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A small and reasonably priced hotel on a quiet sidestreet, which is just across the bridge from the bustling Casco Viejo (old town). The rooms were clean and the staff were very friendly and helpful.
C/Amistad, 2, Bilbao 48001
www.hostalbegona.com
(34) 94 423 0134
Abando underground/railway station
Mamas is quite possibly the best guest house in the world, and it is really one of those things that you have to experience to understand.
It's like everyone there is collectively visiting their grandma, and that grandma is mama, that's the best way I can think to describe it.
The food is plentiful and cheap, the rooms are nice, and cheap too. And mama.... well you'll just have to go.
For more, check out this post on our blog:
flashpackers.blogspot.com/2006/03/lijiang-and-mamas.html
Ring her, you will find her cards around the town, or ask someone.
We were recently married in Las Vegas and chose to stay at the Golden Nugget as we wanted to be away from the strip, and also its advertised rates were very reasonable.
This downtown hotel is off strip in 'old' Vegas, it was built in the 1940s and was an old hang out of the Rat Pack. Unlike many of the glitzy hotels on the strip it is fabulous inside as well as out - gold and glass everywhere, murano glass in the bar. And since a recent refit it also boasts a huge shark tank in the centre of its swimming pool.
Handily for us, it is also the closest inhabitable structure to Clark County's Marriage Bureau and License Office...
For some 'old' Vegas glamour, you can't really go wrong at the Golden Nugget.
There's a very high quality company in Rome called Rome Sweet Home that manage a lot of cute apartments in the heart of Rome. I found them with Google but I was very impressed with the service and the quality of the apartment.
www.romesweethome.it
Via della Vite 32 00187
Rome Italy
This is a wonderful place to stay, an absolute hidden gem. Ok, there's no pool but the service is so attentive and there's a lovely roof terrace to have the most amazing breakfast.
34 Derb l'Hotel, Bab Doukala
Marrakech Médina
www.riadkniza.com/
Stay at the no-frills Motel 6 in the Salt Lake City suburb of Murray just off Interstate 15 south of the airport for under $40 per night, with an easy, 30-minute drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon to Alta/Snowbird, or a 45-minute drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon to Brighton and Solitude.
A relaxed beach resort on the stunning Matemwe Beach, which is affordable if you don't want to go all out for the top of the range Matemwe Beach Bungalows. Rooms are on the small side but at $200 a night including dinner, the four beautiful suites are good value. There is fabulous diving and snorkelling to be had on the nearby Mnemba Atoll and the on-site dive centre organises daily trips.
Staff are lovely and friendly, and the food is excellent. The local village is extremely poor, however, and the lodge could do a little more in terms of development work.
For accommodation:
www.matemwebeach.com/
For diving:
www.zanzibaroneocean.com/diving/divesite/mnemba/mnemba.htm
An ornate and historic riad hotel in Marrakech's calmer Kasbah district, rather than in the very hectic centre of town. The decor can be a little OTT but the welcome is warm.
A super-stylish converted riad hotel down a quiet alley (but not far from the seafront) in Essaouira. Think World of Interiors or Elle Decor cover shots. It's also got a great roof terrace and rooms are spacious and not overpriced, though the rates do seem to be on the rise since I stayed in summer 2005.
2, rue Souss - Médina
44000 Essaouira
Tel. 00212 24 47 53 46
Fax. 00212 24 47 53 48
www.darloulema.com/
Right in the historic centre of this beautiful town, this attractive and friendly hostel with white-washed walls, terracotta tiles and al fresco dining is a great way to kick start your travels into one of the most culturally rich and beautiful parts of Mexico. Particularly good for travellers on a budget, as it is fantastic value for money.
If you really want a wonderfully decadent experience stay at the "Nellie".
The rooms are huge and well appointed, the service is out of this world and the location is exquisite.
Not cheap but an experience in one of the best hotels I've ever stayed in
Mount Nelson Hotel
76 Orange Street, Cape Town
8001, South Africa
Cape Town
South Africa
Tel: +27 21 483 1000
Fax: +27 21 483 1001
Email: acook@mountnelson.co.za; oarbuthnot@mountnelson.co.za; reservations@mountnelson.co.za;
Escape the madness of the medina by staying at one of the more relaxing hotels in the new town. The Golden Tulip Farah hotel is a four star hotel with a pool and comfortable rooms and it’s only about a 10 minute walk to the medina. We managed to get a double room for about £50 in December.
www.goldentulipfarahmarrakech.com
Golden Tulip Farah Marrakech, Avenue du Président Kennedy, Marrakech
Brand new holiday three-bedroom teak wood home in Bangkok Taling Chan district.
Around are traditional houses with orchards, gardens, peace and clean air.
Suit family with children and animals as the place is safe and has a terrace under the elevated on stilts house.
A much better option of staying in Bangkok than the town centre, with its noise, pollution, traffic jams and crowds of tourists.
In a Taling Chan home-stay you will immerse yourself in a traditional lifestyle and learn a little bit about Thai culture and customs. Walks through the fruit orchards and flower groves make a very challenging experience.
You can feel here like living in a traditional thai village - yet five minutes walk is 7/11 shop, cash machine and a daily street market. A short ride there is a famous traditional thai floating market in Taling Chan by the Chakphra Canal.
