Victoria and Albert Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa: great location by the bay and looking onto Table Mountain
Grootbos in Hansbaai, South Africa: beautiful views and rooms overlooking ocean and in a nature reserve close to where you take a boat to see huge whales during mating season
Rovos Rail, Cape Town to Johannesburg, South Africa: incredible sleeper rooms
Grundy's home in Witbank, SA: nice to be with friends
Sunnyside Park Hotel, SA: dodgy part of town and run down a bit but closest hotel to LDS Temple
Ant's Nest Game Reserve- 4 hours north of Johannesburg, SA: really cool accommodations and great staff and food, 3 days is plenty. Ideal for horse back riders, lots of riding available and amazing rhinos.
54 on Bath Hotel in Johannesburg suburb, South Africa: very nice and good neighborhood
Home of the Nield Family, Harare, Zimbabwe: treated so kindly and loved being in their home
Kingdom Hotel in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe: Poor hotel, bad service and food but good location. Like a movie set- looks good from the front but not much on the inside.
Home of Cornelia R, Kasane, Botswana: so generous of Corn to have us stay (friend of the Nields) great location right by the Chobe River, where we saw the most amazing amounts of wildlife we saw on our trip
Kanana Camp, Okavango Delta, Botswana: nice tents and good food and staff, very warm that time of the year in October, only stay 3 days max
Le Relax Beach Hotel, Praslin Island, Seychelles: friendly staff, not great beach, modest accommodations, not great location
Raffles Resort, Praline Island, Seychelles: incredible rooms, great beaches, great food and staff. Could have stayed 2 weeks here if we could afford it;) So much to do around Praline and on neighboring islands.
Cross Cultural Solutions home in Moshi, Tanzania: clean and basic for volunteers with friendly staff
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Tanzania: Incredible huts overlooking crater with great service and food
Lake Manyara Lodge, Tanzania: stayed in amazing tree house with outdoor shower and cool outdoor boma restaurant although don't know if I would go to this lake reserve again- not enough wildlife and very remote
Cairo Marriott, Egypt: great location on the Nile and in an old palace, wonderful service, a little worn, but great restaurants, vibrant hotel with lots of locals and incredible ballrooms and friendly staff
Sun Goddess, Nile River Cruise from Luxor to Aswan: Surprisingly wonderful boat and rooms, poor internet, but great value and great excursions and tours included and loved deck and pool on top and private balconies
Abu Dhabi Ritz Carlton, UAE: Incredible hotel with views onto canal with a spectacular pool and great variety of restaurants and excellent service. Great location across from the Temple and close to Ferrari World
Dubai Marriott, UAE: Huge sky scraper building- tallest in the world, with helpful and friendly staff, delicious and beautiful restaurants and amazing views and great location
Our home in New Hampshire near Wolfeboro, NH and my sister's home in Boston, MA: happy to be with family on Thanksgiving and celebrating my sister's 50th at her home
Marriott Marquis, NYC, USA: Great location and quick walk to 5th Ave and all the shows on Broadway
JW Marriott in Washington, D.C., USA: Best location to see all the DC sites, can walk to everything except Georgetown which is not far away at all
Ritz in Puerto Rico, USA: Beautiful rooms and great service, 3 beautiful golf courses, fun to ride bikes around property but not great beaches and not close to anything. Lots to do in Puerto Rico
Home of Gill in Ponsonby, New Zealand: Great location, charming home found on AirBNB and fun hip neighborhood with lots of restaurants. One can even walk into Auckland's Harbor from there. (Perfect for us and for the experience, but would stay in Auckland for 2 days and then stay in Rotorua for 2 days, so much to do in that area with Hobbiton and Black Water Caving, and Farm tours and other activities)
Rees Hotel and Apartments, Queenstown, NZ: lovely apartments with washer and dryer and gorgeous views onto the Remarkable Mountains and overlooking the lake, right along bike path and on lake. But, much rather be in town and can walk to everything. Needed a rental car. If you have a car, good location and nice to be in an apt, good value and has room service too - amenities of a hotel. Free car parking as well. Just a 5 minute drive from town. (Spent about 6 nights there, could have spent a couple more days in Queenstown but probably like to have been closer to town)
Medford Track Huts, Melford Sound, New Zealand: Huts were great considering they had beds, hot showers and a drying room, although no heat on cold nights. Food was fine, not great, service of guides was great, views from modest rooms were breathtaking. Experience and hikes were remarkable and majestic. (5 days was perfect for the whole trip. Couldn't have hiked any more, and a half day at Melford Sound was perfect. Be sure to take flight back)
Marriott Circular Quay, Sydney, Australia: great location, great staff and very helpful, close to everything we wanted to see and all transportation. (Only stayed 2 full days, would have loved to be there 4 days)
Heron Island Resort, Great Barrier Reef, Australia: great to be on the reef, amazing wonders around you. If you can stay in a Point Suite, they have air-conditioning and nice views where most of the other rooms are buried under trees with poor views, and very little light and are very dated. Food was mediocre but most of the staff were great although management not so helpful when it came time to try and get off the island. Accommodations were fine although a bit dirty because we are essentially in a bird park, but the opportunities and things to see and do on the island are incredible. (Wouldn't return to this property but love to stay on another island on the Great Barrier Reef and would stay the same number of days 3)
