I admit that I’m a sucker for room service. I can slob around in a robe, forget the lipstick, watch junk on TV and eat a lovely meal prepared by someone else and served directly to my room. Lovely. So what’s the alternative nowadays in hotels when...
What is an albergho diffuso? If you’re looking for a vacation experience with a difference then these accommodations in Italy might be just what you’re looking for.Almost thirty years before Airbnb made famous its ‘live like a local’ concept...
I do like a good hotel but I’m not sure whether this is one I’d like to stay in. It’s not open as yet, so I’m secretly hoping that it might be delayed at the planning-permission stage or something. You see, to me this is just a little too...
To be honest, the photograph above only shows a segment of Marina Bay Sands but I thought it was rather stunning and couldn’t resist. Here’s a photograph showing the entirety of this amazing structure. Pretty astonishing, right?It’s quite an...
Just before Christmas in 1958, twelve couples driving through California received an unusual Christmas gift. Independently of each other, they all spotted what seemed to be a new motel – the Madonna – and stopped to stay there for the night. The next...
That gorgeous roof garden pictured above, and its stunning view, would be reason enough to stay in the Jane Hotel in New York but just wait until you hear more about it, especially its history. The hotel was built at the beginning of the last century (1906 –...
Here’s one that’s definitely for your wishlist. The Koshu Nishiyama Hot Spring – see the map below for its location – is officially the oldest hotel in the world according to the experts; the Guinness Book of World Records. It was founded in...
This fabulous hotel was built in 1957. I know that its style make it look as though it could be early twentieth century – or even late Victorian – but the Ukraina Hotel was commissioned by Josef Stalin and until 1976 was the tallest hotel in the world. The...
Travelling these days is so different than in times gone by, especially for those of us who want – or need – to travel on a restricted budget. Staying in a hostel is a budget-conscious way to see the world and meet new people and costs are low. At time of...
This grand hotel was built in 1924 and was the first custom-built hotel in Lima. It was designed with luxury in mind. It was intended to provide accommodation for heads of state, the rich and the famous. And it did exactly that. But over the years its maintenance has...
The opulent Empress Hotel in British Columbia sits like an elegant Edwardian duchess overlooking the harbour of Victoria on Vancouver Island. But this sumptuous hotel was at one time considered to be a dowdy and faded building that was better demolished to make way...
It’s going to be a little difficult writing about the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel in Tennessee without resorting to ‘pardon me boy’, ‘dinner in the diner’ and ‘won’t you choo choo me home’ but I’m fairly sure that...
The Hotel Negresco in Nice is located on the Promenade des Anglais. Eccentric dancer, Isadora Duncan, died on the promenade in 1927, – by many accounts right outside the hotel. She was wearing a long silk scarf, as was the fashion in the 1920s, when she and a...
Sputnik Hostel is in a fantastic location in the heart of Moscow. Take a look at the map below. It’s convenient for so many places that you’ll want to experience and sights you’ll want to see. In addition, there are many nearby bars, cafés and...
In 1908, the Hampton Springs Hotel opened its doors. It was more than just a luxurious hotel. Local man Joe Hamilton became aware of the area’s sulphur springs that were believed to be health-giving. As his wife suffered from rheumatism, he had an added...
Although the Blue refers to itself as a hostel, many guests prefer to call it a hotel due to the high standard of the facilities. Plus of course, the fact that private rooms are available and not the regular hostel-style dorms. (See examples in the images below)....
Here’s another seriously spooky hotel, this time the Grand Hotel Campo dei Fiori in the Italian Alps. The hotel was abandoned when tourism declined in the area. Since its abandonment, in the late 1960s, the hotel fell into a ruinous state. Furniture and decor...
A cult movie of the 1980s, Dirty Dancing was set at the fictional Kellerman’s Resort in the Catskills. In fact, the filming took place at the Mountain Lake Hotel in Pembroke, Virginia. The film was set in 1963 and reflected the lifestyle of prosperous New...
Even if it didn’t have important historic associations, Treetops would still be a fascinating place to stay because of its location – – 100 miles from Nairobi in the Aberdare National Park. The hotel is the ideal place to view Africa’s...
Retro and a lot of fun, the Boots Court Motel is located on Route 66 and US 71. This means that this almost-fully-restored (work continues) motel offers rooms with one queen size bed for $66 per night and double rooms with two queen beds for $71 per night. A good...
The Vdana Hotel in Las Vegas opened in 2009. It was designed by Rafael Vinoly and has 56 floors containing all the amenities you’d expect from a modern hotel. It was also discovered that it had one huge problem. You may or may not be able to imagine what it is...
Within walking distance of Central Park, the Empire State Building, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and just about everywhere you want to visit in New York, sits the fabulous High Line Hotel. The building is splendid, the rooms are gorgeous and the amenities you can...
How many hotels are there in London? I’m sure that Google would be able to tell me but the information would soon be out of date. There are faceless chain hotels, independent quirky hotels and then … there’s 40 Winks. It defies description –...
