Where to stay

Picking where to stay in Romania comes down to what you want out of the trip: a city break, a mountain base, or the Black Sea coast. Timișoara is the western gateway, a city that grew as separate districts around a fortress and never quite merged them, so choose the district that matches your days. Bucharest is the capital and the busiest hotel market in the country, while Brașov, Sibiu, Bran and Sinaia sit in the Carpathians, close to castles and ski slopes. Constanta and Eforie cover the coast.

Beyond the big names, smaller towns give you a quieter base: Sighisoara, Alba Iulia, Oradea and Cluj-Napoca for history and city life, Predeal, Busteni, Rasnov and Azuga along the Prahova valley, Sovata, Baile Herculane and Vatra Dornei for spa and mountain air. Lists are ordered by distance from the centre.

Three-star hotels carry the bulk of the stock across the region, and in smaller towns they are often the only choice; they suit travellers who want a simple base and to spend the day outside. Four-star hotels add space and service and are the best compromise in places like Timisoara, Brasov and Sibiu. Five-star hotels cluster in the big cities and resorts: Bucharest has 15, Brasov 10, Sinaia 8, Sibiu 7, while Timisoara, Constanta and Cluj-Napoca hold 5, 5 and 7. Where a town has no five-star, as in Eforie Nord, Pitesti or Baia Mare, four-star is the top tier.