Brisbane Marriott, Brisbane, Australia: Good location, on the river, hotel has been updated and very nice, friendly and helpful staff. (Only there for one day, needed at least one more day)
Viceroy Bali, in Ubud: Luxury in a beautiful setting overlooking a lush canyon. Small and isolated but nice and quiet and great service and food. Rooms were spacious and beautifully decorated but still feeling very Balinese. Restaurant had great service and wonderful food. 5 mins from town center. Best for couples. (Loved hotel and loved Ubud region, could have stayed maybe even another day)
Hotel Tugu, Canguu, Bali: Beautifully decorated and designed around collector's worthy antiques and lovely Balinese, Chinese gardens. It creates a romantic feel of the early 20th century. Beach was a great surfing beach but not a great swimming beach but in an expat area where many surfers and local restaurants. You are isolated here as well but hotel offered bicycles which we were able to get around and must have a car or driver to get anywhere. No public transport or hotel cars available. Great for a romantic getaway for a pair of newlyweds for a night or two. Hotel service was beyond friendly and accommodating and helped organize surfing for us and coordinate dinners on beach and in Seminyak. (The area was so hot. At this hotel wouldn't stay more than a couple nights, could spend more time in my busy towns with more to do than surf, but area is so so hot)
Singapore Marriott, Singapore: Beautiful hotel with great food, especially the Chinese restaurant inside the hotel. It's location was right in the central shopping district. Very helpful concierge and staff. I think I would have preferred to stay closer to some of the sights like the Gardens By the Bay, but central to go to all sides of the city since the sights are spread out all over the city. (Spent only 2 days but could have spent a couple more days)
Manila Marriott, Manila, Phillipines: I can't imagine there is a nicer hotel in Manila and great location right by the airport and right on a public golf course so you have some green around you. Not much to see in Manila and almost impossible to see since the traffic is so terrible. Not once did we not spend more than 2 hours in traffic, at all times of days and days of the week, but only a few minutes from the airport. Staff was over the top friendly and food was great and hotel was recently renovated and the rooms and facilitates were very modern and clean and nice. (Hotel was great but wouldn't go back to Manila)
Azalea Hotel and Residences, Baguio, Phillipines: Nice hotel, great service, better than expected service and food and accommodations. They made every effort to accommodate although the first couple rooms we were in were so strange with no windows but once we changed and had a balcony it was great. The hotel was super noisy though since it is all tile and with an atrium where everything echoes. Central location to most things and quieter neighborhood and walk to Botanical Gardens. Baguio is in the mountains and fun to visit for day and would be great to have been there the weekend of the flower parade. (3 days was plenty. Could have spent 2 days in Baguio. Best to be there for the Flower Festival and Parade Day)
Kahuna Hotel, San Juan, La Union, Phillipines: Nicest place in the area. Very casual and great bar and restaurant on the beach and nice pool overlooking the beach and lots of surfing happening right out front with tons of surf board rentals and lots of surf. Exceeded expectations and although a bit noisy since it is small and lots of little cabana rooms next to each other and we were right next to the pool, but comfortable and could have stayed another night. (Could have stayed for a couple of days to just surf...not much else to do in that area)
Shangri La, Boracay, Phillipines: nice spacious rooms, helpful staff with many amenities and free shuttle into town. Quiet location but lots of families and several pools and two beaches. They had a big game and play room for kids and a full entertainment room which would be totally awesome for little kids. Good choice for our stay here, and nicest hotel on island for sure, and right by town so we can go in and yet don't have to deal with all the crowds all the time. Clear and fairly calm waters and lots of activities. The facilities were really good but not enough staff or buggies or vans to accommodate all the needs so service was slow. (We were ready to go after 3 full days)
The Legend Resort in Chiang Rai, Thailand: Beautiful property right on the water, very peaceful and nice restaurants and spacious gardens. Good service and wish we had more time there. ( We stayed 2 days, was perfect but could have stayed another day and done more exploring in the hillsides- or maybe stayed up near the hillside villages for a day to explore)
The Rimping Village in Chiang Mai, Thailand: Great location, rooms were small and felt like a motel, not a great restaurant for dinner but you wouldn't want to stay at the hotel for dinner anyway because the proximity to the Night Market was just 3 blocks away. Loved that they had free nice bikes with baskets for guests and staff were very helpful and centrally located without being on a busy street. (We stayed 2 days, could have stayed 3 days)
La Ferme De La Huppe outside Gordes, France: Charming beyond compare and charming quaint rooms and excellent food and great surroundings in the countryside.
College Hotel, Lyon, France: Quirky hotel with a student theme and old leather chairs and desks in the lobby and a funky style and unique theme. Rooms were incredibly sterile and all white, almost felt I was in an insane asylum but very clean and the hotel was in a perfect location to everything and in the old part of Lyon. Couldn't have asked for better location and fun for a change. Liked the free beverages in the hallway's old 50s fridge.
