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Chalet 1802 is a gorgeous family-run business providing excellent accommodation and five-star food in beautiful surroundings and all at a reasonable cost.
From start to finish a wonderful experience. We were picked up at the airport and arrived at the riyad to a very warm welcome that included mint tea and pastries. We were treated as if the riyad were our home. It was not a hotel experience-I'd say more like the ultimate B&B. We were in the heart of the medina and within walking distance of most of the major attractions. Our hosts made sure we were comfortable getting around, made taxi and restaurant reservations for us and treated us like royalty. The riyad is stunning and felt very old world, but with all of the modern conveniences one would need, down to Wifi. I hope to go back. Don't miss out on the hammam while there. The food was plentiful, delicious and beautiful.
phone +212 (0) 524389067
62 Derb Boutouil, Kennaria, 40000, Marrakech
www.riyad-al-moussika.com/
Google map: tinyurl.com/39py9gn
Dar Najat is a beautiful cosy riad located in the heart of the medina in Marrakech, just five minutes' walk from the famous square, Jema El Fna, which makes it an ideal place to stay! The owner and his team are clearly dedicated to making their guests feel at ease and create an environment full of fun but also very relaxing.
The rooms are clean (I stayed there a few times and have never been disappointed), comfortable and quiet, ideal after a busy day in the souks! Olivier is available most of the day to give you tips and organise a guided tour of Marrakech if you would like one. I also loved the fact that there is an outdoor jacuzzi on the terrace where you can enjoy a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice or a mint tea (the berber whisky - yummy!). Breakfast is delicious and served by the smiley and friendly staff who are always there to help and make sure you get the best!
Forgot to mention dinner is also available on request and Souad, the chef, is a gem in terms of cooking! I definitely recommend the riad for any kind of travellers - young, older, married or single you will just have an unforgettable experience at Dar Najat. Thank you again, I'm coming back soon and with friends this time!
Dar Najat
No18 Derb Lalla Chacha
Douar Graoua Kennaria
40000 Marrakech Medina Maroc
Tel: 00212 243 75085
Fax: 00212 243 84699
www.black-zitoun.com
email: black_zitoun@yahoo.fr
We have just got back from four magical days in Budapest, staying at this brilliant apartment. The place is fantastic, and Tomas is a very good host who can tell you places to visit. Its location is fantastic, in a beautiful old building with a cafe at the bottom. Convenient! Honestly, look no further, this is the place to go.
Tomas: +36 20 3328952
www.jop.hoteltargets.com
The Rocks is a small villagey area found on the Opera House side of the harbour. It can be accessed via the Cahill Freeway Walk (on the bridge) and boasts small cafes, beautiful fabric shops and the odd hotel. It is a place frozen in time - shaped by European influence and positioned in one of the best harbours in the world.
The Rocks has markets on sundays, selling GUCCI, DIOR and so on. Simply put, it's a place of refuge for all tourists...so keep it nice!
Walk via Cahill Freeway Walk, down the stairs and follow the street-directions through to the Rocks Square.
Chalet Lounge is a beautiful old savoyard chalet, with hot tub and sauna and all the luxuries you want after you've been skiing. Tom and Sarah who run it look after you really well and Sarah cooks amazing food. It's in a really great location, about half way along the valley, so you get really good access to all the different ski areas. We can't stay away!
The staff here are superb, nothing is too much trouble. Really lovely people. The riad is beautiful and has a lovely charm about it. Very peaceful. The food is also excellent. Had a hamman, wow fantastic. I have never had such wonderful service. Would definitely recommend it to everyone.
62, Derb Boutouil Kannaria, Marrakech
www.riyad-al-moussika.com
+212 389067
We visited La Lucertola during the 2008 Witsun break, in search of a chill-out break in the tranquillity of the Tuscan countryside, but having three grumpy teenagers in tow, it was also important to be close enough to places of interest to keep them amused. What greeted us was an unexpected delight.
