Best Places to Stay

by Cassidy, Shelley-Maree

• ISBN13: 9781554072934
• ISBN10: 155407293X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-09-14
• Publisher: Firefly Books Ltd

Summary

The most desirable, original and memorable hotels in the world.More than a guidebook, Best Places to Stay is a photographic celebration of the world's most extraordinary "homes away from home." These remarkable destinations range from modern to traditional, from large to small, from simple to luxurious, from rural to urban -- all with diversity in style. Each resort has been specially selected for its distinctive or innovative features, and the book is fully illustrated with lavish commissioned photography.Here is a sampling of the 44 hotels featured: IceHotel, Jukkasajavi, Sweden Grand Hotel Europa, Prague, Czech Republic The Lake Palace Hotel, Udaipur, India The Motu, Bora Bora, French Polynesia VillIa d'Este Hotel, Lake Como, Italy Sandibe Safari Lodge, Okavanga Delta, Botswana Avalon, Los Angeles, California The Old Inn, Shanghai, China La Cavas Lodge, Mendoza, Australia Perivolas Traditional Houses, Oia-Santorini, Greece.There is a special hotel, somewhere in the world, for just about any taste. Generous text describes each hotel's history, amenities, prominent natural features and local attractions. Complete contact details are provided. Every selected hotel is a destination in itself with much to see and do -- or just perfect for relaxing in new and unusual surroundings.

Author Biography

Grant Sheehan is a photographer and publisher based in New Zealand.

Shelley-Maree Cassidy is the author of The Hotel Book: Great Escapes Europe and Africa. She lives in New Zealand.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Cavas Wine Lodge: Mendoza, Argentina

Faena Hotel + Universe: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Bab al Shams Desert Resort and Spa: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Burj al Arab: Dubai, Untied Arab Emirates

The Adelphi Hotel: Melbourne, Australia

Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa: Daintree, Australia

Voyages Longitude 131°: Ayers Rock, Australia

The Rogner-Bad Blumau Hotel: Blumau, Austria

Sandibe Safari Lodge: Okavango Delta, Botswana

Amansara: Siem Reap, Cambodia

The Peninsula Hong Kong: Kowloon, Hong Kong, China

Grand Hotel Europa: Prague, Czech Republic

L'Hotel: Paris, France

Château de Bagnols: Bagnols, France

Hôtel Cuq en Terrasses: Cuq-Toulza, France

The Sofitel Coralia Motu: Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Hotel im Wasserturm: Cologne, Germany

The Halkin Hotel: London, Great Britain

Hotel Tresanton: St. Mawes, Great Britain

Mandeville Hotel: London, Great Britain

Perivolas Traditional Houses: Oia-Santorini, Greece

The Lake Palace Hotel: Udaipur, India

The Clarence Hotel: Dublin, Ireland

La Minervetta Maison: Sorrento, Italy

Hotel Danieli: Venice, Italy

Villa d'Este: Lake Como, Italy

The Tawaraya Inn: Kyoto, Japan

The Condesa DF Hotel: Mexico City, Mexico

The Ambassade Hotel: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Eichardt's: Queenstown, New Zealand

Greenhill -- The Lodge: Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

Hotel d'Urville: Blenheim, New Zealand

Le Royal Meridien National: Moscow, Russian Federation

Raffles Hotel: Singapore, Singapore

Hotel Claris: Barcelona, Spain

Gran Hotel Domine: Bilbao, Spain

ICEHOTEL: Jukkasjãrvi, Sweden

Esbelli Evi House: Urgup, Turkey

The Virtual Hotels: Las Vegas, United States

Avalon Hotel: Los Angeles, United States

The Cardozo Hotel: Miami, United States

The Mercer Hotel: New York City, United States

Orbit In: Palm Springs, United States

The Triton: San Francisco, United States

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

IntroductionThere are so many places to go and so many hotels to choose from that deciding where to stay is not easy.The hotels in this book are chosen for their style and interest and for where they are, not how much they cost for a night. It is an eclectic mix, each quite different from the other, in a variety of destinations, spanning city life to wildlife and landscapes in between. The photographs illustrate the hotel and its setting; to know what it looks like is the next best thing to going there.While a holiday away from the habitual is revitalizing, we are affected in some way by everywhere we travel, to a lesser and greater degree. Many places have the power to change our views, challenge our beliefs and add an edge of the unexpected. It might be a "soft adventure" compared to scaling Mount Everest or kayaking in Antarctica, but it can be thought-provoking, stimulating and even life-changing all the same.Travel hopefully, arrive with a positive attitude and appreciate the differences; and most of all just enjoy being somewhere else. This book is essentially about homes away from home for the traveler, about places to stay -- the accommodation and the destinations. Hotels have always played a major part in travel, whether the purpose is business or pleasure. Often scenes of great events, mystery, intrigue and romance are contained within their walls, as may be history, both individual and international. The hotels featured here all distinguish themselves as fascinating places to stay, although each is as disparate and distinct as its guests.In the era of the 747 no journey is so long that it is still much of an adventure reaching your destination. Negotiating airports and fellow passengers are often the most arduous elements. A click of the mouse now brings instant virtual access to the world and its cultures; actually being there seems to matter less and less. So, does travel still serve to broaden the mind? The desire to see for oneself is unchecked More and more people are traveling, and tourism is the leading global industry.Even in this age of instant information transfer, traveling involves mundane processes -- booking tickets, packing and labeling luggage, and obtaining travel documents. The journey itself may be a smooth, uncomplicated passage or one with frustrating delays, bad service, lost luggage and expensive transfers. It is with a sense of relief that the traveler arrives at their destination. You reach your hotel, and whether modest or grand, old or new, it will serve as your temporary home away from home.