Chateau De Colliers in Muides-sur-Loire, France: It was around 250 year old Chateau with old French antiques and felt like your grandmother's house- for better or worse. The suite we were in was great because it had a day bed that Sam slept in and had windows that opened up to the Loire River and the location was wonderful to be able to go right out of the hotel and take their nice upright city bikes with fat tires good for the bike trails. Loved the family whose home it has been for centuries and were friendly and helpful and everything was clean and well maintained and was a great visit. The bedding was dated, and the rooms were filled with French antiques, to a fault nearly, but also added to the charm and it felt we were guests in someone's home. The location and views were fantastic.
Renaissance Paris Vendome, Paris, France: Excellent location right across from the Tuilleries Gardens and central to most of the sites in Paris. Easy to get anywhere from here. The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful on every level. The rooms are lovely and the concierge was able to meet our every request.
Grootbos in Hansbaai, South Africa: beautiful views and rooms overlooking ocean and in a nature reserve close to where you take a boat to see huge whales during mating season
Rovos Rail, Cape Town to Johannesburg, South Africa: incredible sleeper rooms
Grundy's home in Witbank, SA: nice to be with friends
Sunnyside Park Hotel, SA: dodgy part of town and run down a bit but closest hotel to LDS Temple
Ant's Nest Game Reserve- 4 hours north of Johannesburg, SA: really cool accommodations and great staff and food, 3 days is plenty. Ideal for horse back riders, lots of riding available and amazing rhinos.
54 on Bath Hotel in Johannesburg suburb, South Africa: very nice and good neighborhood
Home of the Nield Family, Harare, Zimbabwe: treated so kindly and loved being in their home
Kingdom Hotel in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe: Poor hotel, bad service and food but good location. Like a movie set- looks good from the front but not much on the inside.
Home of Cornelia R, Kasane, Botswana: so generous of Corn to have us stay (friend of the Nields) great location right by the Chobe River, where we saw the most amazing amounts of wildlife we saw on our trip
Kanana Camp, Okavango Delta, Botswana: nice tents and good food and staff, very warm that time of the year in October, only stay 3 days max
Le Relax Beach Hotel, Praslin Island, Seychelles: friendly staff, not great beach, modest accommodations, not great location
Raffles Resort, Praline Island, Seychelles: incredible rooms, great beaches, great food and staff. Could have stayed 2 weeks here if we could afford it;) So much to do around Praline and on neighboring islands.
Cross Cultural Solutions home in Moshi, Tanzania: clean and basic for volunteers with friendly staff
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Tanzania: Incredible huts overlooking crater with great service and food
Lake Manyara Lodge, Tanzania: stayed in amazing tree house with outdoor shower and cool outdoor boma restaurant although don't know if I would go to this lake reserve again- not enough wildlife and very remote
Cairo Marriott, Egypt: great location on the Nile and in an old palace, wonderful service, a little worn, but great restaurants, vibrant hotel with lots of locals and incredible ballrooms and friendly staff
Sun Goddess, Nile River Cruise from Luxor to Aswan: Surprisingly wonderful boat and rooms, poor internet, but great value and great excursions and tours included and loved deck and pool on top and private balconies
Abu Dhabi Ritz Carlton, UAE: Incredible hotel with views onto canal with a spectacular pool and great variety of restaurants and excellent service. Great location across from the Temple and close to Ferrari World
Dubai Marriott, UAE: Huge sky scraper building- tallest in the world, with helpful and friendly staff, delicious and beautiful restaurants and amazing views and great location
Our home in New Hampshire near Wolfeboro, NH and my sister's home in Boston, MA: happy to be with family on Thanksgiving and celebrating my sister's 50th at her home
Marriott Marquis, NYC, USA: Great location and quick walk to 5th Ave and all the shows on Broadway
JW Marriott in Washington, D.C., USA: Best location to see all the DC sites, can walk to everything except Georgetown which is not far away at all
Ritz in Puerto Rico, USA: Beautiful rooms and great service, 3 beautiful golf courses, fun to ride bikes around property but not great beaches and not close to anything. Lots to do in Puerto Rico
Home of Gill in Ponsonby, New Zealand: Great location, charming home found on AirBNB and fun hip neighborhood with lots of restaurants. One can even walk into Auckland's Harbor from there. (Perfect for us and for the experience, but would stay in Auckland for 2 days and then stay in Rotorua for 2 days, so much to do in that area with Hobbiton and Black Water Caving, and Farm tours and other activities)
Rees Hotel and Apartments, Queenstown, NZ: lovely apartments with washer and dryer and gorgeous views onto the Remarkable Mountains and overlooking the lake, right along bike path and on lake. But, much rather be in town and can walk to everything. Needed a rental car. If you have a car, good location and nice to be in an apt, good value and has room service too - amenities of a hotel. Free car parking as well. Just a 5 minute drive from town. (Spent about 6 nights there, could have spent a couple more days in Queenstown but probably like to have been closer to town)
