- accommodation
- (4456)
-
The accomodation is chalet style, but comfortable. Each room has a separate theme, and overlooks a golf course. It has a decent restaurant with a fair selection of wines, and the locals use it, so it's not overpriced.
tel: +27 44 533 5037; fax: +27 44 533 2447;
email: info@redbournelodge.co.za;
www.redbournelodge.co.za
Fantastic accommodation at very reasonable rates. The location is second to none, just a stone’s throw from the Old Town Square and located just off Parizska Street (Prague's mini Knightsbridge with Hermes, Louis Vuitton and more).
The price includes free airport transfer and our driver was prompt and extremely courteous, despite speaking fractured English he pointed out places of interest as we approached the city centre.
Accommodation consists of self-contained apartments, ours was nice and spacious, very clean and toasty warm (we stayed in January!). Only minor point was that the bathroom was a tad small but a nice big shower made up for this.
The apartments are located in a listed building which has links to Franz Kafka and I recall reading in the info pack in the apartment that it is due to be renovated to restore some of the fabulous orginal features in the currently, rather dark entrance hall.
Better prices sometimes available on laterooms.com
Hlucin is a town of around 15,000 people with an artificial lake, Sterkovna (Sterkac in local parlance), which has waterskiiing, windsurfing, swimming, mini-golf, and of course a few bars. You can go fishing on one side of the lake, too.
Hlucin itself also has numerous excellent bars, including the legendary "56", as well as some pretty decent restaurants and a couple of very good boarding houses. It's where lots of people chill out at weekends and it's a good place to relax with a few beers.
If you're lucky, catch the footy team at Hlucin stadium near the railway station. There’s a good pub at the station, and a great pub, "Gol", at stadium. Then continue the pub crawl down the road and carry on. Very friendly people, nice little cinema, good food and a nice place to sunbathe. Well played all round.
Take the 56, 34, 69, 70, 71 or 72 bus from Ostrava - should take only 15 to 20 mins. Get off opposite the "56" pub or hang on one more stop and get out at the bus station just near the main square.
Stunning building over a 100 years old - the room's are fantastic and it's a perfect setting.
I've stayed at the Grand and the prices, particularly, I have found, if you book on their website, are extremely comparable with other "posh" hotels in Brighton, and generally include a full English breakfast. The leisure centre in the basement boasts a small pool but a delightful spa area. And in the Lounge they serve the best smoked salmon sandwiches I've ever tasted.
King's Road, Brighton;
tel: +44 (0)1273 224300; fax: +44 (0)1273 224321;
email: reservations@grandbrighton.co.uk;
www.grandbrighton.co.uk
Less than five minutes from the beach, this three-star hotel is located in the Front Maritim area, a few metres from the port and next to the sea. Spotlessly clean, the hotel has a restaurant, coffee shop, room service and a terrace. Request a room with a balcony because it's quite hot in the rooms, even with air conditioning on.
If arriving by taxi take a print out of the hotel with you. When we went the taxi driver couldn't find it at first (it’s in a new area). Nearby is a bus stop that takes you into town and passes Parc de la Ciutadella, where the zoo is.
Estrellas, C/Lope de Vega, 4 08005, Barcelona
tel: (34) 932 302 000; fax: (34) 932 302 010; email: info@diagonalport.com;
www.diagonalport.com
The Porta Faenza hotel is conveniently located in Florence's historic centre, next to the Santa Maria Novella railway station, just steps away from the conference hall and the Fortezza da Basso exhibition grounds.
The structure is a beautiful 18th century building which has been completely refurbished internally, with elevator, air-conditioning and soundproof rooms, some of which are equipped for the disabled, while others enjoy rooftop views. The reception area hosts a pleasant bar and offers plenty of common space. A very valuable asset in the city centre is the hotel's private garage, accessible 24 hours a day and located only a few metres away.
Delicious buffet breakfast is served: juice, fresh fruit, hard-boiled eggs, slices of ham and cheese, yogurt, cereal, all the traditional hot drinks. Free internet access too. I stayed one week.
Very nice 4 star hotel in an excellent location, not far from train station. It’s in a quiet area, but one block away is a very busy street. I would say it is about 8-10 minute walk to the city centre. It’s a few blocks away from Vienna Opera House and just across from the 'Theater an der Wien', where you can hear the performers warming up and see them in their period costumes getting their make up done. They waved to us out the window - our was room directly opposite. Also less than 5 mins from the Secession Building, near the Naschmarkt.
Millöckergasse 6, Vienna, A-1060, AT;
tel: 43 1 587 4482;
book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=89024#null
A fantastic restaurant with superb rooms. Well worthy of it's 4 star rating. The lamb I had tasted great and my wife's halibut looked even better. We got to see the rooms too, they're all themed and looked fab.
www.sugar-sugar.co.uk
01472 291350
In the Market place of Cleethorpes
A gay guest house in Puerto de la Cruz with apartments and rooms, set in a gorgeous garden with a clothing optional terrace and pool. Very relaxing place to stay with friendly, helpful hosts and a nearby gay beach.
