Hotel Review: Antica Samarkand, Uzbekistan –  a cosy unique guesthouse

Hotel Review: Antica Samarkand, Uzbekistan – a cosy unique guesthouse

Samarkand is a large city and it is harder to find charming accommodation close to the major sights. The Antica Samarkand is a welcome exception.  Samarkand hotels are typically large, business-orientated and geared towards tour groups. But if you are looking for somewhere individual on 

Hotel Rahmon, Samarkand: A model of hospitality

Hotel Rahmon, Samarkand: A model of hospitality

On my recent flying visit to the Silk Road cities of Samarkand and Bukhara, my first contact with the locals was in this guesthouse I had just booked quickly in order to crash somewhere upon arrival. I had already booked some fancier hotels in Bukhara 

Hotel Review: Hotel Reina Cristina, Algeciras

Hotel Review: Hotel Reina Cristina, Algeciras

“What on earth are you doing in Algeciras?” you might ask. This port city is mostly known as a passing through place en route to Morocco and the Spanish Enclaves, but not as a tourist sight on its own. What makes it a great place 

Hotel Review: Hotel Palacio de Los Salcedo, Baeza

Hotel Review: Hotel Palacio de Los Salcedo, Baeza

On our recent honeymoon driving round some of lesser known Andalucia, we thought we book ourselves a special treat. We checked into a real palace in Baeza. This town in Northeastern Andalucia forms an impressive coherent architectural ensemble of Renaissance buildings unique to Spain.  It 

Hotel Review: Hotel Alcoba del Agua, Sanlucar de Barrameda

Hotel Review: Hotel Alcoba del Agua, Sanlucar de Barrameda

Back from Spain for two, weeks,  a new job to settle into, house a mess and two bored cats – not the best circumstances for writing a long post. However, there is always a little time to write about Hotel Alcoba del Agua, one of 

Arcadion Hotel Corfu Town: A Central and Classy hotel

Arcadion Hotel Corfu Town: A Central and Classy hotel

On our spontaneous trip to Greece and Albania in autumn 2018, we were lucky to book late and still stay in consistently good hotels. The Arcadion Hotel Corfu Town is one of my favourited from this trip.  We usually look for somewhere mid-range and non-generic, 

Hotel Gjirokastra Review, Gjirokastër: Beautifully Traditional

Hotel Gjirokastra Review, Gjirokastër: Beautifully Traditional

For a first-time trip to Albania, we wanted to stay somewhere… safe? Read on… here is my Hotel Gjirokastra review – it was one of my favourite hotels on my trip! No no no, forget your prejudices against Albania. I had my work cut out 

Hotel Review: Hotel Albert 1er, Toulouse: simply perfect

Hotel Review: Hotel Albert 1er, Toulouse: simply perfect

I don’t know much of France, but I’ve visited enough cities to say that Toulouse must be one of the great underrated cities of France. It has a pretty centre, beautiful architecture, nice restaurants, classy shopping – who would not want to go there? It 

Hotel Review Marble House, Athens: perfect for an autumn culture break

Hotel Review Marble House, Athens: perfect for an autumn culture break

Last October, I went to Athens to catch a bit of sun. We spent three days in Athens and three days on Aegina Island. In Athens, we stayed at the Marble House Hotel. We could not have wished for a better hotel: quiet, friendly, individual, and 

An Ode to the Atlanta Hotel Bangkok

An Ode to the Atlanta Hotel Bangkok

The Atlanta Hotel in Bangkok is one of the oldest hotels and one of the quirkiest places to stay in this thriving and expanding city. Set deeply back in the 1950’s, lacking the ultramodern comforts that have become standards in city hotels, and applying a