Medford Track Huts, Melford Sound, New Zealand: Huts were great considering they had beds, hot showers and a drying room, although no heat on cold nights. Food was fine, not great, service of guides was great, views from modest rooms were breathtaking. Experience and hikes were remarkable and majestic. (5 days was perfect for the whole trip. Couldn't have hiked any more, and a half day at Melford Sound was perfect. Be sure to take flight back)
Marriott Circular Quay, Sydney, Australia: great location, great staff and very helpful, close to everything we wanted to see and all transportation. (Only stayed 2 full days, would have loved to be there 4 days)
Heron Island Resort, Great Barrier Reef, Australia: great to be on the reef, amazing wonders around you. If you can stay in a Point Suite, they have air-conditioning and nice views where most of the other rooms are buried under trees with poor views, and very little light and are very dated. Food was mediocre but most of the staff were great although management not so helpful when it came time to try and get off the island. Accommodations were fine although a bit dirty because we are essentially in a bird park, but the opportunities and things to see and do on the island are incredible. (Wouldn't return to this property but love to stay on another island on the Great Barrier Reef and would stay the same number of days 3)
Brisbane Marriott, Brisbane, Australia: Good location, on the river, hotel has been updated and very nice, friendly and helpful staff. (Only there for one day, needed at least one more day)
Viceroy Bali, in Ubud: Luxury in a beautiful setting overlooking a lush canyon. Small and isolated but nice and quiet and great service and food. Rooms were spacious and beautifully decorated but still feeling very Balinese. Restaurant had great service and wonderful food. 5 mins from town center. Best for couples. (Loved hotel and loved Ubud region, could have stayed maybe even another day)
Hotel Tugu, Canguu, Bali: Beautifully decorated and designed around collector's worthy antiques and lovely Balinese, Chinese gardens. It creates a romantic feel of the early 20th century. Beach was a great surfing beach but not a great swimming beach but in an expat area where many surfers and local restaurants. You are isolated here as well but hotel offered bicycles which we were able to get around and must have a car or driver to get anywhere. No public transport or hotel cars available. Great for a romantic getaway for a pair of newlyweds for a night or two. Hotel service was beyond friendly and accommodating and helped organize surfing for us and coordinate dinners on beach and in Seminyak. (The area was so hot. At this hotel wouldn't stay more than a couple nights, could spend more time in my busy towns with more to do than surf, but area is so so hot)
Singapore Marriott, Singapore: Beautiful hotel with great food, especially the Chinese restaurant inside the hotel. It's location was right in the central shopping district. Very helpful concierge and staff. I think I would have preferred to stay closer to some of the sights like the Gardens By the Bay, but central to go to all sides of the city since the sights are spread out all over the city. (Spent only 2 days but could have spent a couple more days)
Manila Marriott, Manila, Phillipines: I can't imagine there is a nicer hotel in Manila and great location right by the airport and right on a public golf course so you have some green around you. Not much to see in Manila and almost impossible to see since the traffic is so terrible. Not once did we not spend more than 2 hours in traffic, at all times of days and days of the week, but only a few minutes from the airport. Staff was over the top friendly and food was great and hotel was recently renovated and the rooms and facilitates were very modern and clean and nice. (Hotel was great but wouldn't go back to Manila)
Azalea Hotel and Residences, Baguio, Phillipines: Nice hotel, great service, better than expected service and food and accommodations. They made every effort to accommodate although the first couple rooms we were in were so strange with no windows but once we changed and had a balcony it was great. The hotel was super noisy though since it is all tile and with an atrium where everything echoes. Central location to most things and quieter neighborhood and walk to Botanical Gardens. Baguio is in the mountains and fun to visit for day and would be great to have been there the weekend of the flower parade. (3 days was plenty. Could have spent 2 days in Baguio. Best to be there for the Flower Festival and Parade Day)
Kahuna Hotel, San Juan, La Union, Phillipines: Nicest place in the area. Very casual and great bar and restaurant on the beach and nice pool overlooking the beach and lots of surfing happening right out front with tons of surf board rentals and lots of surf. Exceeded expectations and although a bit noisy since it is small and lots of little cabana rooms next to each other and we were right next to the pool, but comfortable and could have stayed another night. (Could have stayed for a couple of days to just surf...not much else to do in that area)
Shangri La, Boracay, Phillipines: nice spacious rooms, helpful staff with many amenities and free shuttle into town. Quiet location but lots of families and several pools and two beaches. They had a big game and play room for kids and a full entertainment room which would be totally awesome for little kids. Good choice for our stay here, and nicest hotel on island for sure, and right by town so we can go in and yet don't have to deal with all the crowds all the time. Clear and fairly calm waters and lots of activities. The facilities were really good but not enough staff or buggies or vans to accommodate all the needs so service was slow. (We were ready to go after 3 full days)
