes. 44 pounds sterling/night

We actually had no reservations when we arrived in Abergavenny, but we stopped by the little tourist information office, told them what we wanted, and they recommended the Pentre Court Guest house. If you love gardens like I do, you will love this place. The owners maintain eight spectular acres of garden, woodland and babbling brook, and their guests are welcome to wander and explore. The lilac-covered patio offers a vista across the Usk Valley all the way to Bloreng Mountain, and the hiking trails begin just around the corner. The Lamb & Flag pub sits just across the street, and was a great place for dinner, a pint of Brains bitter and rowdy conversation with the friendly locals.

Liked Best: Magnificent gardens, beautiful location
Liked Least: Room was a tad dusty and no guarantee of hot water (it's an old country house though)

Nonsmoking Room: Yes
Private Bath: Yes
Centrally Located: Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Westminster tube station and Waterloo station are all just a ten minute walk away.
Reasonably Priced: Yes. 59 pounds sterling/night

I'd never heard of the Travel Inn chain before, but it was recommended by travelers on the Fodor's site as affordable, dependable and centrally located. And it was! All rooms are 59 pounds sterling per night. It's located within the County Hall building, which is right on the River Thames, just across Westminster Bridge. The Marriott is housed on the other side of the same building, facing the Thames, and the prices are astronomical over there! This Travel Inn was very much like a Days Inn or Comfort Inn in the U.S., and it seemed to be very popular with business travlers. Our room had an electric tea kettle and assortment of teas and coffees, plus a very cool electric towel drying rack. We had it covered with our hand laundry in no time.

No breakfast included at this inn, although they did have an adjoining restaurant.

Liked Best: Can't beat the location and price
Liked least: Constantly crowded lobby and no extra service (like the extras towels we asked for and never received)

Nonsmoking Room: Yes
Private Bath: Yes
Centrally Located: Latin Quarter, adjacent to Luxembourg gardens
Reasonably Priced: Yes. 500 FF/night

I learned about the Balcons, once again, from Fodorites. It's located in the Latin Quarter, adjacent to the beautiful Luxembourg gardens, and just around the corner from the Odeon metro. The manager and his staff were warm and kind to us, and even helped us practice our French whenever we saw them. The dining room has a very cool art deco decor, and our room, while simple and a little worn, was fine with us. Once we stepped outside the lace-covered French doors onto our little balcony, we had a great view of the Odeon theater, the tip of the Eiffel tower, and the rooftops of Paris. The tiny elevator was barely large enough for us with our backpacks, but we squashed together and laughed all the way up to our fifth floor room.

Breakfast was delicious, with lots of cafe au lait and fresh croissants among the many offerings.

Liked best: Great location and very friendly staff
Liked least: No window cover in the bathroom, slightly funky smell in there too (all of Paris smelled this way though)

Nonsmoking Room: Yes
Private Bath: Yes
Centrally Located: Yes, ten minute walk to train station and Marienplatz, five minutes to Oktoberfest fairgrounds
Reasonably Priced: No - Oktoberfest pushed the rates up all over town. 300 DM/night

I had some real difficulty trying to find a nonsmoking hotel room in Munich, so I turned to the Best Western chain. This little hotel is very modern and bright, very clean, and very close to everything -- the Oktoberfest fairgrounds are right around the corner! I had a single room, large enough, but I really paid for the convenience of the location. The neighborhood was not the greatest, but certainly not the worst I've ever seen, and much of it, I think, had to do with Oktoberfest rowdiness. The breakfast buffet was the best I experienced on that trip -- lots of variety, great coffee, very friendly staff.

Liked Best: Very clean, great location, great breakfast buffet, and a hair dryer!
Liked Least: Neighborhood was slightly seedy, street noise (to be expcected during Oktoberfest)

Nonsmoking Room: No ,but didn't smell any smoke at all
Private Bath: Yes
Centrally Located: Yes, just off the Getriedgasse in old town
Reasonably Priced: Yes, for the location and amenities. 1,500 ATS/night

I had the choice of staying in a nonsmoking room outside of old town or no guarantee of a nonsmoking room within old town. Since I was arriving by train and would be on foot afterward, I chose the old town location. Lucky me! The Hotel Elefant is wonderful, and why not? The building, which dates from the 14th century, has been a hotel for the past 400 years. The friendly desk staff checked me in, asked if I needed information or help with any sightseeing activites, and even held the elevator door open for me. The room was medium-sized and decorated with dark woods, white lacy linens and emerald green cushions -- very pretty. The bathroom was a good size and had a funny-looking hair dryer that reminded me of my Dirt Devil hand vacuum back home. Breakfast buffet was good, if somewhat limited (mostly meats and cheeses) and staffed by attentive young servers.

Liked Best: Lovely decor, very friendly staff, located in the heart of old town
Liked Least: No air conditioning (but that's normal), had to leave window open at night and endure some serious snoring from fellow guests

Nonsmoking Room: No ,but didn't smell any smoke
Private Bath: Yes, huge
Centrally Located: Everything in Hallstatt is centrally located!
Reasonably Priced: Yes. 750 ATS/night

I contacted the author of a Hallstatt travel article and learned about the Seehotel Gruner Baum. This little hotel faces Hallstatt's tiny town square, and is a three minute walk from the boat dock. I was greeted by two friendly dogs, three friendly cats and the friendly owner when I entered. My lakefront room was large, comfortably worn, and featured a wall of windows and a terrace that opened to a spectacularly peaceful vista of mountains and water. The bathroom was enormous, with tub, bidet and cold stone floor. The delicious breakfast buffet was set in the hotel's sunny, lakefront restaurant, complete with flowering vines and the owners' hopeful cats twining through my legs. Mint green starched linens and pink carnations everywhere were a special touch.

Liked Best: Lakefront view and terrace, totally quiet, friendly dogs and cats roaming the lobby
Liked Least: Maids who wanted to clean my room while I was still in it. They were very efficient!

Nonsmoking Room: Yes
Private Bath: Yes
Centrally Located: Yes, five minute walk to Westbahnhof, U-bahn and Mariahilferstrasse
Reasonably Priced: Yes. 1,000 ATS/night

After pricing a number of hotels in Vienna, I really believe that this place is one of the better bargains. It's a modern high rise hotel, very popular with tour groups and business travelers, and it had air conditioning!! It also featured its own restaurant, gift shop, bar and cafe. The place definitely bustled, and while the staff was impersonal, fellow guests seemed very friendly. I spent ten nights there, so I got to know a few people! My room was small, but not cramped, and I loved the little dining nook. When I contacted Ibis directly, I was informed that the hotel was full, but when I contacted an Austrian booking agency, they had plenty of room. I was able to negotiate the price down by mentioning prices I'd seen in a Fodor's book and on the Rick Steve's web site.

Liked Best: Great view from 12th floor, maid left lots of extra towels, little dining area
Liked Least: Front desk staffed by indifferent teenagers, breakfast buffet cost extra and was limited and overpriced