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There are plenty of inexpensive hotels dotted around town. The Young People brochure lists 21 establishments offering en-suite doubles for Fr.83–120, some of them with cheaper rooms too, and most slap in the centre of town.

Station area and Les Pâquis

Aiglon, 16 Rue Sismondi (022/732 97 60, fax 732 87 71). Very large well-worn doubles – en suite and not – that aren’t spotlessly clean, but are perfectly OK, inexpensive and good value. Ask in the street-level bar. b.

At Home, 16 Rue de Fribourg (022/906 19 00, fax 738 44 30, athome@bluewin.ch, www.kis.ch/
at-home). Clean, modern Pâquis rooms, convenient for the location, but small, soulless and, despite the name, thoroughly unhomely. b.

Balzac, 14 Rue de l’Ancien-Port (022/731 01 60, fax 738 38 47). Quiet and very spacious rooms – unrenovated but still comfortable – just off the Place de la Navigation. Good value. c.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 13 Rue Rousseau (022/731 55 70, fax 738 41 05). Odd little place, seemingly a basic city-centre cheapie – but not so cheap. Spartan outdated rooms, all en suite, are overpriced but handily located. b.

Luserna, 12 Avenue de Luserna (022/345 46 76, fax 344 49 36, hotel.luserna@span.ch). Very quiet and friendly family-run place north of the centre, with pleasantly renovated wood-floor chalet-style rooms (most en suite – ask for the attic) and great breakfasts. Super-attentive management lifts it well out of the ordinary. Bus #3, #9 or #10 to Servette, then walk via Avenue Wendt. a–b.

Des Quatre-Nations, 43 Rue de Zurich (022/732 02 24, fax 731 21 41). Divey little Pâquis den above a lowlife Portuguese bar, with blithely unhelpful staff (if you can find them) and dead cheap shower-free rooms. a.

Rivoli, 6 Rue des Pâquis (022/731 85 50, fax 738 41 17). Good, quiet central location, but a little gloomy inside – unrenovated rooms are nothing to write home about, but their studios are slightly better value. c.

Terminus, 20 Rue des Alpes (022/732 80 95, fax 732 18 43). Clean and comfortable, a stone’s throw from the station but off the main traffic street. c.

Windsor, 31 Rue de Berne (022/731 71 30, fax 731 93 25). Simple, unadorned rooms, adequate and not without character – higher floors avoid the Pâquis street-noise. Formal, friendly staff. c.

Old Town, Plainpalais, Eaux-Vives and Carouge

Auberge communale de Carouge, 39 Rue Ancienne, Carouge (022/342 22 88, fax 342 22 05). Characterful old building unfortunately gutted and renovated inside, with spotless modern, floral-style rooms – the best are under the eaves. The most appealing choice in Carouge. Reception closed Mon eve & Tues. Tram #13 to Ancienne. c.

Beau-Site, 3 Place du Cirque (022/328 10 08, fax 329 23 64). Creaky wood-floor rooms perched out of range of the Plainpalais street-noise, with nice decor and understanding staff. a.

Bel’Espérance, 1 Rue de la Vallée (022/818 37 37, fax 818 37 73). Formerly Salvation Army, now completely renovated into an excellent modern hotel on a steep Old Town alley. Exceptionally quiet rooms are bright and plasticky, with free use of kitchen and great views. A renowned dentist nearby attracts toothache sufferers from all over Europe, making for quirky, cosmopolitan breakfast-times. One no-smoking floor. b.

Central, 2 Rue de la Rôtisserie (022/818 8100, fax 818 8101). Quiet, comfortable, renovated top-floor rooms seconds below the Old Town, all with balcony. Prices depend on the room size, but are all good value. b.

Hôtel du Lac, 15 Rue des Eaux-Vives (022/735 45 80, fax 735 45 82). Top-notch cheapie, possibly best value in town, with no-fuss management and plain rooms up on the sixth & seventh floors all with balcony but none en suite. Street-side rooms are no noisier this high up. a.