With a plummeting US dollar, there remains very few places in Europe that are a bargain for visiting Americans. Fortunately, Berlin is one of them.

Berlin is my favorite German city because history has raised and dropped it so many times that it is practically bipolar in nature. These days, the city is neither at is nadir or zenith. It is somewhere in between, suffering financially and economically.

Berlin's woes, however, are travelers' good fortune, according to a recent AP article, Berlin Hotels offer high style at budget prices.

Apparently, a troubled economy coupled with Berlin's quirky, artsy character has resulted in a number of very cool, very chic hotels popping up around the city that are cheap and exceptional for their value.

Budget chic. I love it.

Take, for example, Ostel. This great pun on the word Hostel and Ost (German for East) is a communist themed retro hotel with rooms going for just $53 (above photo). Or, there's the $65 a night Arte Luise Kunsthotel in which every room has been personalized and designed by a local artist.

If you've ever dreamed of going to Berlin, now is the time; because if you don't act soon, it will soon be as expensive as the rest of Germany.

Filed under: Germany, Hotels and Accommodations, Budget Travel