Hotel Reviews and Recommendations

I have been lucky enough to travel widely, and sometimes get asked to recommend good hotels. Here are my experiences of some top hotels around the world. Please note that these are at the top end of the range and that this selection is inevitably a personal selection and cannot, by its nature, be at all comprehensive.

I have travelled to: Austria, Australia, the Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Malaysia, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Scotland, South Africa, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, the USA, and Zimbabwe. During these travels I have stayed at some fine hotels and also had some dismal experiences, even in supposedly luxury hotels. I hope the notes below are useful when choosing a hotel.

• Observatory Hotel, Sydney, Australia
• Park Hyatt, Sydney, Australia
• Burj Al Arab, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Crillon, Paris, France
• Carlton, Cannes, France
• Cour des Loge, Lyons, France
• Chateau d’Isenbourg, Alsace, France
• Four Seasons, Shanghai
• Grand Hyatt, Beijing
• The Leela Palace, India
• RajVillas, Rajasthan, India
• Neemrana Fort, India
• Miyako, Japan
• Hotel de Paris, Monaco
• Les Villa des Orangers, Marrakech, Morocco
• Serena, Nairobi, Kenya
• Raffles, Singapore
• Londolozi, South Africa
• Oriental, Bangkok, Thailand
• Beverly Hills Hotel, Los Angeles, USA
• Maison de Ville, New Orleans, USA
• The Breakers, Palm Beach, Florida, USA
• The Sorrento, Seattle, USA

Also:

• Travel tips
• Useful hotel links.

Hotel	Observatory Hotel
Country	Australia
City/Area	Sydney
Address	89-113 Kent Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone Number	+61 2 9256 2222
Web Site	http://observatoryhotel.orient-express.com/

Small, cosy hotel in the Rocks about a ten minute walk from the main action in Circular Quay. What is a delight about this charming place is the attention to detail: the furnishings are excellent, there is a little tray of pastries brought to your room on check-in, etc. Above all the staff are superb, and I was amazed when the doorman greeted me by name on the second day of my stay. There is a very pretty indoor swimming pool, but whatever you do don’t miss breakfast: no heated-up buffet this, everything is cooked to order, and even the baked beans are made from real beans, not something from a tin. A real delight.

Hotel	Park Hyatt Hotel
Country	Australia
City/Area	Sydney
Address	7 Hickson Road, The Rocks, Sydney, New South Wales 2000
Phone Number	+61 2 9241 1234
Web Site	http://www.hyatt.com/australia/sydney/hotels

First time visitors to Sydney should consider staying here, as it has a fantastic view over the harbour, the hotel itself being directly opposite the Opera House in the Rocks district: you could not be better placed. Though a Hyatt, this is at the classy end of the Hyatt chain, and the staff are very helpful – the concierge even went out and bought a new razor foil for me when mine broke (no charge for this service). Let me just repeat that: he didn’t just tell me directions to a department store, or suggested I looked in the Yellow Pages, he went out and bought one and delivered it to my room; is that the sort of service you had the last time you stayed in a hotel? If it is, drop me an email and let me know where you stayed! Excellent rooms, good facilities, but the location is the thing here.

Hotel	Burj Al Arab Hotel
Country	United Arab Emirates
City/Area	Dubai
Address	PO Box 74147, Dubai
Phone Number	+971 (4) 301 7777
Web Site	http://www.burj-al-arab.com/

