From ST. ANDREWS, Scotland, Sept. 6, 2009…

• The Kelvin (15 Buckingham Terrace, The Great Western Road, Glasgow, Scotland G12 8EB, U.K.; phone +44 141 339 7143, www.kelvinhotel.com) — located on the west end of Glasgow and about half a mile from the western side of the University of Glasgow.

This is the best, most well-kept “rowhouse” hotel I have ever visited. It sparkled! The staff all were very friendly and helpful.

Our bedroom was very spacious and well furnished,...

From BADEN-BADEN, Germany, July 15, 2009. . .

• Hotel Colmar (Lange Strasse 34, D-76530, Baden-Baden, Germany; phone 07221/93 89 0, fax 93 89 50, www.hotel-colmar.de) — located in central Baden, on the pedestrian zone.

This is a fine and friendly hotel, written about by Mr. Rick Steves, himself, as a good place to stay in Baden. However, the Colmar is the loudest hotel I have ever stayed at — period.

We last stayed here in 2000. We booked our room online, and the hotel...

On MALAYSIA & SINGAPORE, February-March ’09. . .

• On flights between Los Angeles and Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia, Feb. 25 and March 4, I was very favorably impressed with Malaysia Airlines’ business class, which, at $4,100, cost much less than other airlines’ business-class seats (low of $6,600).

The planes were squeaky clean; the bathrooms were cleaned every hour! Up in the “hump” of the 747, it was quiet and I slept quite well; the seats reclined to nearly flat. The food...