A perfect example of ancient meets modern, this hotel adjoins the Carthaginian ruins and overlooks the Punic port, set on the hillside near the picturesque blue and white town of Sidi Bou Said.
Rue Mendès France
2016 Carthage Byrsa. Tunisia
Tel : +216 71 73 34 33
www.villadidon.com
A Moorish-Andalucian style palace that blends ancient and modern so effortlessly.
The Residence-Tunis
Les côtes de Carthage - BP 697 - 2079 La Marsa
Tunisia
Phone : (00 216 71) 910 101
www.theresidence-tunis.com
Working hilltop farm on the borders of Umbria and Tuscany, within striking distance of all Tuscany landmarks. Buildings have been renovated to a high standard by an Italo-American gay couple. Outdoor pool with views down the valley. Relaxing friendly atmosphere. Recommended.
www.priello.com
Roughly an hour by train from Arezzo.
Beautiful bed & breakfast in the heart of Ortigia, the baroque old town of Siracusa. The very friendly proprietor is an architect, and everything about the house reflects his professional skills. Even better than it looks on the website.
Ronco San Tommaso 15, Siracusa;
tel: +39 0931 461802; mobile: +39 338 7422 407;
email: info@lacortedegliangeli.com;
www.lacortedegliangeli.com
Ten minutes walk from Leiden Centraalstation, a delightful old-fashioned hotel with charm, for €79/night. My wood-panelled deluxe room with a four poster bed was tastefully decorated as an artist's studio, but unfortunately the noise of revellers emerging from the night club in the alley below drove me to a quieter room facing the canal. Despite this, I've booked for my next stay and look forward to it.
Boommarkt 23, 2311 EA Leiden;
tel: 00 31 (0)71 5126358;
fax 00 31 (0)71 5142674;
email: hotel@nieuwminerva.nl;
www.nieuwminerva.nl
Hotels in the District of Columbia tend to be very expensive, typically over $200/night. You can do much better just across the Potomac in Arlington, Virginia, near the metro stations of Rosslyn and Courthouse. From there you can either take the metro back into DC or walk over the Key Bridge into Georgetown, where you can pick up an even numbered 30s bus or the metro to go further on your way.
www.arlingtonvahotels.worldweb.com/index.html;
www.arlingtonva.us
Stay in Aidonokastro, part of the old village in Valeontades, which has been restored and run by Yannis, a real star and environmental campaigner. Buried in the forest, Aidonokastro lies in one of the most beautiful areas of Samos.
The sense of peace and quiet here is unbelievable - the loudest sounds are the rushing of the stream in the valley and the calling of owls and, of course, the nightingale. Many people drive through the valley, but to experience it, you need to stay there and walk - the mountain villages are beautiful and the paths between them shouldn't be missed.
Laskarina Holidays
www.laskarina.co.uk/accommodation.asp?si_id=&ig_id=2&i_id=4&loc_id=21&acc_id=159&ig_name=North%20East%20Aegean&i_name=Samos
It is a posh B&B in Bucks County, PA just outside Philadelphia. The owner Christine is a lovely proprietress of the establishment and she has overlooked no details (in addition to the usual LCD/Plasma TVs, you have the Egyptian cotton linen, Bulgari toiletries, period antique furniture hailing from different corners of the world - Louis XIV meets Pekingese wedding bed).
There are 3 main buildings which comprise this establishment - the 1740 Manor House, the 19th century stone barn and the Guest cottage. The property once belonged to George Kaufman and each room/suite is named after one of his plays. Kaufman used to entertain his guests here including John Steinbeck to name but one.
The view from the "Dancing in the Dark" suite was breathtaking. Breakfast was healthy yet hearty. With the exchange rate the way it is, with a little over 200 pounds, you can stay at a spacious suite with free drinks (soft/wine) and snacks galore - which is a bargain in these parts. The surrounding countryside is reminiscent of the Cotswolds - which is a pleasant surprise in the mall-ridden, heavily industrialised NE USA. However if it is the stereotypes you're after, there's mall shopping available within 15 minutes' walk in the town of Lahaska. For those with kids, the place is child friendly with farm animals and a junior Olympic size pool. Overall, a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Philly and New York with breathtaking European scenery and US convenience.
This hotel is a stone's throw from St. Mark Square. Staff are nice (ask for Federica!) and helpful in finding the right places to visit. There are two different restaurants run by the same owner, where you can eat without being ripped off (which is very usual in Venice). We went to both of them: one is the typical osteria with traditional Venetian cuisine, the other is a 3 star restaurant with a great selection of wines. Lastly, the hotel is brand new, so you can find all the modern comforts.
Castello 4510, 30122 Venice;
tel: (+39) 041 523 2415;
email: info@hoteltiepolo.com;
www.hoteltiepolo.com
This lovely small hotel has great food and a lovely seaside location. It is the only Relais and Chateaux property in Atlantic Canada.
Kingsbrae Arms, St. Andrews, NB
www.kingsbrae.com
Is this your business?