Hotel Josef, Prague
The deal: €173 ($219) for a standard double
The hood: Josefov, the Jewish Quarter, chockablock with art galleries, and a short walk to Old Town Square.
What you'll get: The highest style quotient in the city. Czech-born architect Eva Jiricna was responsible for the look. An amazing glass spiral staircase leads to the basement-level meeting rooms; you can sip an espresso by the plate-glass windows in the post–Space Age lobby and let passers-by admire your fabulousness. The arch aesthetic carries through to the guest rooms: Those glass-walled closets are bathrooms, actually. (Don't bring a roommate you don't know well.) Be warned that the rooms are pretty darn small and most have blah views of the interior courtyard. Consider upgrading to #704 or #801 (which are pricier, at €322), whose terraces have views of Prague Castle.
Near and not so dear: Prague is at its best at night, when the streets grow crowded and animated. The Roxy nightclub is a local favorite, shuddering with Europe's latest techno and drum & bass; cover is free on Monday and usually less than €10 otherwise.

Hotel Josef
20 Rybná
Tel: 420 221 700 111
Fax: 420 221 700 999
Email: office@hoteljosef.com

Roxy
33 Dlouha
Tel: 420 224 826 296