Wielopole Hotel

On a small but lively street between Krakow's Main Square and the newly hip Kazimierz district, the hotel's reddish-orange and white exterior has pretty wrought-iron balconies. Inside, the lobby is small but welcoming, with dark-wood paneling and brown leather club chairs around a table with a cookie jar. The restaurant has a laid-back, modern vibe and pistachio green walls that reflect its vegetarian and vegan menu; white-painted exposed stone walls and light-wood dining sets help add some brightness to its basement location. The room does however get crowded during breakfast. Given there's little else on-site, the hotel is largely quiet outside of breakfast hours. Guests are mostly leisure travelers consisting of couples, friend groups, and families.

The hotel is just a few streets from Krakow's historic center and five minutes on foot from the Main Square. Cloth Hall and St. Mary's Basilica are an eight-minute walk away, while Krakow's Historical Museum just one minute farther. Wawel Royal Castle is a 13-minute walk, as is the city's main train station, and a tram from it runs to the Poczta Glowna stop -- a one-minute walk from the hotel. Former Jewish quarter, Kazimierz, is a 15-minute walk and houses many old synagogues, including the Remuh, Izaak, and Tempel Synagogues. The area is lively with daytime street food at Plac Nowy (a 13-minute walk) and its endless bars and clubs make its nightlife scene famous. A supermarket can be found five minutes away on foot. Schindler's Factory is a half-hour walk (or 10-minute drive) and it's a 30-minute drive for Wieliczka Salt Mine. Krakow-Balice Airport is around a half-hour drive.

Air-conditioned rooms are small but stylish, with classic decor and start at 10-square-meter (108-square-foot) Singles, moving up to more spacious categories. Golds and beiges dominate the striped wallpaper, patterned headboards, and damask bedspreads, while chocolate-brown accents are found in the dark-wood furniture and wall paneling. Deep-red patterned carpets add a touch of romance. A fair amount have balconies, with views of the street and nearby St. Mary's Basilica, or less-pleasant interior building views.  All rooms have desks with chairs, flat-screen TVs, phones, tea- and coffee-making facilities, wardrobes with safes, free Wi-Fi, and free bottled water, but only higher-category rooms add mini-fridges. Deluxe Rooms have living areas with sofas, and the included cherry vodka is especially popular. Brown and beige-tiled or mosaic-accented bathrooms are compact across the board, and all have tiny shower stalls, hairdryers, and toiletries. Note that a fee applies for guests bringing pets and there's also a charge for cribs.

The hotel's features are limited, as there are no gym, spa, or meeting facilities. The Wielopole does offer a free buffet breakfast with local specialities, plus cooked options of scrambled eggs and Polish sausage. Cold options include breakfast salads, cold cheese and meat platters, and breads with preserves, as well as cereals, yogurt, fresh fruit, and cakes. The WieloPole 3 Restaurant turns vegetarian and vegan for lunch and dinner, serving food as tasty as it is affordable. Meat-eaters have reported being pleasantly surprised by the risottos, superfood salads, tofu dishes, and smoothies. Meals can be delivered to rooms. Secure paid parking is available a two-minute walk from the hotel or guests can park at the opposite Holiday Inn's parking lot, although it's more expensive. Street parking is only free on weekends. Wi-Fi is free throughout.