For a stay in what remains of the Bucharest historic district, check into Rembrandt Hotel that’s right in the action.
It’s a phrase tinged with tragedy in the capital of Romania: “Bucharest Historic District.” There is one, yes, but imagine looking down at the historic center of any city you love from an airplane and seeing a giant meteorite land in the middle of it, flattening everything at the core.
That’s essentially what happened in Bucharest, though instead of a meteorite it was a communist dictator. When Nicolae Ceausescu decided that little Romania needed a government building almost as large as the Pentagon, he flattened some 30,000 homes and 20 historic churches to make his grand egotistical vision come alive.
Some of the old sections managed to survive, however, and now Rembrandt Hotel is in the heart of the most buzzing section. Right by the National Bank of Romania and in stumbling distance of at least 30 bars, this is the area to be in if you prefer strolling over traffic and cafes with character over communist architecture.
The skinny building goes up and back, rising up seven stories and back one more room. In other words, there are just two rooms max on each floor, stairs or a single elevator taking you to your door. Inside, however, rooms are bursting with character (in a good way) and are a far cry from the bland business hotels not far away. Plus the Rembrandt gives you free Wi-Fi.
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The room I stayed in, pictured at the top, is the “business room.” It has two leather armchairs, gorgeous hardwood floors, a comfy king bed with duvet, and a desk with room to spread out and work. The smallest room in the hotel may be the coolest: it’s in a converted attic with its own furnished balcony.
The baths here are stocked with nice toiletries, the helpful staffers speak English well, and the cafe has both good coffee and good local beer at reasonable prices. Breakfast is included in the rates, which start at 80 euros for a “tourist room with single bed,” topping out at around 140 euros for the business room during the week.
There are plenty of ways to get a good discount though, including 40% for stays of five days or discounts of 20% or more for booking very early or very last-minute. See more info at the official hotel site. You can also often find a deal by searching here: at hotels.com
Review and photos by editor and Travel Writing 2.0 author Tim Leffel. He was hosted by Romania Tourism while researching a story for another publication.