Set in an area of outstanding natural beauty, high up on a mountainside amidst an ancient olive grove and with stunning views of the surrounding countryside as far as Pisa and the coast beyond, the two self-contained farmhouses at La Lucertola are perfect – large, comfortable and extremely well-equipped. The setting is exquisite and as a bonus, there is the lovingly nurtured organic garden - the produce is available to pick and use, free of charge, by the guests! This proved a particular favourite with our children, who loved going out to pick the salad and herbs for our meals and we returned home with all good intentions of recreating our own Tuscan vegetable patch!
Being less than a 30 minute drive from Pisa airport and with highly competitive rates available on Ryanair flights from London Stansted, La Lucertola is ideally located as a base from which to explore the delights of Tuscany (if you actually choose to leave the peace and tranquillity of your Tuscan home that is).
Living in their own separate farmhouse on site, Luisa and Coz are the perfect hosts and I would like to thank them for allowing us to spend a little time sharing their little piece of Tuscan heaven, where even the rain storms hold a certain charm; it’s very easy to understand why they chose to swap their hectic London life for this! Check out their excellent website for more details.
www.lucertola.info
La Lucertola
Via di Cavina, 14
Pugnano
56017 San Giuliano Terme
Pisa
Italy
Tel: 00 39 050 851405
Wife and I spent the New Year in Barcelona in an apartment for a few days which we booked through Pillow Apartments. It was amazingly furnished and really cool. They meet you personally to check you into the property, provide guides, tips. Really cool people. Five-star accommodation at cheaper prices! And so romantic...
Argentiere is a village 5 miles outside Chamonix and is it is where the main ski area of the resort is based. I would suggest staying up in the village of Argentiere and being within walking distance of the Grands Montets which offers awesome skiing.
Argentiere, 5 miles outside Chamonix.
Has regular bus and train service.
Use bus for Le Tour
My girlfriend and I stayed at Riad Dar Eliane for four nights and were made to feel very welcome from the minute we entered the hotel. It is decorated in a Moroccan chic style with a good sized roof terrace that's great for sun bathing and relaxing. It is located about 10 minutes from the main square, Jemma el fna, 10 minutes from La Foundouk a spectacular restaurant and about 10 minutes from Cafe Arabe a more relaxed restaurant.
Each morning we had a traditional Moroccan breakfast in the open riad courtyard. We opted for an evening meal on our final night and were given a traditional and tasty three course meal for around 25 Euros each.
The riad also organized for my girlfriend to have a traditional hammam treatment and massage at the Didi spa near the square. Marrakech is quite a hectic place, which made us realize how fortunate we were to have such a relaxing riad to come back to. Bouchra and her team really did their best to make our stay comfortable and enjoyable and we had a great time.
No39, Derb Maada, Azbezt, Medina
www.dareliane.com
This hotel is run by a Japanese-Turkish family and is located in the beautiful and secluded Paradise Bay.
The hotel is just by the water with a stunning view, and you can relax on the long wooden jetty listening to the nature, without any disturbances. The sea is very clear - just like an aquarium where you can watch the fish go by.
The food is delicious, it is basically Aegean food: vegetables, herbs and mainly fish cooked with olive oil, and the Japanese menu cooked personally by the owners suited my taste.
The deluxe rooms are nicely decorated and are spacious, all with seaviews. The only
thing that might be negative is that the road leading to the hotel is unpaved and quite bumpy. They are waiting for the municipality to fix it, I hope that it works.
I would recommend the hotel to anyone who would like to have a quiet and relaxing holiday, enjoy the seaside and the nature plus a very friendly and comfortable stay.
www.atamihotel.com
Cennet Koyu n:48 Gölköy Bodrum 48400 Mugla Turkey
phone: +90 252 357 74 16-17-18
Cennet Koyu no:48 Gölköy Bodrum 48400 Mugla.
