Accommodations Worldwide

April 2006 issue

French chambre d’hôte, Le Lot

My favorite chambre d’hôte in FRANCE is Le Lot (46320 Issepts, France; phone 011 33 [0] 5 65 40 17 61 or e-mail catherineissepts@wanadoo. fr). This is in the Quercy region, just south of the beautiful Dordogne area; Quercy is just as pretty and not as expensive as the Dordogne. Even with the unfavorable exchange rate, you can have a great vacation here for far less than in most regions in France. Our most recent visit was in December ’05.

Madame Catherine Grisé, Le Lot’s owner, has become a good friend over the years since my first visit in 2001. Anglo-French, she is a marvelous...

CONTINUE READING »
June 2006 issue

Quinta das Rosas B&B in Nazaré, Portugal

On a visit to PORTUGAL during the latter part of September ’05, we had a few days in Lisbon, an 8-day cruise on the Douro River with CroisiEurope (Strasbourg, France; phone 0825 333 777, fax 03 88 32 49 96 or visit www.croisieurope.com) and a few days each in Nazaré and Évora.

In Nazaré we had the most wonderful accommodations in a B&B, Quinta das Rosas (Caminho Real-Pederneira, 2450-060 Nazaré, Portugal; phone +351-262-562706 or visit www.quintadasrosas.com). Their website is very accurate and so are the driving directions.

The B&B is situated on top of a steep...

CONTINUE READING »
September 2006 issue

Hotel Ambassade in Amsterdam

I was happy with the Hotel Ambassade (Herengracht 341, 1016 AZ Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS; phone +31 20 555 0 222 or visit www.ambassade-hotel.nl). I stayed there March 29-April 3, ’06, during the off-season, so my double room cost €185 ($238) per night, reduced from the rack rate of €220 ($283).

My instinct is that the accommodations would be overpriced at the rack rate, but I don’t have other hotel experiences in Amsterdam to compare it to. I had originally booked a less-expensive hotel, the Fita, for about $140 per night, and I can’t help but wonder now if that one would have seemed...

CONTINUE READING »
August 2005 issue

Accommodations Worldwide

Great Britain

Looking for a place to stay near London Heathrow Airport but don’t want the expense of an airport hotel? St. Giles Hotel Heathrow (Hounslow Rd., Feltham, Middlesex, London Heathrow, U.K. TW14 9AD; phone 44-20-88-177-000), a 3-star property, is about 15 minutes from the airport.

The staff was helpful during our stay in May ’04. The rooms were fair-sized (by London standards), with air-conditioning and TV plus bath en suite with a handheld-type shower. A hot breakfast was included in the price of $49.50 per person, or $99 for the two of us.

Parking was...

CONTINUE READING »
April 2006 issue

France's Kyriad Hotel & Restaurant

On a trip to France in April ’05, we stayed in Caen at the Kyriad Hotel & Restaurant (36 Ave. Montgomery, 1400 Caen; visit www.kyriad.fr) — near the Caen Peace Museum. One of the upscale Campanile hotels chain.

The room cost €68 (near $82) for two. The breakfast buffet cost €7, and the 3-course dinner, with salad bar, dessert bar and entrée, cost €35.60 for two. Our total for the room and one breakfast and one dinner each was $161.

In Jumièges we stayed at Domaine le Clos des Fontaines (191 rue des Fontaines, 76480 Jumièges) — near the famous Abbaye de Jumièges. We paid €...

CONTINUE READING »
June 2006 issue

Hilton Athens and Hotel Hermes in Greece

My wife, Ione, and I stayed in two hotels in Athens in September ’05.

• At the Hilton Athens (46 Vassilissis Sofias Ave., Athens, GREECE 11528; phone +30-210-7281000, fax +30-210-7281111 or visit www. hilton.com), our room, with a king bed, faced the hills and city. We paid the “Explore the City” rate, €249 ($308), which included one drink and one buffet dinner per person.

We found the hotel overly modern and sterile; however, the location was perfect. The Benaki Museum and the Byzantine Museum were less than two blocks away, and it was only a 20-minute walk from Syntagma...

CONTINUE READING »
September 2006 issue

Germany's Gasthof Fraundorfer hotel

Friends and I stayed three nights at the Gasthof Fraundorfer (Ludwigstrasse 24, D-82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GERMANY; phone 011 49 8821 92 70, fax 8821 92 799 or visit www.gasthof-fraundorfer.de).

Our rooms, one single and one double in the annex behind the main building, were clean and comfortable and silent at night. Per person per day, single rooms go for €40-€45 ($50-$56); doubles, €38-€45 ($47-$56), and twin beds, €37-€42, plus €2 tax. Rooms each have bath, TV and telephone. There are also apartments. Prices include a generous breakfast buffet with eggs cooked to order....

CONTINUE READING »
October 2005 issue

Accommodations Worldwide

The following is a listing of some of the hotels, B&Bs, etc., in which ITN readers have stayed over the past year or so (outside of North America and the Caribbean) plus restaurants or sights nearby. Prices are those paid at the time of the visit and conversion rates are approximate.

When writing to ITN about accommodations, always include the PRICES and addresses/locations, along with the date (month/year) of your visit. Also, please state whether the price is per person or per room and, if it is per room, whether it’s for a double or single room. Thank you.

Europe...

CONTINUE READING »