The Legend Resort in Chiang Rai, Thailand: Beautiful property right on the water, very peaceful and nice restaurants and spacious gardens. Good service and wish we had more time there. ( We stayed 2 days, was perfect but could have stayed another day and done more exploring in the hillsides- or maybe stayed up near the hillside villages for a day to explore)
The Rimping Village in Chiang Mai, Thailand: Great location, rooms were small and felt like a motel, not a great restaurant for dinner but you wouldn't want to stay at the hotel for dinner anyway because the proximity to the Night Market was just 3 blocks away. Loved that they had free nice bikes with baskets for guests and staff were very helpful and centrally located without being on a busy street. (We stayed 2 days, could have stayed 3 days)
Kandawgyn Palace Hotel, Yangon, Myanmar: great location, nice hotel, feels Burmese, right on the lake and was able to walk along walkway in the morning just after sunrise. Just a walk away from the floating palace on the water for dinner and dancing show and short drive to the Shwedagon Stupa. Great location. Smaller rooms. (Only need to days in Yangon)
Areindmar Hotel, Bagan, Myanmar: large room, nice pool, small and clean. In New Bagan but might be better to be in Old Bagan where you could walk around some of the temples at night. (Only need 2 days in Bagan)
Inle Princess Resort, Inle Lake, Myanmar: Large room, excellent food, lovely grounds, nice to be on water and able to rent a bike and cruise around, think maybe best location on the lake. Wished we were on a hut on the actual lake rather than the pond, which was also beautiful but definitely stay on the lake so you can see the sunset. Lovely all around though. (Stayed for 3 nights, plenty of time to be on the Lake but then definitely go east or north and see some other towns where they have Cave Temple or Kakka which is supposed to be another amazing village- but these are 3 hours away from Inle Lake.)
JW Marriott Hanoi, Vietnam: Beautiful, new, luxury, huge, modern. The location is in the new part of Hanoi by the new convention center but not close to the Old Town which is where the sights are and lakes and walking around and shopping is. If you are here for tourism, I would stay in town. If you are here for business, I would stay at the Marriott.
Metripole, Hanoi, Vietnam: Beautiful French Colonial hotel in the middle of the Old Town of Hanoi, great location, great chocolate bar.
La Residencia, Hue, Vietnam: Hue has Vietnam's first World Heritage Sight with the ancient Imperial Palace/Citadel. Hotel has a great pool and great food. The rooms are small but nice.
Nam Hai, Hoi An, Vietnam: One of, if not the nicest hotel I have stayed in. Rooms are each large villas that sit right on the beach with great views and tiers of cushioned seating areas and the largest pool with a bench in the water and a huge lap pool and child's pool. The spa was off the charts with impeccable service and treatments in your own spa villas. The hotel is just 15 mins from Hoi An, known as the city of lanterns and charming in the day and at night. A must stop if you can in Vietnam.
Raffles's Grand Hotel, Siem Reap, Cambodia: Great location, beautiful old colonial hotel with spacious rooms. Great food and loved the outdoor stage and traditional dance performance with dinner.
JW Marriott Bangkok, Thailand: Beautiful hotel and great lobby. Several nice restaurants, and who doesn't love Tepanyaki. Close to Sky Train and large modern shopping malls, but far from Night Markets, Royal Palace and other interesting sights.
Phulay Bay, A Ritz Carlton Reserve, Krabi, Thailand: The hotel had the best rooms I think I have ever been into. They had a bed that was 2 king sized beds put together which for great lounging and comfortable sleeping. The hotel is made up of mostly villas that have private pools and great views of the ocean. The food was very good and our favorite thing were their thaicos- thai tacos. The service was exceptional and each room came with their own "butler" which was essentially your own personal assistant who helped us coordinate all our daily outings. Tons to do and explore from the hotel. The only down side is that they had no swimming beach. They had a beach area that was raised up and we did swim off the pier when it was high tide, but it would have been fun to have a beach, but honestly the pool was so refreshing and huge it mad up for the lack of beach. We also were so busy doing excursions that we didn't sit around too much. The spa was nice and quiet, not over the top, but one of the best massages I have ever had.
Marriott Bangkok Sukhumvit, Bangkok, Thailand: Contemporary hotel in a suburban area of Bangkok- which still feels like inner city and near the Sky Train, but not close to much else I could tell. The had an amazing bar on the roof with open outdoor terrace for age 16 and older. The rooms are sparse but modern and nice and the staff is friendly and helpful.
The Gateway Hotel, Varanasi, India: Simple hotel with basic rooms and a little worn but with a pool and tennis court and gardens. Good location and lovely grounds and decent food.
JW Marriott in Delhi by airport, India: Beautiful, newly done, great food, great service. Outside of town but close to airport.
Maharaja Express Train, Delhi- Mumbai, India: Standard rooms were tiny, but suites were a bit roomier and nicer. The excursions were exceptional without compare. The meals were good, but not exceptional. The service was excellent. Very rocky, more so than Rovos Rail- bring sleeping pills. Treated royally- never been sprinkled with more rose pedals or rose water ;)
JW Marriott Mumbai, India: New property in the past couple months right next to the airport. Beautiful property with one of my favorite dining rooms and nice pool.
