When we travel in Europe, we try to find hotels that are old, historic, and near the city center. We also look at reviews to get an indication of friendliness and cleanliness. We are rarely disappointed. The hotels we find more than make up for the problems of navigating narrow streets, finding parking, and struggling up narrow stairways with our luggage. Our hotel in Strasbourg was an exception:

• “Just off the beaten path” shouldn’t mean “hidden”. The only thing marking this hotel was a small sign on the door, and the door was opened so the sign was not noticeable walking by.
• It was near the city center but we did not feel comfortable in the neighborhood, especially at night. One night we witnessed violence while walking back from the Christmas market. The next night we walked through a small square where several men were yelling at people passing by. We skipped the third night of our reservation and went to Trier a day early.

In fairness, the hotel was clean, inexpensive, and staff members were polite.

If you’re thinking about going to Strasbourg, contact me and I’ll give you the name of the hotel.