Pension City

Pension City is camouflaged within the twisting streets of the Innere Stadt. Fail to find it and you'll miss out a solid value in a great location. It certainly couldn't be closer to most of the sights inside the Ring. Stephansdom and Schwedenplatz are both a five-minute walk, as is the Kärtnerstrasse, a shopaholics' binge fest. If you're more concerned with staying in the center of Vienna at a good price than you are about brand new furnishings or surprising amenities, then Pension City is a good choice.

The 19-room property run by the Grünberger family isn't lacking in the basics. Rooms have satellite television, minibars, and phones and are furnished in a restrained Viennese style (with the pink kept to a minimum) and fixtures are mostly dark cherry wood. The lobby bucks the trend with a more modern vibe. The garrulous staff is generous with their time.

Of the average-sized rooms, those facing the courtyard are much quieter. Of course, the trade-off is that these rooms are a bit dark. Some have undergone recent renovations, losing a bit of their charm in the process. None feature cable or Internet; the hotel does have a storage area for bicycles. The spread at breakfast is impressive and available late into the morning, a plus for late-risers.