Accommodations Worldwide

July 2006 issue

Medina Grand Adelaide Treasury Hotel and Majestic Roof Garden Hotel in Adelaide

Here are two hotels from our June ’05 trip to Adelaide, AUSTRALIA.

• Medina Grand Adelaide Treasury Hotel (2 Flinders St., Adelaide, S.A. 5000, Australia; phone [08] 8112 0000, fax 8112 0199 or visit www.medinaapartments.com.au).

Located in the heart of the city, this 5-star property was the highlight accommodation of our trip. In a 163-year-old bank building, our one-bedroom apartment was a classic mix of old woodwork and contemporary designer furniture. Great beds. A washer and dryer in our bathroom. A fabulously relaxing hotel pool. And a fine restaurant.

Two...

August 2005 issue

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...

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 €...

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...

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...

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...

April 2006 issue

Hôtel Mischabel and Hôtel-Restaurant Relais Belvédère in Switzerland

From a 2-week trip to SWITZERLAND in September ’05, I recommend the following accommodations.

• Hôtel Mischabel (3920 Zermatt; phone 011 41 27 967 11 31, fax 967 65 07 or visit www.zermatt.ch/ mischabel).

Because the shower and toilet rooms are down the hall, the rooms are a bargain and attract people from all over the world. My room with balcony, facing the Matterhorn, was only CHF65 ($52) per night. Half pension added CHF22 ($17.60). The bed and floor are a little creaky; don’t go there on your honeymoon.

• Hôtel-Restaurant Relais Belvédère (1938 Champex-Lac [Velais...

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...