Motel One Dresden-Palaisplatz shows that a budget stay in Dresden can still be stylish and well placed. It sits on the Palaisplatz in the Inner Neustadt, the elegant Baroque quarter on the north bank of the Elbe, right next to the Japanese Palace and its riverside gardens, and close to Dresden-Neustadt station. From here a pleasant walk along the river or down the Königstrasse and the Hauptstrasse, with its golden equestrian statue of Augustus the Strong, takes you over the Augustus Bridge to the Old Town skyline. The lounge is themed on Erich Kästner, the author of Emil and the Detectives, who grew up in the Neustadt: bookshelves, cosy designer armchairs, his portrait at reception and his sayings on the walls of the bar. Rooms are compact but cleverly designed, with good beds, rain showers and the chain’s trademark turquoise touches, and there are options with a balcony and family rooms. Breakfast is an organic buffet with Fairtrade coffee, and the bar in the lounge is a relaxed place for a nightcap. It is excellent value, especially in Advent when Old Town prices soar.
Location and getting around: the Palaisplatz is on the Neustadt side of the Elbe, between the Japanese Palace and Dresden-Neustadt station, which has trains to the airport, Saxon Switzerland and Meissen. Trams stop nearby on the Anton and Leipziger Strasse. The Frauenkirche, the Zwinger and the Semperoper are a walk of about twenty to twenty-five minutes across the river, and the bars and cafés of the Outer Neustadt and the Erich Kästner Museum at the Albertplatz are close by.
Rooms: the standard rooms are around sixteen square metres, compact but well thought out. Special One rooms add a balcony, and Family One rooms of twenty to twenty-four square metres suit parents with a child.
Who it suits: budget-conscious couples, solo travellers, families on a short break and anyone arriving by train at Neustadt station or planning day trips to Saxon Switzerland.
Good to know: breakfast runs from 6:00 to 10:00 on weekdays and from 7:00 to 11:00 at weekends. Parking is in the public underground garage beneath the hotel for a daily fee and cannot be reserved. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out by noon.
Why stay here
- ✓Erich Kästner themed lounge and bar
- ✓Organic breakfast buffet
- ✓Rooms with rain showers
- ✓Balcony rooms available
- ✓Family rooms
- ✓Public garage under the hotel
- ✓Near Dresden-Neustadt station
- ✓Free Wi-Fi
Good questions
How far is Motel One Palaisplatz from the Old Town?+
The Frauenkirche, Zwinger and Semperoper are about twenty to twenty-five minutes on foot across the Augustus Bridge. Trams nearby make the trip quicker.
Does Motel One Dresden-Palaisplatz have family rooms?+
Yes, the Family One rooms have twenty to twenty-four square metres and suit parents with a child. There are also rooms with a balcony.
Is there parking at Motel One Palaisplatz?+
Yes, the public underground garage beneath the hotel has spaces for a daily fee. Spaces cannot be reserved.
