It’s quite common when I’m attending events or concerts in Basel, that I have no chance to get back home to Zurich after 10pm. This lead to an excessive touring of different housing places and hotels in the city. I can’t tell you I tried all of those beds already, but I can tell you for sure that the most hotels I’ve visited so far while travelling through Switzerland are located in Basel. And if it wasn’t for an event, I had an outbound flight at 6am – I guess there’s no more yikes than that. 

I’ve rarely stayed such as central as this time though, it might be my second time out of fifty. I’m sure that this isn’t because of some bad booking habits I have, I am a pro, you know that. Still, it can be tricky to find a hotel room in Basel that goes along with amazing, affordable and centrally located (I wanted to do a word play with the three magic A’s, but I obviously failed). Well, 2016 is surely been a blessing in these terms: Basel has a new entry, Motel One. I’ve spoken about my endless love for their blue chairs already (see blogpost here), I’m an enthusiast guest since 2008, so I’m happy to see this stylish hotel chain exploding everywhere in Europe – and knowing that my hometown Zurich will get its own, thrills me even more!

Basel was taken to a complete other level though. The location is in the very heart of the city, with all the shopping strolls nearby and the central station only 5 minutes away. It was Baloise Session and fair time during my stay, and also those places are reachable in 10 minutes by tram easily. I surely don’t have to tell you at this point that you’ll have plenty of restaurant choices around you, but if I can add a personal note here, try to end your night at the hotel bar. I am a fan of hotel bars since I started writing from their tables years back. At that time at night, people and business travellers tend to become more relaxed and the vibe of a hotel bar, meeting point of tourists but also locals, can be pretty unique. Priority are great cocktails obviously, but Motel One provided them every time I sat down so far.

The hotel’s lobby outstands a little bit more than the ones I’ve seen in Germany. The interior designer seemed to have more freedom of choice in terms of furnitures: the nice sofa corner, the wide dining table and the color tubes chandelier (omg send it to me!) reclaim Basel’s passion for artsy things. Local artist Adrian Falkner gave the final touch to this babe, by decorating a whole wall with plexiglas elements.

The rooms are decorated in the clean Motel One style, the blue and the classic pattern are a must, no objection. My stay was the most exeptional this time: I had a wide spacious room under the roof. If you’re in need of more of an airy story, including the romance of watching the stars before you hit your pillows, then please, upgrade your room, you won’t be disappointed.

Those who know me often laugh at me for not being the breakfast type. I usually need three hours to be completely awake in the morning, so the only thing I swallow down first thing is coffee. Since I’m not that hungry most of the time, my breakfast routine is pretty much boring, even for a hobby chef like I am. A smoothie or an avocado toast do the trick for me. Motel One has a wide selection of cheeses, meats and cereals, most products are organic and local. I wished there was a little improvement into the fruits and veggies section, can we do that? (I swear I’d be happy to help with ideas) I guess this will make some plant based friends happy too. Meanwhile, the tomatoes and cucumbers make a great toast for the non face stuffers like I am. I know, I’m such a bad morning person. But nobody is perfect, right?

So there you have it: if your nights are long, your flights early, your wallet(s) stuffed with unlimited shopping money or you’re in need of soft pillows wrapped into egyptian cotton, this is the place to go. Oh, and the drinks, never forget the drinks!

I think it’s unneccessary to mention that the staff is lovely and always up for a chat, and that Motel One is the first choice for travelling in style on a less luxurious budget.

Book your stay here.

A special thank you to Motel One for supporting my trip to Basel. Big fan, but you know that ❤