Crisana and Banat Baile Herculane

Most of the hotels in Baile Herculane have costly, short-stay rates (one to three days) and cheaper, long-stay rates (three to 21 days), though it's hard to imagine keeping oneself occupied here for that long, even with daily massages and the excellent scenery. All prices listed below are short-stay rates. If you plan to stay longer than three days, you should definitely start haggling. Top hotels fill up in July and August, and the resort is very quiet from mid-September to mid-May (when you'd think people would most want to submerge themselves in scalding hot water, go figure).

Popas Flora camping ground
Tel. +40 (0) 255 560 929
Str Castanilor 25
Bungalows four euros per person
Located between the old and new resorts. They have two and four bed bungalows overlooking the Cerna River. Communal showers and toilets. Closed November through April.

Hotel Cerna
Tel. +40 (0) 255 560 436
Str 1 Mai 1
Singles without bathroom 9 euros
Doubles without bathroom 12 euros
Doubles with bathroom 15 euros
This yellow building has old-fashioned but reasonable rooms.

Hotel Geta
Tel. +40 (0) 255 560 043
Str Trandafirilor 40
Singles 23 euros
Doubles 29 euros
Suites 43 euros
Open in late 2005, this is the best value in this price range. The bright and clean rooms all have balconies with river and/or mountain views. Breakfast is not included in the price, but a reasonably priced restaurant is on-site.

Hotel Hercules
Tel. +40 (0) 255 560 880
Str Izvorului 7
Singles 28 euros
Doubles 41 euros
The place is somewhat dated and the rooms are average, but clean. The yhave their own sauna complex.

Hotel Roman
Tel. +40 (0) 255 560 390
argirom dot tour at rdsnet dot ro
Str Romana 1
Singles 35 euros
Doubles 49 euros
This is a tough one. This concrete hulk is in dire need of renovations in places, but the ancient baths on the site are a very cool novelty. However, it's possible to visit the baths if you're not a guest (and you should). It's built into the side of the mountain on the site of a natural spring. Other amenities include massage and sauna and a reasonable, if moribund, restaurant.

Hotel Ferdinand
Tel. +40 (0) 255 561 131
office at hotel-ferdinand dot ro
Piata Hercules
Singles 44 euros
Doubles 60 euros
Suite 103 euros
This is the resort’s newest and best hotel and the only place where the staff have more than a passing interest in customer service. Indeed, the front desk clerks are wonderfully helpful and knowledgeable. Otherwise the place is classy, the prices are decent and they have the most charming mountain-side wooden terraces, which are candle-lit at night.

WARNING: Do not be tempted to stay at Hotel Apollo opposite Hotel Ferdinand! The smell of sulphur from the cellar baths is distressing to say the least. However, they have a hiking map in the lobby that's worth a peek (plug your noses).

Furthermore, I can't un-recommend the hillside hotels Afrodite and Diana enough! They're both on their last gasps in every possible respect. Worse than prison!