I'm planning a visit to Basel next week with my young family and am currently booked into the Hotel Victoria. I am looking for some pointers on its suitability or a suitable alternative close by?
That's close to the main trainstation.
Erh, what can I say? Basel is small, you can walk almost everywhere form there. What did you have in mind?
It's fine - nothing seedy about the hotels by the station. BUt no outsdie play area for children (unless there is something out the back that I dont know about) HOw are you travelling? If by train, or if flying in, then it's very easy to get to ( bus 50 from the airport gets you to the SBB train station in about 19 minutes) If travelling by car, there is an underground carpark nearby. If you are planning on just being in town, then it's easiest to just use the trams for getting about, rather than the car.
Thanks for the update....I had read a few reports that the beds were small and staff are unfriendly, also it was a bit seedy as it was in the middle of the red-light district but thanks for the clarification. We're only there for 2 nights so that should be all good
For Basel, "middle of red light district" means that a prostitute, or someone looking like a prostitute, was once seen in the area. You get free public transport as part of your hotel stay (all hotels offer this, it's compulsory and why you pay a "city tax" per night) including from the airport. You'll need to show a hotel reservation if you get asked on the airport bus.
Basel is small, the station area is fine and well connected, but you could also stay in another hotel anywhere and feel just as connected.
We always stayed in the novotel or dorint (it changes its name every couple of years - think at the moment it is now dorint) They have great rooms on the 5th floor for families which are large and have a kitchen area where you can prepare breakfast or light meals if your child is being rather phased by Swiss "cuisine"! There was (last time we stayed) also a playroom on the 5th floor and selections of toys/board games etc to borrow from reception. It is near to the number 14 tram stop (behind the Messeplatz roughly ... ) so not hard to get to, but perhaps not as central as some others. But always excellent for children which is why we went back and back again and again.
You could try Hotel Basel itself, we only stayed on a couple basis though. Slap bang in the middle of town, but nearly everything is.