So – is it really all they say? An unequivocal yes! This architectural landmark, in the shape of a sail and taller than the Eiffel Tower, is an architectural triumph that does indeed house the most luxurious hotel in the world. It is the little things that impressed me. When flying in we asked the hotel to arrange a car to pick us up from the airport. If you do this it will cost more than getting a taxi, but you are met directly from the plane and whisked through to the dedicated customs line for the hotel, wafting past the vast lines of people waiting for their immigration checks – this alone saved an hour or so. Safely ensconced in your Rolls Royce, you are presented with cold towels and mineral water for the 20-30 minute drive to the hotel. On arrival there is no pesky check-in. As we got out of the Rolls we were greeted by name and led straight to our room. The rooms are pretty remarkable, as you can see on their web site. The “basic” room is 169 square metres in size (that’s right: square metres, not feet) with a spiral staircase leading up from your elegant lounge to your elegant bedroom. Toiletries in the vast marble bathroom are Hermes, there is a 45 inch plasma TV with 70 odd channels, curtains that open and close at the touch of a button, a DVD player etc etc. Internet access is not from some pitiful TV interface at extra charge, but free via a laptop PC already connected up at your desk. On the second day they observed that we had eaten a mango from the fruit bowl, so the next day three mangoes arrived. Outside the room is a butler who will sort out restaurant reservations and even help you unpack if you are not up to it. You can sit out by the pool or at the dedicated beach. As you arrive for some sun, towels are laid out on your lounger, more cold towels appear and a jug of iced water is placed at your table (the ice is regularly topped up). Now that is service.

There are a number of restaurants in the hotel, though they are pricey and, as everywhere in Dubai, alcohol is prohibitively expensive. The seafood restaurant, Al Mahara, is a very clever use of a basement. You enter by “submarine” (just a Disneyesque simulator ride) and arrive in a room with a vast tank of fish that would shame most aquaria (it is odd to be eating your starter as a shark drifts by just inches away). The food is quite classy, with for example some genuinely top-notch dim sum, mostly on a seafood theme. The Burj Al Arab is about 20 minutes drive from the town centre, and a taxi there will cost a bit under £10.

Overall this is a place that genuinely deserves the hype. The list price for a room is a little matter of £700 a night, but by careful playing off of travel agents on the internet and elsewhere you should be able to get a rate of less than £500 a night with breakfast thrown in. I have paid nearly this for hotel rooms less than a tenth the size of the ones here, so while in absolute terms it is a lot of money, you certainly see what you are getting for your money. Go on, treat yourself. Last visited March 2003.

Hotel	Crillon Hotel
Country	France
City/Area	Paris
Address	10 Place de la Concorde, 75008 Paris
Phone Number	+33 1 44 71 15 01
Web Site	http://www.crillon.com/

The famous Crillon is perfectly located, and is sumptuous in ever regard, including its prices. A suite here can cost £800 a night or more, but for that you do get some seriously grand furnishings and plenty of space (not by any means true of all hotels). A major bonus is the restaurant Les Ambassadeurs, a fine. There is a lovely courtyard where you can have a drink before heading off for dinner, or just recover from your shopping (or stare in amazement at the bill here).

Hotel	Cour des Loge
Country	France
City/Area	Lyons
Address	6 Rue Boeuf, 69005 Lyons
Phone Number	+33 4 72 77 4444
Web Site	www.luxurytravel.com/europe

An amazing place, this Old Town hotel carved out of a series of 16^th Century houses and still retaining many of the original stone walkways, courtyards etc, but fortunately with up to date plumbing! The rooms are very modern, which is a bit anachronistic, but the building is spectacular and the concierge the very best I have ever encountered. They also park your car for you, no mean feat in the old town of Lyons. To get there you have to drive up to a barrier and announce yourself, then drive though cobbled streets, so be sure to get very precise directions.

Hotel	Carlton Hotel
Country	France
City/Area	Cannes
Address	58 La Croisette, 06414 Cannes
Phone Number	+33 4 93 06 40 06
Web Site	http://www.cannes.interconti.com/

Very grand, on the front at Cannes, and heart-breakingly expensive. A room with a view in 1999 cost us £375 a night (this is a room, not a suite). To add insult to injury, the “private beach” in front of the hotel is no such thing: you just turn up and pay whether or not you are a resident. To get a deck chair (and don’t even think of trying to just sneak in and sit on the sand) the price is – wait for it – £52 a day per deck chair. It is all very nice, everything works well, and there is a little outdoor bar, but this is a steep price given what you get.