There are several nice homestays in that area - old thai teak wood houses on stilts just overlooking slowly moving canals. You are in the middle of verdant and vast, lush gardens.
There is nothing comparable to it in the whole of Thailand - a dream student home stay or a holiday accommodation.
172/9 m 11 Kanchanapisek
Salathammasop
Thawi Wattana
Bangkok 10160
Caretaker - Mr Nan +66 896619266, fax +6628063629
Owner/Booking - +44 7957473617
It's by Thanon Wongwan Rob Nok (Outer Western Ring Road)and by the Klong Bang Tal - 5 minutes drive to Southern Bus Terminal (towards Kanchanaburi, Cha Am, Hua Hin, Phuket, Krabi and Malaysia) on Thonburi & 15 minutes to Chao Phraya River, Khaosan Rd, the Old King's Palace & the Wat Pho. Air con Bus 516 from Khaosan Rd/Kings Palace area (25 minutes), bus 127 from PATA department store (15 minutes). There is also a frequent direct air con bus 556 to Suvarnabhumi Airport (1h).
check it out on google maps:
www.aardvarkmap.net/mape/AUN57CEM
lat=13.79381307 latitude
lon=100.408499781 longitude
If you can't afford the Hyatt, stay in Borneo Backpackers, the best hostel in town, and there are lots. The staff are really friendly and will organise trips to Sepilok, white-water rafting, the hot springs and visits to Runguss tribes all of which are totally worth it.
Athanor House offers two flats for rent to visitors - a large luxury flat (though not at a luxury price) and a small studio flat. They come with a lovely garden complete with apple tree and views of the castle.
The house is central, close to the restaurants and attractions. Hannah, the owner of the house, lived for many years in London, speaks perfect English and was able to cater for our needs (including real English teabags!).
e-mail: salamander@well-spring.co.uk
website: www.well-spring.co.uk/athanor/
Nearest station: Cesky Krumlov
This place apparently just opened under new management. It was very nice though, a bit unique. The area it's in is industrial but really close to the city centre, about 4 streets away. The staff there are really nice and the common room is in an old bar, so its big yet still cozy. I enjoyed my time there. There is a kitchen and free internet which was cool - most places charge you to use it. Would suggest to people looking for a cheap place to stay in Birmingham close to the city centre. Good value.
58 Coventry Street, Digbeth, Birmingham, B5 5NH, 0121 643 0033. One street away from the Digbeth Coach Station in Birmingham. www.birminghamcentralbackpackers.com
This hotel is just across the road from Copacabana beach near the Old Fort (worth a look). We were there in April 2006 and the hotel cost USD $60 a night B&B for the two of us. We had a sea view, very nice room with a large double bed, TV and mini bar and en-suite bathroom. The room was excellent, the staff really friendly and the buffet breakfast was superb. A real gem of a place and very reasonable.
Unassuming pub at the top of the hill in Arundel with lovely rooms. One of the doubles has views of the cathedral and the pub is very near the 14th century parish church and the castle. The ensuite rooms are very comfortably decorated and have TV, cd player etc. The pub itself is a local boozer - nothing too classy - but the accommodation is quite unexpected, and very reasonable. Decent English breakfast in the morning, and the service is straightforwardly helpful.
St Mary's Gate Inn
London Road
Arundel
West Sussex
BN18 9BA
Tel: (0)1903 883145
www.stmarysgate.co.uk
The little town of Swaffham is home to two outstanding green businesses. One is the Ecotech Centre, a visitor attraction bringing renewables to life with the back drop of the mighty Foster designed wind turbine. Visitors can climb the 300 step turbine tower for panoramic views.
Nearby Strattons Hotel combines luxury and green living with a touch of recycled art. The hotel has embedded itself into the local community to ensure it buys locally and its staff haven't far to travel.
Regular buses depart from King’s Lynn and Norwich. Alternatively arrive by bicycle; just a short diversion off the Sustrans National Cycle Network Route 13 on the Thetford to Fakenham stretch.
www.ecotech.org.uk
www.strattonshotel.com
Lovely Tudor coaching inn at the centre of Rye. A couple of friends live in nearby Hastings, so I come to Rye and stay at The George when I want to extend my trip with some R&R!
The place had closed for restoration until recently (i'd actually been in a couple of years ago when only the bar was open. The rest of it was a bit of a 1970s nightmare). Couldn't believe it when I went back. Beautifully designed rooms, very personal and quirky, as far from a hotel room as you can imagine (and no box shaped rooms in sight).
The George also has a restaurant (very good food, particularly when Rye's many tea rooms get a bit samey) and an evocative, historic pub.
Unfortunately we're currently in the depths of winter as The George's garden, which is in a courtyard, is also very pretty.
This really is a homely but stylish place, and I'd also urge those just visiting Rye for the day to stop in for lunch or a drink, as it's such a beautiful hotel.
One more tip: try to visit Rye when Lamb House is open, a National Trust property that Henry James lived in for the latter part of his life. Only open a couple of days a week but well worth a visit.
98 High Street
Rye
East Sussex TN31 7JT
T 01797 222 114
www.thegeorgeinrye.com
Nearest Station Rye
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