Ritchie's is a smart, friendly hostel on one of the busiest pedestrian streets in the Old Town, just a few minutes' walk from Old Town Square. The plain but clean rooms are above a string of souvenir shops, and there's a sociable bar and lounge area.

A Plus is a huge new hostel-cum-budget hotel within spitting distance of the chaotic Florenc bus station, offering a bewildering array of rooms. It's clean, modern and very popular, and there's a kitchen on each floor.

Set in an old apartment block just behind the Municipal House, this well-located hostel has a wide range of simple rooms, from singles and doubles to dorms sleeping up to 12. There's a kitchen, Internet access and a lounge.

This exemplary smoke-free hostel has the brightest facade on the street. It's recently been spruced up inside and out and is planning further development of facilities. Very accommodating staff can provide info on the neighbourhood and Prague in general.

Set on the island below most Legií (Legions Bridge), this is the most attractive of the five Travellers' Hostels in Prague, though it's only open in summer. It has huge dorms and a garden bar with barbecue, and there's an open-air cinema on the island too.

One of the prettier hostels in town, 'At the Watermelon' is set in an historic building on a quiet back street, with all rooms on ground level. It has the added attraction of a peaceful, sunny garden complete with barbecue.

This grand old building on Bethlehem Square has 21 quiet and stylish rooms, including some cheaper attic rooms (if you don't mind a sloping ceiling). Breakfast is served in the atmospheric gothic cellars, while other public areas are filled with historical knick-knackery.

Three separate 16th-century buildings along Nerudova have been converted into elegant rooms and apartments. Smaller rooms are a little cramped, and most have shared bathrooms, but all are comfortable and nicely decorated, and the management is laid back and helpful.

Hotel Raffaello occupies a rather grand neoclassical apartment block just round the corner from the IP Pavlova metro station, with 29 smart doubles and five suites. It's on a very busy main road, but leave the noisy traffic behind and inside it's a haven of calm.

Although it's sandwiched between the raging traffic of Legerova and Sokolská, the Green Garden has bags of old-fashioned character and a lovely glass-roofed 'winter garden' sitting area. Rooms on the top floor are quieter and have are great views towards the castle.

Hotel Tyl occupies a grand neoclassical townhouse, which was completely renovated in 2003. The neat rooms are adorned with antique-style furnishings and smart modern bathrooms, while those at the front have views over the pleasant grassy square below.

With rooms ranged around a balcony overlooking a peaceful courtyard, the Tchaikovsky is one of the more appealing of Prague's new, small hotels. The spacious rooms have stylish Italian furniture, and reception is staffed 24 hours a day.

Enjoying a great central location within easy reach of both Old Town Sq and Wenceslas Sq, the Expres is a breezy, modern establishment offering a range of rooms, including substantially cheaper rooms with shared facilities.

The Brezina is a welcoming pension in a converted Art Nouveau apartment block. There's a pleasant garden with a fountain at the back, where you can sit and have a drink in summer. There are three categories of rooms, ranging from basic, with shared bathroom, to the comfortable...

King George's House is an appealing pension with rooms that have been given a crisp modern makeover; the attic rooms, with exposed wooden beams, are the most attractive. It's within easy walking distance of Old Town Square, although the bar is so comfortable you may not bother...

With its defiantly pink façade, you can hardly fail to spot the Da Vinci, a stylish modern hotel opened in summer 2005. It's a friendly place, and thankfully the pink is forgotten inside, where black and white is the design choice. The surroundings are bland, but you're still...

This huge glassy edifice offers four-star designer chic in the heart of up-and-coming Smíchov. There are 239 rooms, all spacious and elegantly furnished, with floor-to-ceiling windows and mod cons including DVD and CD players, minibars and modems.

This grand and boldly pink 19th-century building sits in one of the quieter corners of Josefov, a stone's throw from the river. The large restful rooms are tastefully furnished, and a vague Italian style is maintained throughout, including a top class restaurant in the basement.

This grand white edifice looks slightly out of place (and scale) on this quiet backstreet in Vinohrady, but it's a friendly place with 84 bright, squeaky-clean rooms and a sauna, solarium and massage service to help the travel weary relax.

An attractive historical building barely 30 paces from Old Town Square, the 'Black Elephant' has 16 modernised and pleasantly furnished four-star rooms, a Gothic-vaulted dining room and a tiny courtyard garden.

The Admirál floating hotel is one of Prague's bigger and better 'botels', with compact, well-designed rooms, though they are perhaps a little overpriced for what you get. It also has its own deck restaurant with great river views.

'At the Cross' is an attractively renovated 16th-century building right across the road from Petrín Hill with 22 simple, cosy rooms. This pleasant little hotel, which has been going since 1995, occupies an enviable spot in southern Malá Strana.

This friendly, central hotel has 10 plain-but-comfy rooms decorated with unique art and a stylish little restaurant adorned with surreal painted glass. The artwork by contemporary Prague artists on display in the front window is available to purchase.

The 22-room 'At the Golden Tree', only a few short steps from Charles Bridge, has a pleasingly historical atmosphere with period features and many timber-ceilinged rooms. But unless you're in a party mood try to get a room on the upper floors - the hotel also has a basement...

This lovely historic mansion just a few minutes' walk from Old Town Square has nine individually designed (and individually priced) apartments, ranging from smallish doubles to large two-level suites. All have kitchens, and some have working fireplaces and great views.

'At the three drums' is a unique place, made up of two adjoining medieval houses right on the corner of Old Town Square. Spacious rooms feature original wood-beamed ceilings and attractive antique-style furniture.

Near the Botanic Gardens and about a 5-minute walk from Karlovo námêstí metro station, this homely little hotel is quiet, clean and very comfortable. There's a peaceful terraced garden out the back and a small bar.

Conveniently located in the busiest part of town, the Adria's yellow baroque facade is Wenceslas Square's oldest surviving building (late 18th century). Its 89 rooms (including two barrier-free doubles), however, are entirely modern. The hotel's restaurant (dating from 1912)...

Tucked away down a quiet lane in Malá Strana, Nosticova is a luxurious all-suite hotel offering a choice of individually designed one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, all with kitchenettes and lounge areas. There's a good restaurant downstairs if you don't want to cook.

This towering temple of glitz looms over the northern end of Wenceslas Sq, offering 162 rooms with the usual five-star facilities, and lots of marble, crystal chandeliers and other such showiness. There's also a casino and nightclub.