Hotel	Château d'Isenbourg
Country	France
City/Area	Alsace
Address	68250 Rouffach, Colmar, Alsace, France
Phone Number	+33 3 8978 5850
Web Site	No web site, but go via http://www.slh.com/

A very pleasant place to stay if visiting the lovely Alsace region. The rooms are very generous in size, with antique furnishings. There is also a pretty garden where you can have a drink and look out over the hillsides of Alsace. The food is nothing special, service is fine though unremarkable.

Hotel	Four Seasons
Country	China
City/Area	Shanghai
Address	500 Weihai Road, Shanghai 200041
Phone Number	+86 (21) 6256-8888   Fax +86 (21) 6256-5678
Web Site	http://www.fourseasons.com/shanghai/

Shanghai is really a business centre rather than a tourist destination, so the good hotels tend to be catering for business. The Four Seasons is quite well placed in the central business district, near to the excellent French quarter (a pedestrian only area willed with bars, restaurants and shops) and only a short taxi ride to the Bund. Unless on business, avoid staying over the river in Pudong, which has notoriously few cabs and little to do. However do visit the Grand Hyatt hotel (the tallest in the world) and have a drink either in the 54^th floor lobby or the 88^th floor bar.

The Four Seasons has the usual classy though unremarkable furnishings that characterise the chain, with a few nice art deco touches e.g. the 37th floor lift lobby. Rooms are good, with very comfortable soft beds (a relief as the Chinese seem to have a masochistic addiction to very hard beds) and a superb shower. The gym and indoor pool are both very good, with a nice range of machines in the gym The 37^th floor “executive club” is worth paying the upgrade for, as you get free drinks in the evening, breakfast and nibbles in the afternoon, and is a haven of tranquillity. There is also free internet access (though over a mediocre connection, at late as of May 2006).

Be sure to take the MagLev train when you go back to the international airport. This is the fastest train in the world, taking you to the airport in well under seven minutes, at a top speed of 431 km/hour (266 mph). This is just cruising: it can manage 310 mph.

Hotel	Grand Hyatt
Country	China
City/Area	Beijing
Address	1 East Chang An Avenue Beijing, People's Republic of China. 100738
Phone Number	+86 10 8518 1234
Web Site	http://beijing.grand.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp

A really impressive hotel. We moved here after two nights at the Peninsula Palace, which had unbearably hard beds. We stayed on the 38^th floor, which has easy access to the excellent 37^th floor club area. This gives you breakfast, nibbles in the afternoon and cocktails in the early evening, as well as high quality internet access. The rooms are excellent, with very good shower and beds that are still pretty firm but OK. The pool in the basement is a remarkable thing, worth a visit on its own. It is vast, with tropical palm trees and little islands, as well as loungers (though of course there is no natural light in the basement!). The gym is also superb. It has the best restaurant in China (Made in China) and a lovely bar called Red moon, which is decorated in the style of an opium den and has live jazz. Service was superb. All in all one of the best hotels I have stayed at.

Hotel	Leela Palace
Country	India
City/Area	Goa
Address	Cavelossim Vilage, Salcette, Mobor Goa 403731
Phone Number	+91-832-746-363
Web Site	www.leelapalace.com

