In Chains We Trust, So Get Familiar with a Foreign Few

Those durned Europeans, to paraphrase the comedian and filmmaker Steve Martin--they seem to have a different word for everything.

That goes not only for those words found on French menus and Italian train schedules, but for the signs atop thousands of hotels throughout Europe. From one end of the Continent to the other are chain hotels whose names speak volumes to European travelers, in the same way that the words Hilton or Ritz-Carlton or Motel 6 tell Americans what to expect.

But most European chains have little or no name recognition among Americans, which leaves us at a disadvantage when improvising itineraries. Seeing their names in lights, or guidebooks, or advertisements, one wonders: A Jolly hotel? Is that a good thing? Movenpick? Is that prudent?

In the cases of Jolly and Movenpick, the short answers are likely to be yes and yes. But there’s plenty more to know. Like American Hiltons, Hyatts, Sheratons and Westins, most of these chains aim for four-star levels of service and amenities (which usually means prices from $100 to $180, depending on location and season), but some, like Libertel and Mercure, can be budget refuges in high-priced cities. Here is a quick introduction to some of the major chains:

* Forte Hotels, based in England, maintains multiple personalities at the more than 300 hotels it manages throughout Europe. Ranging from most upscale to most affordable, the company’s lodgings go under the names Forte Grand, usually five-star hotels; Forte Crest; Forte Heritage; and Forte Posthouse, usually three to four stars. (Forte reservations: [800] 225-5843). Forte’s corporate parent, the behemoth Granada Hotels, based in Burlington, Mass., also owns the French-flavored Meridien hotels, a Paris-based chain with more than 80 sites worldwide, including six in the U.S.

* Golden Tulip Worldwide Hotels, based in London, manages more than 300 hotels worldwide, most of them in the Netherlands and Britain. Though most Golden Tulip lodgings aim for four-star and five-star standards, the chain also maintains a network of three-star Tulip Inn properties. Reservations: (800) 344-1212.

* Jolly Hotels, based in Valdagno, Italy, manages 35 stylish upscale properties in Italy, one in Brussels, one in Paris, and for the last six years, one in New York, too. The Jolly Madison Towers, 22 E. 38th St., formerly the Madison Towers, offers brochure rates beginning at $170 night for double rooms. (Reservations: [800] 390-1572.)

* The Kempinsky Hotels chain, founded 100 years ago in Germany, includes 20 hotels, most of them in Germany, with others scattered through the rest of Europe and Asia, and two in the U.S.: the Campton Place Hotel San Francisco and the Grand Kempinsky Dallas. Most of the chain’s properties aim for five-star status, with prices accordingly high--generally beyond $150 per night. Reservations: (800) 426-3135.

* Libertel is a French chain with 30 hotels in Paris and a few others elsewhere in France. Virtually all are two- and three-star properties with prices of $85-$170 nightly, often lower in off-season. Reservations: via Utell International at (800) 448-8355.

* Mercure Ho^tels, part of the massive French hospitality industry conglomerate Accor, has 360 hotels, mostly in France (including more than two dozen in Paris), but also in Germany, Belgium, Austria, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland and Hungary. Not known for their high style, Mercures emphasis affordability, and all hotels are intended to offer three-star service at prices generally ranging $70-$150. Mercures come in three categories: Grand Ho^tel, Ho^tel and Relais, in descending order of prices. Reservations: 800-MERCURE.

* Movenpick Hotels International, based in Switzerland manages 35 hotels, including 10 in Switzerland and 12 in Germany, with the rest scattered among Belgium, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Jordan and China. (Reservations: [800] 34-HOTEL.)

* Novotel, another subsidiary of Accor, manages about 320 properties internationally, mostly in France, but also elsewhere in Europe, with some in Africa, Asia and South America, and three U.S. properties in New York and New Jersey. Reservations: 800-NOVOTEL.

* Sol Melia, a Spanish chain, manages 205 hotels in 25 countries. Most are in Spain, but others are spread throughout Latin America (11 in Brazil, seven in Mexico), and others are in Indonesia, Germany, Italy and Turkey. The chain’s only U.S. hotel is the Sol Miami Beach. Most Sol Melia hotels are in the four-star range, but a handful aim for greater luxury. In coming months, the chain expects to add a network of three-star hotels (with rates beginning around $85) throughout the Americas. Reservations: (800) 33-MELIA.

* The Thistle and Mount Charlotte Hotels chain, based in London, manages about 100 four-star and five-star hotels, 26 of them in London, the rest spread around England, Scotland and Wales. Reservations: (800) 847-4358.

Reynolds travels anonymously at the newspaper’s expense, accepting no special discounts or subsidized trips. He welcomes comments and suggestions, but cannot respond individually to letters and calls. Write Travel Insider, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053 or e-mail chris.reynolds@latimes.com.