Hotel or Apartment? Best budget option for accommodation in central Warsaw (I don't speak Polish)

Hello. I will visit Warsaw for the first time in March. I will have only 2 nights on my way to a conference, and I've reserved a hotel in central Warsaw for that. However, after my conference, I will return to Warsaw for a week (5 nights). I am on a budget and looking for the best deal, but I am a woman, traveling alone, who does not speak Polish. I am learning basic phrases, but really--I don't speak Polish. So, I could stay at a central hotel with front desk reception, a breakfast buffet, etc. or I could stay in an apartment in Old Town that is self-serve. I pick up the keys and that's it. I like the idea of the little apartment, but I would have to figure out how to buy some food (just breakfast and coffee, really, and some bottled water), and I would have to find my own way around. What do you recommend?

Thanks!

Check Ibis, they have few locations in central Warsaw: accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-2894-ibis-warszawa-centrum/index.shtml

Ibis are fine though nota always ideal locations, there's also an Etap which is cheap though not very central, and there's the Hotel MDM in Plac Konstytucji which is very Central, good quality and reasonably priced.

Thank you. I see that no one thinks the apartment on my own is a great idea, so I'll focus on hotels. I kind of like waking up to breakfast prepared for me anyway :-) I looked at the MDM, and it may be just perfect for me. I appreciate the advice.

If I may, would someone fill me in on tipping culture in Poland. Do you tip the cab driver, the waitress, etc? And if so, what is a typical %? Thank you so much for the help.

Usually 10% in restaurants and round off at 5 or 0 the cabs,I still give 10% unlike states where 20% is a normn nowadays.
Most good hotels have breakfast buffet by american standards,I still prefer intercontinental,hyaat or mariott makes you feel at home and mostly speak english.

Merged:

Cheap short term accommodation sought in Warsaw..any ideas?

Hi,

I'm looking to rent between April/May-July in Warsaw as cheaply as poss. Does anybody have any idea of an agency that might organise such a thing or of any premises that rents short term. Or if you know of anybody with accommodation available please PM me. Many thanks

Agencies don't deal with "cheap". It's just not worth their time. You could try couch-surfing or AirBnB.

And nobody can PM you because you are not registered.

You can always try gumtree.