My favourite hotel in the world (along with the Burj Al Arab in Dubai). There, I’ve said it. A beautifully landscaped set of low-rise buildings on the fringes of the Indian Ocean, with a long and spectacular private beach (no hawkers, are allowed – they wait on the side of the beach and you can go to them if you wish, but they will not pester you). As you sit in the little beach bar drinking your Kingfisher beer at £2 a bottle (what was the last luxury hotel you stayed at where the beer was this cheap?) looking out at the sunset over the almost deserted beach, your mind wanders: what to do tomorrow. Well, a round of golf at the very pretty12 hole pitch and putt course is an option, or a game of tennis, or perhaps a massage at the beauty parlour. Energetic types can take advantage of the large gym with glass windows overlooking the ocean, while the truly idle do not even have to wander down to the casino or the parade of shops, since lots of little golf trolleys scurry around and offer guests a lift if they want it. There are three places to eat, in addition to the beach snacks. The café does normal hotel fare, plus excellent Indian vegetarian cuisine. There is a more than serviceable Italian restaurant that overlooks a river (probably 1/10 in Good Food guide terms) but then all this is irrelevant because they have the Jamavar. This serves the best Indian food I have ever eaten, and I have been to what are supposed to be the best restaurants in Delhi and Bombay. The tables are very generously spaced and the service is very good, but it is the food that is key here. Eat anything from the tandoor (there is a glass partition through which some of the tables observe the tandoor chefs working). Chicken tikka malai has been marinated for so long that the chicken melts in the mouth (8/10), while sesame tiger prawns feature huge prawns that are remarkably tender and are suffused with the flavours of the marinate and a hint of the charcoal from the tandoor. Only in a 3 Michelin star restaurant have I tasted prawns as tender as this (8/10). Similarly, lobster tikka and tandoori spring chicken are also superb (6/10). Perhaps least good are the normal curries, though these are still fine e.g. chicken xacuti (4/10), prawn curry (5/10). Instead try either the kingfish streak (7/10) or the superb vegetarian dishes: cauliflower with ginger (6/10), mushroom masala (5/10), aloo jeera (5/10), bhindi (6/10) and the superb makhani dal (5/10). The prawn biriani is no longer cooked in a pot sealed with pastry, but every individual grain of rice is fragrant and delicate (8/10). Breads are also a revelation: roti, naan and the usual breads are good, while the paratha left me stunned – normally paratha in the UK is a greasy heavy affair to be avoided, but here it has the lightest texture (6/10). Ramali roti is very thin bread tossed in the air and cooked over a dome shaped iron heater for just a few seconds, and is also delicious.

Service? Well, on my second trip here I asked if it would be possible to eat out of doors for a change, and they suggested eating on a table on the beach. I envisaged a table set up o the edge of the beach, with some dishes sent up from the kitchen, but when we arrived I was stopped in my tracks: there was an avenue of burning torches going down towards the sea, with a single table spotli, with a bottle of champagne cooling on it. They had set up a complete portable kitchen, and there was a dinner-jacketed waiter just for us. It was a real “movie moment”. On my third trip here, on the last night with coffee we were served a chocolate cake with the iced message “thank you” on it – did that happen at the last hotel you stayed? There are 150 rooms and 600 staff, to give you a sense of perspective.

The only slight inconvenience is getting there. The airport in Goa is a 35 minute drive from Panjin, the capital, and The Leela Palace is a further twenty minutes beyond that. There are no scheduled flights to Goa (it is a pure beach resort, so no business travellers, hence no business class, hence no scheduled airlines want to fly there). You have two choices. go to Bombay and take a local flight down on Sahara or Jet (or even Air India) and hook up with BA. The alternative is to fly a charter flight direct from Gatwick. The most tolerable way to do this is via Monarch, who provide a premium economy cabin on these flights, giving you a small but crucial amount of extra legroom. The flight is around 10 hours from London (less on the way out due to tailwind, more on the way back due to the headwind). These Monarch flights can be booked via Thomson Direct or JMC. Take the cheapest available accommodation with the package, don’t use it and head straight off to the Leela Palace. Make sure you are picked up from the airport by the hotel car, or you will roast for several hours in the sun while the tour companies wait for enough planes to fly in to bother themselves with taking people off in a coach around large parts of Goa (hotels are fairly widespread). An air-conditioned car is essential, and don’t even think of trying to drive yourself; just get onto your air-conditioned taxi and close our eyes. Remember Hayler’s law: never drive in a country where the people believe in reincarnation.

Oh yes, the rooms. It is worth upgrading to the most basic suite (Lagoon suite), which gives you a large bedroom, a very generous lounge with separate TV/video etc, and not one but two excellent marble bathrooms with proper shower as well as bath. Those wishing to splurge can get even larger suites, including ones with private plunge pool. The mattresses are incredibly comfortable, perhaps the best hotel bed I have slept in.

Best time to go is December to January, where the temperature can hit 32C but there is no humidity, going down to a delightful 20C in the evening. November is a bit cooler but you may also get a few overcast days and the odd shower, so December is safer on the weather front, while January is safer still. Up until end March is OK but it is hotter by then, while from about May you hit monsoon season, so avoid May – October.

