I stayed here with a colleague who had been to Basel many times. It's a very nice hotel with a small reception area and a small bar in the main lobby. The room was very clean and the internet service worked without any problems - which isn't always the case in European hotels, in my experience. The hotel offers a very nice breakfast as part of your room rate - the chocolate croissants shouldn't be missed. I didn't know until my colleague told me but they are stuffed with very good Swiss chocolate - just wished I had known earlier that it would have been worth the calories! You are also given a free pass to ride the tram system throughout the city - which is useful if you are staying here and visiting any of the pharma companies in the area. The hotel is also within walking distance to the shopping area, which has nice restaurants too. Taxi ride was inexpensive, but if you know the tram system, the hotel is located right next to the Spalentor stop. I would definitely stay here again on my next trip to Basel.

There is no ventilation in the rooms and so you are forced to keep the window open. The window looks at the VERY noisy street and the tram railway, which altogether makes it really extreme - I wonder how people ever manage to go to sleep here. I have specifically asked for a quiet room since I have an early working meeting in the morning, but apparently this is what I've got.

We stayed at the Spalentor for the Easter week end. This hotel is great: spacious room, nice breakfast, helpful staff. Location is great too, you are within walking distance of the center of Basel and opposite the Botanical Garden. Pity about the noise, the tram is running under your window, and the ambulances going down to the hospital pass under your window too. Apart from this, and if you can bear the noise, this is a fab hotel.

My good friend and I booked two single rooms during the
famous Basel Carnival known as "Basler Fasnacht".
Despite we booked almost three months in advance many hotels were already full, so we ended up at Spalentor.
The location was convenient (close to downtown) and on
the web site the rooms looked charming. We were very happy and
looking forward to this time.
We received 2 single rooms (of course not the rooms we saw on the web site even not on the same floor) very big but :
we paied 280 CHF + taxes per room only because it was Carnival and not because the hotel worths it.
Despite the price they did not offer anything more (perhaps less): I had two single tiny beds (not even a french bed /bit bigger) and my bedsheets had holes (!!). If you had breakfast later than 9 pm bread and croissants were already finished.
The building itself was renewed but the foundations are dated approx '70s and walls are thin like paper: you could hear your neighbour having his shower or what else.
The ladies began to clean the rooms at 8.00 am: no alarm clock needed.
Shame that the top event for this Carnival is called "Morgenstraich" . You wake up at 2.30 am to be there and can go back to bed not earlier than 8.00 am exactly when the cleaning starts.

For me it one of the worse experience in Europe: I had the feeling to live in a house block among 40 families with pros and cons. I never felt alone but if I wanted to sleep I had to deal it with the cleaning ladies or a baby that cries, my neighbour's tv ..everything else.

Last but not least: the hotel is located on a cross where 2 tram lines meet. It felt almost like the walls were trembling each time one passed by.
If you are a light sleeper avoid this place; if you want to see the Basel Carnival book months in advance but check carefully what you book.
They take advance of this Event and overprice all places. Lesson learned.