Sunday, August 20, 2006
Sheraton Hotel, Stockholm, 2-5 Sep 2005
 Sheraton Hotel sits in the centre of the Stockholm city centre, within easy access to most attractions, including the old town, Gamla Stan. |
First Hotel Linne, Uppsala, 31 Aug - 2 Sep 2005
  First Hotel Linne possesses a kind of faded beauty that makes one forgive the dated furnishings. Sunlight filters into the room, tenderly caressing the soft bedspread. From the rooftop terrace, you get a birdeye's view of Linnaeus' Garden.   |
Park Inn Hotel, Uppsala, 30 -31 Aug 2005
  Park Inn Hotel, Uppsala. Functional & smart modern Swedish design. |
Arabella Sheraton Hotel Waldhuus, Davos, 24-26 Jun 2005
  Arabella Sheraton Hotel Waldhuus is surrounded by hills, woods, fields and streams. Decorated in log-cabin style, the rooms look out onto idyllic woodland scenes. Nearby, a brook ripples across a large open field, carrying half-melted Alpine snow and ice to Davoser See some distance away. Watch the twilight-tinged natural surrounds lift as the Sun rises over Arcadia. |
Camping Nelson, Moorea, 1-5 Jul 2004
Going decidedly down-market, I choose Camping Nelson, Moorea. For US$13 per night, I get a dorm bed with a worn mattress in a 2-bed non-AC shack. And a battalion of mosquitoes for good measure. Outdoor bath, no hot water. Still, minor discomfort matters little when you are right on the beach, and can wake up to the roar of the Pacific Ocean hitting the lagoon breaks. Food costs a bomb (because everything has to be imported. US$10 hamburger, anyone?), except for really great government-subsidized baguettes. Each freshly-baked baguette costs a lowly 45 US cents, a quirky throwback to the Society Islands' French legacy. |
USA Hostel, San Diego, 26-30 Jun 2004
Hostal la Fontana, Madrid, 25-26 June 2004
   Hostal la Fontana occupies the first floor of a building on a side street from Gran Via, Madrid's main commercial thoroughfare. Tread through unfinished renovation work, and climb up a long flight of stairs to reach the hostel's entrance. The small single room is one of several cramped haphazardly together, connected by labyrinthine corridors. At least, my room has a window. The view is however nothing to get excited about.  |
Hesperia Parque Central, Valencia, 23-25 June 2004
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Private Room, Budapest, 16-18 May 2004
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 I rent a guest room in a Budapest apartment over the internet. The room is very spacious, airy and is brightly decorated. There is a generous balcony through a tall French window. From here, one gets an unimpeded view of the Parliament Building by the Danube River. The landlady, who lives mostly alone in the apartment, cannot be sweeter. Only problem is, she speaks only Hungarian and German. Oma and I get along fine, albeit haltingly, with my smattering of Deutsch, furious hand gestures and lots of smiles. |
Marriott Hotel, Budapest, 13-16 May 2004
  Marriott Hotel, Budapest boasts stunning views of the Buda Hills and Castle District on the opposite bank of the Danube River. All enjoyed in the privacy of your own room.  |
Oberkampf Apartment, Paris, 13-30 Dec 2003
  We rent a small 45-square-metre studio apartment on the fourth floor of a building in rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud in the Oberkampf area, 11th Arrondissement, over the internet. The owner is a screenwriter, which accounts for the many piles of books stacked all over the studio. There is a plethora of shops in the neighbourhood, including a fantastic boulangerie round the corner, and a pleasant restaurant, Astier, a little further north. Twice a week, a traditional street market takes places just beside the apartment building.     |
Four Seasons Hotel, Washington DC, 4-8 May 2003
  Four Seasons Hotel is a short walk from Georgetown, a vibrant area with plentiful restaurants and shops. The room is large but perhaps a little staid. The gymnasium, though, is great. |
Royal Garden Hotel, London, 3-4 May 2003
  Royal Garden Hotel is situated in Kensington High Street, a fashionable district in west London. It overlooks Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. The location is tops.  |
Hotel Baccarat, Nice, 2-5 Mar 2003
   Hotel Baccarat is located near the train station Nice Gare SNCF, in a backpacker budget area. At 40 Euros a night for a small stuffy room, we can do a lot better. But. Peak Carnival season in Nice is never a good time to strike a good bargain. |
Monte Carlo Beach Hotel, Monaco, 28 Feb - 2 Mar 2003
   Monte Carlo Beach Hotel is a luxury hotel reportedly owned by the royal family. It is closed through the winter months. All rooms have great views of the Mediterranean coast and the principality of Monte Carlo to the west.  |
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