There is also now “the club”, a segregated area with 15 rooms in 12 acres, with a separate swimming pool and a separate beach area, together with a dining and bar facility exclusively for club guests. The rooms are extensive e.g. ours (914) had lounge, balcony, bedroom, dining room, kitchen, dressing room, bathroom and separate toilet, so more a flat that a room. Within the room price drinks at the club are free (but not when outside the club e.g. at the other restaurants). The rooms are more modern here and service is again excellent.

Treat yourself. Last visited in January 2006, my fifth stay here.

Hotel	Rajvillas
Country	India
City/Area	Jaipur, Rajastan
Address	Goner Road, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302004
Phone Number	+91-141-68 0101
Web Site	http://www.oberoihotels.com/jaipurm.htm

Recently voted top resort hotel in the world in one survey, the RajVillas is seriously luxurious. Rooms are generous in size, each with its own laserdisc player and butler service. There is a fine courtyard where you eat outside, and on a chilly night there are wonderfully effective charcoal brassieres to keep the cold at bay. There is even a horse and cart to take you to your room, should you wish. The food was extremely good on our visit in 1998. A superb place to stay when visiting the sights of Jaipur.

Hotel	Neemrana Fort
Country	India
City/Area	Rajastan
Address	Neemrana Fort Palace, Neemrana, Rajasthan
Phone Number	+91-11 461 6145
Web Site	no web site

An extraordinary place, a restored hill fort dating back to 1474, this lies up a winding road towards the top of a hill commanding a spectacular view. The fort seemingly clings to the hillside over eight stories, and there are plenty of stairs to climb. It is not really a luxury hotel, really only 3 star level accommodation, though there is air conditioning and a decent dinner is served. But the romance of the setting! There are little courtyards, seemingly hidden passages, lovely little gardens and an amazing view. Worth staying for a night to break your journey from Jaipur to Delhi. This can be booked via Abercrombie and Kent, and a number of other travel agents – it is not easy to track down on-line, the internet is just a bit modern for this place – indeed there is only one phone for the whole hotel.

Hotel	Hotel de Paris
Country	Monaco
City/Area	Monte Carlo
Address	Place du Casino, Monte Carlo, Monaco, MC-98007
Phone Number	+377 92-16-30-00
Web Site	http://www.monte-carlo.mc/lodging-monaco/hoteldeparis/gb_index.html or go via http://www.lhw.com/

Perfectly situated on the main square of Monte Carlo, there are two main blocks of rooms here, one a more modern set, one older. There is a handsome lobby with spectacular ceiling, exquisite furnishings throughout, a cosy bar and a little garden restaurant for lunch. In addition there are two serious restaurants, the lesser one has a stunning view and itself gets a Michelin star, and then there is the great Louis XV, Alain Ducasse’s showpiece. As well as having perhaps the prettiest dining room in the world, this also has (for me) the best cooking in the world today. There is no beach here, but the hotel has an arrangement with the exclusive Monte Carlo beach-club, and a shuttle bus whisks you there and back for when you want some sunshine or just to hang around the beautiful people. Monaco is a good 45 minute taxi ride from the airport, but just a few minutes by helicopter, which last time I checked worked out slightly less than the taxi ride. Of course this does not come cheap, but it is no worse than many of the hotels along the Cote d’Azur, and the staff are much less snooty than many. Incidentally, the suites are astronomically expensive and yet are really just (fairly) large rooms. A great place to spoil yourself.

Hotel	Villa des Oranges
Country	Morocco
City/Area	Marrakech
Address	6, rue Sidi Mimoun
Phone Number	+212 44 38 46 38
Web Site	no web site, but go via http://www.lhw.com/

 If you don’t fancy the fading grandeur of the Mamounia, or the out-of-town peace of the Aman, then I reckon this is for you. A small hotel (14 rooms) just a few minutes walk from the bustling main square, this is a genuine haven of peace. There is a lovely central courtyard, as well as a secluded swimming pool and a separate rooftop pool. Staff are charming, and the rooms well kept and generous in size. This was a real delight. Last stayed October 2005.

