Karmel is one of the most gorgeous small hotels in Krakow. Located up a stairway in an impossibly cute corner of Kazimierz, the 10-room Karmel is a Krakow favorite.

Sitting on the edge of splurge-worthy EuroCheapo territory, Hotel Wawel is a cut above most Krakow accommodations: Amenities, location, and ambiance all put it ahead of the pack.

Though Hotel Amber is not a steal, it's a good value among Krakow's small crop of stylish boutique hotels. Frankly, we're hard pressed to think of another hotel this finely designed anywhere at this reasonable a nightly rate.

The eight-room Pensjonat Trecius is one of our favorite pensions in all of Krakow. Hidden away in a gorgeous building on Św. Tomasza near the Old Town's Rynek Główny, it's a quiet and special little place.

Hotel Logos gingerly straddles the line between impersonal Eastern Bloc monstrosity and quirky, retro Eastern Bloc artifact.

Rooms are dorm-like, with light wood bunkbeds, naked walls, and utilitarian duvets. That said, while there's no question that these rooms are barebones, they're also quite new and clean.

Wit Stwosz's 17 rooms are a bit more expensive than those in the average Krakow hotel, but the set-up is welcoming and deeply charming.

One of Krakow's best theme-driven hostels, Goodbye Lenin Hostel takes the aesthetics of pre-1989 Poland as its focus.

From the splashed-out, swanky lobby to the finest private hotel bathrooms that we saw in Krakow, Ester is an ideal spot for those seeking some style on their weekend break.

Orange Hostel matches promotional materials with the hostel's namesake. The hostel offers extremely simple private rooms, with matching duvet covers and pillowcases.

From the flat roof to the windows that appear to simply wrap around the building, the 48-room Pod Wawelem extends an enticing invitation to the modernism junkie in a city better known for its medieval and baroque heritage.

The RT Regent, one of four RT hotels in the city (three of which are located in central Krakow), is a 39-room property situated on a quaint, crowded Kazimierz street.

Hotel Classic is a self-consciously midrange hotel with some lovely amenities and a pleasant location just inside the Stare Miasto greenbelt, but it isn't a bargain by Krakow standards.

City Hostel is that unusual beast, a hostel put together at an aesthetic level that few hotels manage. The entire hostel is beautiful if austere, like a super glamorous monastery.

Hotel Astoria, a 33-room hotel in the heart of Krakow's Kazimierz 'hood, is a fairly unremarkable midrange hotel with better than adequate rooms.

Occupying a bewitchingly charming corner of Stare Miasto, Hotel Saski carries itself with the sophistication of a faded, grand old hotel. The century-old elevator is a showpiece, and the expansive, empty lobby calls to mind vanquished grandeur.

Kazimierz's 35 rooms are basically run-of-the-mill, with a number of dainty touches that veer into fussy aunt territory, such as lacy curtains and a pink-orange color palette.

The eight apartments in the Kazimierz Apartments family are run by the same management team that organizes Old Town Studios. Expect lush flats with huge bedrooms, roomy kitchens, and equally large common spaces.