Marriott Chennai Courtyard, Chennai, India: An oasis in a part of town where there isn't much else that is lovely. Close to a couple of Hindu temples and again a retreat from the chaos around. Wonderful food, staff and spacious comfortable rooms.
Rising Star Outreach, Outside Chennai, India: The experience is exceptional, thank heavens for air conditioning which each of the rooms have and have laundry service and for the women the clothes are provided which makes each day like India dress day. Loved being with the children and play time and all the service opportunities and all the good they provide for leprosy affected from school, to medical to micro-loans.
Areindmar Hotel, Bagan, Myanmar: large room, nice pool, small and clean. In New Bagan but might be better to be in Old Bagan where you could walk around some of the temples at night. (Only need 2 days in Bagan)
Inle Princess Resort, Inle Lake, Myanmar: Large room, excellent food, lovely grounds, nice to be on water and able to rent a bike and cruise around, think maybe best location on the lake. Wished we were on a hut on the actual lake rather than the pond, which was also beautiful but definitely stay on the lake so you can see the sunset. Lovely all around though. (Stayed for 3 nights, plenty of time to be on the Lake but then definitely go east or north and see some other towns where they have Cave Temple or Kakka which is supposed to be another amazing village- but these are 3 hours away from Inle Lake.)
JW Marriott Hanoi, Vietnam: Beautiful, new, luxury, huge, modern. The location is in the new part of Hanoi by the new convention center but not close to the Old Town which is where the sights are and lakes and walking around and shopping is. If you are here for tourism, I would stay in town. If you are here for business, I would stay at the Marriott.
Metripole, Hanoi, Vietnam: Beautiful French Colonial hotel in the middle of the Old Town of Hanoi, great location, great chocolate bar.
La Residencia, Hue, Vietnam: Hue has Vietnam's first World Heritage Sight with the ancient Imperial Palace/Citadel. Hotel has a great pool and great food. The rooms are small but nice.
Nam Hai, Hoi An, Vietnam: One of, if not the nicest hotel I have stayed in. Rooms are each large villas that sit right on the beach with great views and tiers of cushioned seating areas and the largest pool with a bench in the water and a huge lap pool and child's pool. The spa was off the charts with impeccable service and treatments in your own spa villas. The hotel is just 15 mins from Hoi An, known as the city of lanterns and charming in the day and at night. A must stop if you can in Vietnam.
Raffles's Grand Hotel, Siem Reap, Cambodia: Great location, beautiful old colonial hotel with spacious rooms. Great food and loved the outdoor stage and traditional dance performance with dinner.
JW Marriott Bangkok, Thailand: Beautiful hotel and great lobby. Several nice restaurants, and who doesn't love Tepanyaki. Close to Sky Train and large modern shopping malls, but far from Night Markets, Royal Palace and other interesting sights.
Phulay Bay, A Ritz Carlton Reserve, Krabi, Thailand: The hotel had the best rooms I think I have ever been into. They had a bed that was 2 king sized beds put together which for great lounging and comfortable sleeping. The hotel is made up of mostly villas that have private pools and great views of the ocean. The food was very good and our favorite thing were their thaicos- thai tacos. The service was exceptional and each room came with their own "butler" which was essentially your own personal assistant who helped us coordinate all our daily outings. Tons to do and explore from the hotel. The only down side is that they had no swimming beach. They had a beach area that was raised up and we did swim off the pier when it was high tide, but it would have been fun to have a beach, but honestly the pool was so refreshing and huge it mad up for the lack of beach. We also were so busy doing excursions that we didn't sit around too much. The spa was nice and quiet, not over the top, but one of the best massages I have ever had.
Marriott Bangkok Sukhumvit, Bangkok, Thailand: Contemporary hotel in a suburban area of Bangkok- which still feels like inner city and near the Sky Train, but not close to much else I could tell. The had an amazing bar on the roof with open outdoor terrace for age 16 and older. The rooms are sparse but modern and nice and the staff is friendly and helpful.
The Gateway Hotel, Varanasi, India: Simple hotel with basic rooms and a little worn but with a pool and tennis court and gardens. Good location and lovely grounds and decent food.
JW Marriott in Delhi by airport, India: Beautiful, newly done, great food, great service. Outside of town but close to airport.
Maharaja Express Train, Delhi- Mumbai, India: Standard rooms were tiny, but suites were a bit roomier and nicer. The excursions were exceptional without compare. The meals were good, but not exceptional. The service was excellent. Very rocky, more so than Rovos Rail- bring sleeping pills. Treated royally- never been sprinkled with more rose pedals or rose water ;)
JW Marriott Mumbai, India: New property in the past couple months right next to the airport. Beautiful property with one of my favorite dining rooms and nice pool.
Marriott Chennai Courtyard, Chennai, India: An oasis in a part of town where there isn't much else that is lovely. Close to a couple of Hindu temples and again a retreat from the chaos around. Wonderful food, staff and spacious comfortable rooms.