Hotel	Raffles
Country	Singapore
City/Area	Singapore
Address	2 Stamford Road #06-01, Raffles City Convention Centre, Singapore 178882
Phone Number	+65 339 8377
Web Site	http://www.raffles.com/

A very grand restoration of the original building where, as every guidebook tells you, the Singapore Sling cocktail was invented. Rooms are extremely good and there is a charming courtyard, while food can be taken in one of the eight or so the restaurants that line the outer courtyard. Staff are extremely efficient and courteous, and this is another of those spooky places where you may be greeted by name on the second day (and not by someone looking it up on a computer). The only qualm is the price, which is very high, but this is definitely the best place to stay in a city full of serious luxury hotels.

Hotel	Londolozi
Country	South Africa
City/Area	Kruger National Park
Address	Conservation Corporation Africa, Private Bag X27, Benmore, 2010, South Africa
Phone Number	+27 (11) 784-6832
Web Site	http://www.conscorp.com/londoloz.htm

Absolutely the best place to go for safari. I have been to nine game parks, and though the sheer volume of wildlife here does not rival the Masai Mara/Serengeti, everything else is in a different league. You travel by open Land Rover rather than peeking out of the roof of a minibus, so the wildlife is literally so close you can touch it (not advisable by the way). There are also night drives, where the animals are much more active, and each evening you will probably get to see the elusive leopard, not because someone put some bait down for it but because they have trackers out all day looking for them. The food is good enough to get an entry in the French Relais et Chateau, and the staff are excellent. For the nervous, bear in mind that the Conservation Corporation (which also runs several other top game lodges) does not believe in fencing off the camp, so you may encounter some serious animals just on the way from your room to breakfast (we saw a rare kudu antelope this way). It is worth stumping up the admittedly high price here, because you will see more wildlife in two days here than in a fortnight in a normal reserve, due to the trackers and the high degree of organisation (every Landrover has a walkie talkie, so interesting spotting is shared, but as it a private reserve there are none of the ludicrous herds of minibuses stalking a single animal that you get in Kenya). The rooms (actually self contained huts) are large and in Bush Camp so isolated from each other than you have an outdoor shower. An amazing place that I cannot recommend too highly.

Hotel	Oriental Hotel
Country	Thailand
City/Area	Bangkok
Address	48 Oriental Avenue, Bangkok 10500, Thailand
Phone Number	+66 2 659 9000
Web Site	http://www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok/

For many years this was voted the best hotel in the world, and it is easy to see why. There are a lot of staff – each corridor has a dedicated desk, so your tea will be in your room at remarkable speed. Laundry comes back beautifully wrapped with an orchid on top, and if you play squash at the sports facilities over the river then someone sets up a table with iced water and towels for you in case you feel the need for refreshment. The building itself has a lovely library area where Somerset Maugham frequented, and the open air Thai restaurant is superb – probably the best in Thailand (certainly the best I have been to). There is also a top notch French restaurant for those who feel the need to travel to the tropics to eat French food. The rooms are a little compact for my liking, but it is hard to find fault here.

Hotel	Beverly Hills Hotel
Country	USA
City/Area	Los Angeles
Address	300 South Doheny Drive, Los Angeles, California 90048, U.S.A
Phone Number	+1 310 273-2222
Web Site	http://www.thebeverlyhillshotel.com/

The “pink palace” looks as glitzy as its location, nearby the famous Rodeo Drive (remember Julia Roberts shopping there in “Pretty Woman”?), with lovely gardens and striking architecture. Watch the Hollywood elite meet at the Polo Bar, or relax at the lovely poolside. The rooms are very generous in size, and extremely well equipped. Staff are extremely helpful, providing the sort of service that you hope for in America but so rarely receive. Behind the main hotel are the “bungalows”, self-contained houses (most on two storeys, so they are no longer strictly bungalows) in which Howard Hughes spent much of his life. These are quite expensive but you do get your own garden, while the rooms in the main hotel are of a very high standard. The concierge service is very classy and genuinely helpful, especially a gentleman named Abbas. Last visited March 2001.