Tel: +90 252 357 74 16-17-18
www.atamihotel.com
If you can go to just one of the Cape vineyard towns, Franschhoek is much quieter and less tourisity than Stellenbosch. The town’s name means French corner, and it really feels like Provence has come to South Africa. There’s a lovely restaurant called Le Quartier Francais which serves divine lunches. And if the driving gets too much and you want to stay for a few glasses of wine, there is a charming guesthouse behind the restaurant.
This is a lovely place. It’s down a side passage off a bustling thoroughfare in the northern medina, lined with shops and full of shoppers, tradesmen and people on motorized scooters.
Our room was excellent and we found all staff at the riad to be very friendly and helpful. Bouchra the manageress met us when we arrived and gave us information about how to get to the Jemma El Fna square.
The food was really good and very plentiful and we'd happily recommend eating here one night on your stay.
The riad offers to get a taxi to pick you up at the airport for a 10 euro fee. This is a reasonable deal and the driver takes you to the nearest point that cars can reach, from there the riad is about a five minute walk.
We walked through the more modern part of Marrakech, Gueliz where many of the western style hotels and you really could be anywhere in Europe in this quarter.
Derb El Maada, No 39 Azbezt, Medina, Marrakech
www.dareliane.com/
Google map: bit.ly/bHtPyG
Summerhill has just been opened for B&B by new owners. We stayed there the first week it was open. We can't speak highly enough of how comfortable and peaceful it is. It has fabulous views and is a short walk from the spectacular Tarn Hows.
The rooms are luxurious and extremely well equipped with not just TV and internet available but you can choose from a wide choice of music or films streamed straight to your room. We are a little biased because we know two of the owners as friends, but I can honestly say we have never stayed in a better furnished or more welcoming B&B.
I really don't think you'll be disappointed if you try it, and it's probably worth getting in before it becomes well-known and booked up.
Hawkshead Hill, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0PP. 01539 436095
www.summerhillcountryhouse.com
Go at sunset, for the view of Wat Phnom from the back terrace, it's magical as the sun sets right behind it.
The food and drink is also some of the best in town.
This raid is really great, a fabulous place to stay and the perfect place to relax after a day in Marrakech which can be very full on. The staff were friendly and attentive. They welcomed us in with mint tea and then gave us a map and offered us advice on what best to do and how to find our way around. We highly reccommend the dinner - we had a Moroccan salad, chicken tagine, beautifully spiced vegetables and a fruit desert with wine. Our room was charming, very comfortable with a good shower. It is a 10 minute walk to the main square but we liked this, because we saw a different side to Marrakech.
www.dareliane.com
Derb El Maada, No 39 Azbezt, Medina, Marrakech - Morocco
Google map: bit.ly/cdZp7I
There's very little in this life for free and this has got to be one of the best of them. A breathtaking walk taking in some of the city's most amazing beaches.
Bring your walking shoes though, it's a good 90 minute walk along the coast so stilettos are not advisable!
Oh, and for accommodation for when you're in Sydney, look no further than www.hostelworld.com. I use it all the time and love it.
Enjoy Sydney.
This is a hotel of the future. Facing a tranquil green park in the Kifissia area of north Athens, the hotel is boutique style with fluid design, soft style that mingles rounded forms with bright, lively colours. It offers internet TVs complete with cordless keyboards that come as standard. For more local interaction, guests can check out the hotel's two-level restaurant and bar, where the modern Greek, European and international flavours of the menu are mirrored in the cosmopolitan blend that make up the Semiramis' clientele. It is a must for those who love design hotels! ₤155 per night.
Harilaou Trikoupi 48, 14562 Kifissia, Athens, Greece Tel +30210 6284400 Fax +30210 6284499 www.semiramisathens.com
A superb pair of farm cottages providing beautiful views of the leaning tower. Easy access to Lucca and Pisa with a good train service to Florence.
The cottages have every modern facility you need, including a swimming pool.
The owners live on site and provide a friendly information facility and comprehensive support.
An absolutely brilliant location.
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