Hotels in Basel

Hotels in Basel: prices, timing and areas

When to book a stay in Basel for less

It is cheapest in January, in the dead season, when rates drop clearly below the yearly average. November is the priciest, when trade fairs roll into town and prices can almost double. This is a business and trade-fair hub, so Friday tends to be the cheapest day and Monday the most expensive, when a wave of business guests checks in. It pays to start the booking about five or six weeks before arrival, when you catch the best rates. In a week with big fairs or during the February Fasnacht carnival, rooms go far faster.

What a stay costs by property type

Basel is an expensive market, from a hostel bed to an apartment by the station. The cheapest sleep is in hostels and simple three-star hotels, and the gap up to the single five-star hotel on the Rhine is huge. Apartments with a kitchenette suit a longer, trade-fair stay. Below are indicative nightly rates from the summer.

Indicative rates for a double room, from the summer. Out of season, especially in January and outside fair weeks, the same property is often clearly cheaper, so check the real price for your dates in the search above.

Where a stay is cheaper and where it costs more

The most properties are in the very centre on the Grossbasel side, near the station and the main museums. It is cheaper in Kleinbasel across the Rhine, around Clara, with a looser feel and cheaper hotels. It costs more in the Old Town on both sides of the river and in quiet, leafy Bruderholz. The St. Johann district to the west sits in between. With a dense tram network, a base outside the very centre is still convenient. Below are indicative nightly prices in a few areas.

From the cheapest room in each district, from the summer. Kleinbasel and the very centre tend to come out cheaper than the Old Town, and with the trams, getting in from anywhere is quick.

Which stay in Basel suits whom

• First time in Basel. The Grossbasel centre is easiest, near the Münster cathedral, the Kunstmuseum and the Old Town. From here it is a walk to most sights and to the banks of the Rhine.
• Cheaper and looser. Kleinbasel across the river, around Clara, with bars, eateries and lower prices. Good for a longer, less formal stay.
• For fairs and business. Hotels near the Messe Basel grounds in Kleinbasel or by Basel SBB station, with quick trams in any direction. Handy for a short work trip.
• For families. An apartment with a kitchenette outside the very centre, on a tram line. More space and a kitchen cut the food bill in an expensive city.
• With breakfast. Many hotels include a buffet in the rate, which really helps cut the bill at Swiss food prices. Worth checking at booking.
• Near the airport. Hotels around the EuroAirport suit an early flight, and a bus runs into the centre from there in about fifteen minutes.

Example hotels in Basel with prices

From a hostel bed to five stars on the Rhine, a few Basel names with a from price. Just a starting point, as rates can climb sharply in a week with big trade fairs.

From prices for a double room, from the summer. The same hotel can differ a lot between January and a fair week, so check your exact dates in the search.