Hotel	Maison de Ville
Country	USA
City/Area	New Orleans
Address	727 Rue Toulouse, New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone Number	+1 504-561-5858
Web Site	http://www.maisondeville.com/

This is a boutique hotel based in an historic house (Tennessee Williams lived at room 9 for some time). It is really barely a 4 star in terms of amenities, but it has a delightful courtyard with a fountain that is an oasis of peace in the French Quarter. Room 15 is the best (we also stayed in the King suite, which is more expensive, but less good). They have quaint customs like complimentary port in the courtyard each evening, which helps make up for a very mixed concierge service. The young guys we met were fine, but the two older ones were just amazing – unhelpful, grumpy and completely clueless. There is a pool two blocks down in the Audobon cottages (which you can also stay at, and which are roomy) though the pool is more for sitting by than getting in – distinctly murky. Overall though, a charming place that is perfectly situated in the heart of the French Quarter.

Hotel	The Breakers
Country	USA
City/Area	Palm Beach
Address	One South County Road, Palm Beach, FL 33480
Phone Number	+1 561 655-6611
Web Site	http://www.thebreakers.com/

Normally big hotels spell disappointment, but though the Breakers is nothing if not big, everything seems to work. There are two serious golf courses, vast numbers of tennis courts and a very extensive beach area. The lobby, lounges etc are vast and tasteful, and service does not falter despite the scale of the operation. Food is only fair, but Palm beach is not really a foodie town. A fine place to hole up for some sunshine.

Hotel	The Sorrento
Country	USA
City/Area	Seattle
Address	900 Madison Street Seattle, Washington 98104-9742
Phone Number	+1: 206.622.6400
Web Site	http://www.preferredhotels.com/

Charming small hotel just above the downtown area of Seattle. Built n 1908, the main lounge has beautiful mahogany panelling and a cosy fire, and the welcome is warm and genuine. Rooms are nicely furnished and of a good size, and there are lots of nice touches. Breakfast is actually cooked for you rather than being served up hours before in a container – try the excellent eggs Benedict. Turn down service does nit stop at fluffing up your pillows but also adds a hot water-bottle in winter. The wine list is excellent, though I have not tried the restaurant. There is a very pleasant bar. Old fashioned in the best possible way. The location is not ideal, but they have a hotel limo that will run you down to the downtown business district.

Travel Tips

These may sound obvious to the experienced traveller, but just in case:

• You can never have too many power adaptors
• Food poisoning is a significant risk in many countries (the worst in the world is Egypt, followed by Mexico, then Pakistan, in a survey published in the Economist). The most common cause by far is unsanitary water and poor food hygiene, so if travelling anywhere where the water is not something you would happily drink out of the tap (for which read, all of Africa, much of Asia and a lot of Southern Europe) then avoid anything washed in water e.g. salads, fruit that someone other than you has washed, and stick to freshly prepared hot food. I have travelled safely around India and Africa on multiple trips without problems using this rule. I broke the rule once, just for one meal in Istanbul: I was vomiting for ten days as a result, and have never broken the rule since. Also, brush your teeth using mineral water, and don’t lick the stamps.
• Try and avoid checked luggage if possible – just under 1% of checked luggage goes missing, and while it almost always turns up eventually, there is nothing like making that key business presentation dressed in shorts and an Hawaiian shirt.
• In most of Africa, dry cleaning is an experiment you will only try once. I once handed in some trainers to be cleaned after walking in the bush in Kenya, and they came back two sizes smaller – they had put these trainers in the washing machine.
• Be careful of officialdom in countries where the president always wears sunglasses.

Useful Hotel Links

Leading Hotels of the World http://www.lhw.com/

Small Luxury Hotels of the World http://www.slh.com/

Relais et Chateau http://www.relaischateaux.fr/

Kempinski Hotels http://www.kempinski.com/

Intercontinental Hotels http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/

Conde Nast http://www.concierge.com/

Preferred Hotels http://www.preferredhotels.com/

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