Now that more and more visitors from other countries are realising that visiting Britain means more than just touring London, many other resorts are enjoying a new heyday. This means that some of the UK’s best – and most quirky – hotels are in the...
Capsule hotels, often found in overcrowded countries such as Japan, have been with us for many years now. But if you’re heading to Amsterdam and looking for accommodation try CityHub. This is similar to a capsule hotel but its ‘hubs’ (as they are...
Staying in an Airbnb recently, I was really impressed by the splatter guard thingy that was in the microwave. It probably cost less than a dollar. I was so tempted to bring it home for my own (besplattered) microwave but bottled out – I’m too snooty...
At one time, travellers were taking a bit of a gamble when they booked accommodation. Unless they were heading for an opulent hotel that featured a full-colour brochure, the chances are that they didn’t see their rooms until they arrived – by which time it...
So few people want to stay in faceless chain hotels these days. And that’s why the Långholmen Hotel in Stockholm can provide you with a truly different accommodation experience. This is because the hotel is a converted nineteenth-century prison! It’s...
Miami Beach is a pretty exciting place to be. And one of the best places to stay in right on the famous Collins Avenue which is where you’ll find the Confidente Hotel. But there’s more. If you’re a fan of Mid-Century Modern architecture and...
If you can imagine Hercule Poirot investigating a mysterious murder in the Art Deco interior of the Burgh Island Hotel, then it’s no surprise. For one of its illustrious guests in days gone by was Poirot’s creator, Agatha Christie, and several of her...
Would you really like to get away from it all? Then consider the Kasbah du Toubkal set high in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. And if you’re accustomed to stepping out of your cab and straight into your hotel you’ll find that even your arrival at the...
Stay in an iconic and historic hotel in New York. The Bryant Park Hotel is in an extremely unusual structure that was originally named the American Radiator Building. It has an interesting creative history as it was based on a design by Finnish architect...
I’ve always loved Barcelona and if you want to stay there in style – in a wonderful historic building – then you’ll want to take a look at the Cotton House Hotel. You’ll see photographs and a video below. It’s certainly a luxury...
Stuttgart, in the Baden-Württemberg area of Germany, is an ancient city with so much to see and do for travellers. But if you’re keen on cars or if you’re a motorsport fan there are even more reasons to visit this fascinating place as Stuttgart is often...
You’ll find everything you need at the Qualia Hotel. But more about that in a moment. For now, let’s set the scene with some beautiful images that are much more descriptive than I will ever be. I’m sure that you’re like me and can picture...
I love finding unusual places to stay and the Don Q – located in Dodgeville, Wisconsin – is certainly one of the strangest in the United States. And it’s not easy to describe…The first thing you’ll notice when you arrive is the Boeing...
Santorini is a small Greek island set in sparkling seas. It’s an almost magical place and one of he most popular and fascinating places on the island is Oia. And one of the best accommodation you will find there is the Katikies Hotel. Santorini is best known for...
Years ago, I would have never considered staying in a hostel. The thought of shared bathrooms, bedrooms with bunk beds sleeping several people, noisy teenagers and. let’s face it, low-quality accommodation. But wow, how things have changed. Today I have many...
When Susan Wilson decided she wanted to buy a caboose and have it on the land by her home, husband Mike didn’t bat an eyelid – unlike most husbands, I would think. But things didn’t stop there. Before long the couple have several railway carriages on...
Today, it’s quite the thing to stay in yurts or enjoy glamping experiences. But in the 1930s and 40s seven motels were built in various places in the USA and luckily, three of them still survive. Based on the tipi, these motels consist of groups of concrete and...
Why stay in an ordinary hotel when you could stay in a Trojan Horse with the most individual rooms? Located in the Luxembourg province of Belgium, this extraordinary bed and breakfast started life as a fantastic restaurant. And fantastic really is the word to describe...
Set in a convenient area of Prague , Sir Toby’s offers you budget accommodation in style. More and more travellers are finding that today’s hostels offer better value and more unusual venues than were previously available. And the days of sleeping in...
If you are on vacation in Scotland and are thinking of spending some time in Edinburgh taking in all the wonderful sights and sounds of this historic capital city then you will need somewhere to stay. You could, of course, book into one of Edinburgh’s many luxury...
If you’re looking for somewhere really different – and truly inexpensive – in Bonn, Germany, then take a look a Basecamp. It’s not a hotel, or a hostel or even a campsite. Basecamp consists of a selection of quirky accommodations located in a...
If you ever have a money-is-no-object moment, then for the height of luxury look no further than the Hôtel Ritz Paris. You’ll be following in the footsteps of the rich and famous – and the infamous. This luxury hotel first opened its doors in 1898 and...
It’s just a few steps from the beach. The building has been meticulously renovated to the highest quality. The luxuriously furnished apartments have expansive views of the ocean. It’s located on an island on one of the most beautiful coasts in Europe....
The next time you’re in Portugal, I recommend that you stay in a hostel. Yes, that’s right, I said hostel and not hotel. The Tattva is a very special place though – it’s one of the new breed of design hostels and you can see from the...
