From boutique to budget - small hotels with character you'll enjoy staying in

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A directory of small friendly hotels for discerning independent travellers. Hotels with character for all budgets, from  best bargain  low-cost hotels, to good value quality boutique hotels

iHi - INDEPENDENT HOTEL DIRECTORY

Hotels for the discerning and independent traveller. Welcome to the guide.
This guide offers a succinct overview of carefully selected small independent hotels in Europe, offering calm surroundings and a pleasent environment for your overnight stay.  From popular locations like Andalucia the French Riviera to really out-of the way spots in deepest inland Spain and greenest France, iHi offers a carefully selected choice of hotels for travellers who want to avoid the monotony and predictable sameness of stereotyped international chain hotels.
    While most directories of "character hotels" tend to list mainly or exclusively upscale "boutique" hotels with prices beyond the budget of many travellers, iHi looks out for character hotels of all sorts and for all budgets. So even if some of the independent hotels listed in this directory have signed up to exclusive boutique hotel referral chains, others do not belong to any network or chain of independents.

The best hotels?
    Are these the "best hotels"? Well that depends what you mean by "best" . While this guide does include some four-star and even five-star hotels, it doesn't go for the big glitzy hotels where most of the guests are glitterati, stars or businessmen on expense-accounts. Most of these belong to big hotel chains anyway. Although the iHi guide does include some good boutique hotels, we don't include those whose prices exclude most ordinary mortals.  For iHi, and for many ordinary travellers, the best hotels are small hotels where the welcome is friendly, the rooms are comfortable, the atmosphere is warm, and you can get a good night's sleep.
     The hotels listed tend to be small to medium-size establishments, friendly hotels with character, often off the beaten track and in quiet locations.  Generally speaking, hotels have a maximum of 40 rooms, though the number may be higher in city locations. You will not find in this list any large hotels, or concrete tower blocks. There are some small luxury hotels and boutique hotels - but most of the establishments listed are just pleasant middle of the range hotels for ordinary travellers. There are hotels with stars, and without stars,  with restaurants and without  restaurants, hotels with spas, with saunas, with jacuzzis, with fitness centres, with pools; but also simple hotels with little more to offer than excellent value for money, cleanliness, character,  charm and a good night's sleep.
 
 Other accommodation and further information

• How to find - or not find - the cheapest online hotel rates
• Frequently asked questions
• B&B and Gites  in France and Spain
• France camping and campsites guide
• Other useful websites

  

Contact - email    ihi "at" independent-hotels.info