Hotel Imparatul Romanilor

Hotel Imparatul Romanilor stands at 4 Nicolae Balcescu Street in Sibiu's old town, about a two-minute walk from the Large Square, which is the best selling point you can have in this city. The four-star property has 79 rooms with workspaces and sound-insulated walls, an on-site restaurant, a bar, a terrace, a sauna or steam room, massage services and a gym. Room types include singles, doubles, twins, superior rooms, junior and deluxe suites and studio-style rooms, so couples, families and solo travellers all have options.

Location is everything here. Step out and you are almost immediately on the Large Square, with Brukenthal Palace, the Evangelical Cathedral and the Small Square within a few minutes, and the Christmas market in the square itself from 13 November. That makes it an ideal base for a short break when you want to walk everywhere and return to your room between sights.

Because it sits in the heart of the old town, streets nearby can be lively on weekend evenings, and the Christmas market adds more noise, so ask for a room on a higher floor or away from the square if you are a light sleeper. The sound-insulated walls described on help.

The 79 rooms range from standard singles, doubles and twins to superior doubles and twins, junior and deluxe suites, one-bedroom suites and studio-style rooms with kitchen-type facilities for longer stays. Family studio suites give households extra space. Check-in is flexible, from early afternoon until midnight, and check-out is at noon.

The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, though does not say whether breakfast is included in every rate, so check your rate before you arrive. Parking is available in limited spaces, which is common in old town hotels, so confirm your plans if you are driving and ask about public car parks nearby.

The sauna, steam room, massage and gym are handy after a cold day of sightseeing or a long trip to the mountains. Wi-Fi is free in public areas. The hotel suits couples, small families and business travellers who value an old town address, and it is a strong mid-range to upper mid-range option compared with the larger chain hotels on the edge of the centre.

Rates move with the season and tend to be highest around the Christmas market and summer festivals, so book early for those periods. If you want a quieter stay, consider the Small Square or the hotels farther from the square, but if you want to be inside the postcard, this is a very good choice.