Motel One Basel: design hotel on Barfüsserplatz
143 rooms right on Barfüsserplatz, the lounge as a meeting point and one of the cheaper locations in the Old Town: the hotel for those who mainly need a room to sleep in.
Photo: Natascha Weihs, via Google Maps
Our verdict
Motel One stands on Barfüsserplatz, the hub of Basel's tram network, next to the Gothic Barfüsserkirche that houses the Historical Museum. For a weekend in the Old Town the location is hard to beat.
It opened in 2016 and has 143 rooms. It follows the chain's formula: compact design rooms, a good bed, few frills.
Rooms and lounge
The rooms have a shower room, a TV and wifi; there is no restaurant. The meeting point is the One Lounge with its bar, where breakfast is also served.
Location and walking times
Barfüsserplatz is one minute away, Marktplatz six, Basel SBB station 13 minutes on foot. Messeplatz is 19 minutes away, much less by tram from Barfüsserplatz.
Our advice
Guests report warm rooms in summer and street noise with the window open. Ask for a courtyard room if you are coming in July or August.
Breakfast costs extra depending on the rate. The BaselCard for trams and buses comes with the visitor tax.
Check rooms at Motel One Basel: the link opens the hotel on Booking.com for a weekend about four weeks ahead, change the dates to suit your stay. During the big fairs and Fasnacht, booking early is the safest option.
See availability on Booking.com →Partner link: booking through this link supports our editorial team at no extra cost to you.Read next: Where to stay in Basel? The districts compared, with prices and visitor tax and Art Basel hotels in Basel: prices, booking deadlines and alternatives in the region.
Sources: the establishment's website, Basel Tourismus, Google Maps (address, reviews, October 2026), Google Hotels (prices checked on 23 October 2026), timetables from transport.opendata.ch, walking times calculated on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Motel One in Basel?
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Corinne Schaub
Corinne spent six years on the front desk of a hotel near the Badischer Bahnhof, answering the same questions about trams, zones and the border every day. She writes the pages she would have liked to hand to her guests. She checks every fare with the operator, never in a guidebook.