Rising Star Outreach, Outside Chennai, India: The experience is exceptional, thank heavens for air conditioning which each of the rooms have and have laundry service and for the women the clothes are provided which makes each day like India dress day. Loved being with the children and play time and all the service opportunities and all the good they provide for leprosy affected from school, to medical to micro-loans.
Hotel Vendome, Nice, France: 3 star hotel. Decent location, 7 min walk from everything. No food only breakfast, which was a bit mediocre. Terrible wifi, but typical of everywhere we stayed outside of Paris. But most importantly available during the Monaco Grand Prix!
College Hotel, Lyon, France: Quirky hotel with a student theme and old leather chairs and desks in the lobby and a funky style and unique theme. Rooms were incredibly sterile and all white, almost felt I was in an insane asylum but very clean and the hotel was in a perfect location to everything and in the old part of Lyon. Couldn't have asked for better location and fun for a change. Liked the free beverages in the hallway's old 50s fridge.
Chateau De Colliers in Muides-sur-Loire, France: It was around 250 year old Chateau with old French antiques and felt like your grandmother's house- for better or worse. The suite we were in was great because it had a day bed that Sam slept in and had windows that opened up to the Loire River and the location was wonderful to be able to go right out of the hotel and take their nice upright city bikes with fat tires good for the bike trails. Loved the family whose home it has been for centuries and were friendly and helpful and everything was clean and well maintained and was a great visit. The bedding was dated, and the rooms were filled with French antiques, to a fault nearly, but also added to the charm and it felt we were guests in someone's home. The location and views were fantastic.
Renaissance Paris Vendome, Paris, France: Excellent location right across from the Tuilleries Gardens and central to most of the sites in Paris. Easy to get anywhere from here. The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful on every level. The rooms are lovely and the concierge was able to meet our every request.
Berlin Ritz Carlton, Berlin, Germany: Great location, close to most of the museums. Great city to bike in and hotel has bikes. Excellent concierge services, worth the stay for how helpful the concierges were. Restaurant is not very inviting, but many restaurants nearby to eat at. Very famous bar though that many people come to for tea and drinks. Very helpful and friendly staff.
Ringhotel Parkhotel Luisenhöhe, Walsrode, Germany: Very simple hotel, kind of college dorm room like hotel rooms. But, great location for the Weltvogelpark, right next door. Excellent dinner on lovely outdoor patio and friendly staff.
Welcome Hotel, Bamberg, Germany: Great location right next to old quarter. Beautiful remodeled rooms, but no AC and rooms were hot. The staff was incredibly unfriendly and unhelpful. Could be the worst service I have ever had at a hotel. Reasonably priced.
Holiday Inn outside Stuttgart, Germany: Never been happier to be at a Holiday Inn. Great location if you are taking the train and just 10 min drive from Porsche Museum. Had to be the best accommodation in terms of proximity to Porsche. Clean rooms, great breakfast and friendly staff, decent wifi.
Villa Ludwig Suite Hotel, Hohenschwangau, Germany: Great surprise, truly a 4 star hotel and clean and newly remodeled rooms. Right beneath Neuschwanstein and walking distance to both castles. Rooms included a tasty breakfast with great baked goods and tea and treats in the afternoon. Had a weeks worth of laundry done for two people for less than $40. Free hybrid bike rentals, which is a must to take advantage of since there are miles of bike paths around the area. Fairly friendly, very helpful and organized our tickets and reservations while we were there.
Munich Airport Marriott Hotel, Freising, Germany: Far exceeded expectations by it's location, hospitality, rooms and quaint town- not at the airport but close by. Great option if you are headed to the airport and aren't totally done with your vacation. The small quaint town the hotel is located in has a cute town center with many restaurants with outdoor cafes and picturesque churches and parks. The hotel staff was so friendly and helpful and the rooms are all recently remodeled. Don't be scared off by the red neon in the lobby and sparse decor of the lobby, because the rooms are lovely and spacious and views into green garden like areas.
Hotel Moderno, Madrid, Spain: Great location and although it was rated 3 stars it felt more like a 4 star according to other 4 star we had stayed in. It was right off Puerta del Sol and you could walk to everything and lots of restaurants and great evening entertainment on the street. Just make sure to book a room on the backside of the hotel, much quieter. The rate was very reasonable too.
Lapa Palace, Lisbon, Portugal: Hotel has large and spacious rooms, balconies and a great pool area perfect for relaxing after a day of touring. The hotel is in-between the two main tourist areas but is located in a neighborhood without too much to walk to. Great for families that want a pool. Service was good, concierges were very helpful the only thing is that is removed from most everything else. Has old European feel but well maintained and spacious.
Grande Real Villa Italia, Cascias, Portugal: Some of the best service I have ever had anywhere, excellent food, gorgeous spacious rooms, great location just a 7 min walk from main part of town, across from the beach, nice pool, helpful concierge. Loved this hotel!
Hotel Avenida Palace, Lisbon, Portugal: Great location right in town central to walk to everything. Great old hotel, like places I stayed 30 years ago. Rooms are nice, but old feeling. Helpful concierge. Best location.
Hotel Ibersol Alay, Malaga, Spain: Besides its great location between two big beaches and next to the marina, it is totally ghetto and cheap on all levels. My college dorm was nicer. It claims to be a 4 star but it is like a 2 star despite it's location. You have to pay for pool towels, everything required cash, just run down and the whole area is very crazy busy cheap beach town. Great place to come for spring break with tons of teens but otherwise I would pass. Millions of restaurants and beach chairs and people, but cheesy and people are there to party.
Sofitel Wroclaw, Poland: Great location, nice property, helpful staff and great breakfast, comfy beds. Hotel is right on the Main Square, a great location.
Bonerowski Palace: Great location right on the Main Square, No concierge, rooms are nice old school Europe but the most uncomfortable beds, 10 min walk from train station, ok service.
Warsaw Marriott Hotel, Warsaw, Poland: Great location next to train station and 10 min bike ride from Old Town, right across street from iconic Palace of Science and Culture. Great staff and newly remodeled rooms. Great breakfast and comfortable beds. Roof bar that looks over the city on 40th floor.
Ringhotel Parkhotel Luisenhöhe, Walsrode, Germany: Very simple hotel, kind of college dorm room like hotel rooms. But, great location for the Weltvogelpark, right next door. Excellent dinner on lovely outdoor patio and friendly staff.
Welcome Hotel, Bamberg, Germany: Great location right next to old quarter. Beautiful remodeled rooms, but no AC and rooms were hot. The staff was incredibly unfriendly and unhelpful. Could be the worst service I have ever had at a hotel. Reasonably priced.
Holiday Inn outside Stuttgart, Germany: Never been happier to be at a Holiday Inn. Great location if you are taking the train and just 10 min drive from Porsche Museum. Had to be the best accommodation in terms of proximity to Porsche. Clean rooms, great breakfast and friendly staff, decent wifi.
Villa Ludwig Suite Hotel, Hohenschwangau, Germany: Great surprise, truly a 4 star hotel and clean and newly remodeled rooms. Right beneath Neuschwanstein and walking distance to both castles. Rooms included a tasty breakfast with great baked goods and tea and treats in the afternoon. Had a weeks worth of laundry done for two people for less than $40. Free hybrid bike rentals, which is a must to take advantage of since there are miles of bike paths around the area. Fairly friendly, very helpful and organized our tickets and reservations while we were there.
Munich Airport Marriott Hotel, Freising, Germany: Far exceeded expectations by it's location, hospitality, rooms and quaint town- not at the airport but close by. Great option if you are headed to the airport and aren't totally done with your vacation. The small quaint town the hotel is located in has a cute town center with many restaurants with outdoor cafes and picturesque churches and parks. The hotel staff was so friendly and helpful and the rooms are all recently remodeled. Don't be scared off by the red neon in the lobby and sparse decor of the lobby, because the rooms are lovely and spacious and views into green garden like areas.
Hotel Moderno, Madrid, Spain: Great location and although it was rated 3 stars it felt more like a 4 star according to other 4 star we had stayed in. It was right off Puerta del Sol and you could walk to everything and lots of restaurants and great evening entertainment on the street. Just make sure to book a room on the backside of the hotel, much quieter. The rate was very reasonable too.
Lapa Palace, Lisbon, Portugal: Hotel has large and spacious rooms, balconies and a great pool area perfect for relaxing after a day of touring. The hotel is in-between the two main tourist areas but is located in a neighborhood without too much to walk to. Great for families that want a pool. Service was good, concierges were very helpful the only thing is that is removed from most everything else. Has old European feel but well maintained and spacious.
Grande Real Villa Italia, Cascias, Portugal: Some of the best service I have ever had anywhere, excellent food, gorgeous spacious rooms, great location just a 7 min walk from main part of town, across from the beach, nice pool, helpful concierge. Loved this hotel!
Hotel Avenida Palace, Lisbon, Portugal: Great location right in town central to walk to everything. Great old hotel, like places I stayed 30 years ago. Rooms are nice, but old feeling. Helpful concierge. Best location.
Hotel Ibersol Alay, Malaga, Spain: Besides its great location between two big beaches and next to the marina, it is totally ghetto and cheap on all levels. My college dorm was nicer. It claims to be a 4 star but it is like a 2 star despite it's location. You have to pay for pool towels, everything required cash, just run down and the whole area is very crazy busy cheap beach town. Great place to come for spring break with tons of teens but otherwise I would pass. Millions of restaurants and beach chairs and people, but cheesy and people are there to party.
Sofitel Wroclaw, Poland: Great location, nice property, helpful staff and great breakfast, comfy beds. Hotel is right on the Main Square, a great location.
Bonerowski Palace: Great location right on the Main Square, No concierge, rooms are nice old school Europe but the most uncomfortable beds, 10 min walk from train station, ok service.
Warsaw Marriott Hotel, Warsaw, Poland: Great location next to train station and 10 min bike ride from Old Town, right across street from iconic Palace of Science and Culture. Great staff and newly remodeled rooms. Great breakfast and comfortable beds. Roof bar that looks over the city on 40th floor.
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