For Fun: What is your favorite hotel?

[arivecchi]

What is your favorite hotel (anywhere in the world)? I have two as I cannot decide which one I like more: Cap Juluca in Anguilla and the Fairmont in Whistler. Just thinking about it makes me want to go on a vacay. :tongue5:

http://www.capjuluca.com/

http://www.fairmont.com/whistler

[kozachka]

There are so many... One that comes to mind first is Hotel Royal Riviera (http://www.lhw.com/searchresults.aspx?countryid=31&cityid=214)in St.-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France. It is part of The Leading Hotels of the World chain. We've only stayed there for one night, but both DH and I still reminiscent about it even many years later. There was another hotel in France, near Champaigne region, where we stayed that was like a small palace in the countryside but I can't remember it's name.

[MontrealMum]

#1 favorite is the Chateau Frontenac http://www.fairmont.com/frontenac in Quebec City :) Lovely rooms, GREAT view, and amazing location.
#2: The Grand Hotel, Mackinac
#3: My aunt and uncle's B&B on Lake Michigan

I've stayed in some pretty wonderful places in Europe too, but that was so long ago I have no idea of the names now.

[jenandahalf]

Probably the one where we got married, The Chester Grosvenor Hotel www.chestergrosvenor.co.uk. We had planned to stay there for our fifth anniversary but ended up moving to Chicago 4 months before. We're hoping to make it for 10 instead!

[jgenie]

My favorite is Pousade de Obidos (http://www.pousadas.pt/historicalhotels/EN/pousadas/Portugal/LisboaValedoTejo/Castelo/home/PousadaCastelodeObidos_Home.htm) in Portugal. Can't wait until DS is old enough to appreciate it and we can take him.

[mommylamb]

The really nice hotels I've stayed in are all places I've gone to for work, sadly. DH and I usually rent a condo when we go on vacation.

Some of the nicer work hotels that stand out are the Ritz Carlton Lodge on the Reynolds Plantation on Lake Oconee Georgia, the Grand America in Salt Lake, and I was recently at Calloway Gardens in Georgia near Warm Springs. I've been to the Greenbrier for work too, and I must say, as fancy as that place is, I totally hate it.

[jenmcadams]

Most of my Intl travel has been low-rent (but fun), but my DH and I have both had some amazing experiences at the Ritz Carlton hotels. Pre-kids we stayed in the one in Chicago several times and with kids we did the on in Naples, FL. I also had a great stay 12-14 years ago at the Hotel Nikko in Chicago (it's since changed names, etc.) ... I was organizing a large conference for my firm and got to stay in a large (3 bedroom, 2 sitting rooms) penthouse suite with a friend...tons of fun :)

[pinkmomagain]

Four Seasons on Maui was pretty nice (honeymoon).

[SnuggleBuggles]

#1 favorite is the Chateau Frontenac http://www.fairmont.com/frontenac in Quebec City :) Lovely rooms, GREAT view, and amazing location.
#2: The Grand Hotel, Mackinac
#3: My aunt and uncle's B&B on Lake Michigan

I've stayed in some pretty wonderful places in Europe too, but that was so long ago I have no idea of the names now.


Ooh, the Chateau Frontenac was in one of the books I had in high school French. I always wanted to go there!!

Beth

[AnnieW625]

We aren't big travelers so I'd have to say the Fairmont Kea Lani in Maui, HI. We honeymooned here and had a great time. We are hoping to go back for our 10th anniversary with the kids in 3 yrs (DD will be 7, and the baby will be 3) if we decide not to do a Disney Cruise.

Fairmont Kea Lani, http://www.fairmont.com/kealani

The Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, CA. I have never actually stayed over night here but it's been a part of my life since I was a small child. We used to go to Sunday brunch here as a child, my cousin got married here, and we celebrated my Grandma's 80th birthday here.
http://www.claremontresort.com/

[elektra]

Most of my nice hotels have been for work too. So they are often nice but not quite top of the line, and are almost billed as "business hotels".
Many are not memorable at all!

But these few stand out:
Sofitel in NYC
The Roosevelt in Hollywood
W in San Francisco

[kristenk]

Okay, I clearly haven't been to enough fancy hotels!

I traveled a lot for work and stayed in some nice hotels, but nothing that could compete with what the PPs have posted.

I think my highlights were The Fairmont in San Francisco for work and the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite with DH. Those stays were many years ago, now!

[arivecchi]

#1 favorite is the Chateau Frontenac http://www.fairmont.com/frontenac in Quebec City :) Lovely rooms, GREAT view, and amazing location.
#2: The Grand Hotel, Mackinac
#3: My aunt and uncle's B&B on Lake Michigan

I've stayed in some pretty wonderful places in Europe too, but that was so long ago I have no idea of the names now. Wow. The Frontenac looks AMAZING. I love the Iroquois Hotel in Mackinac. Gorgeous small hotel.

http://www.iroquoishotel.com/

[arivecchi]

Fairmont Kea Lani, http://www.fairmont.com/kealani
Lucky you!

[arivecchi]

My favorite is Pousade de Obidos (http://www.pousadas.pt/historicalhotels/EN/pousadas/Portugal/LisboaValedoTejo/Castelo/home/PousadaCastelodeObidos_Home.htm) in Portugal. Can't wait until DS is old enough to appreciate it and we can take him. I'm speechless. WOW.

[MontrealMum]

This is a great thread Ariveraz! Thanks for starting it...I'm taking notes for when we start "vacationing" again!

[viba424]

Sofitel all the way

[boolady]

In terms of inside the U.S., we really enjoyed our one-night stay at the Library in NYC this past summer, but I think my favorite was the Hotel Altstadt in Salzburg, Austria. DH (before he was DH:)) took me to the Plaza in NYC for Valentine's Day several years ago...2002, I think? This was before it was sold to the current owner, who has since made it a condo/hotel combo. It was a bit frou frou for my taste, but was such a nice surprise and treat from DH.

ETA: Just noticed that elektra referenced the Sofitel in NYC...we enjoyed that one, too.

[arivecchi]

This is a great thread Ariveraz! Thanks for starting it...I'm taking notes for when we start "vacationing" again! No prob. I hope to be able to go on a vacay again sometime in the next decade. ;)

[o_mom]

Hotel Hermitage in Monaco
Plaza in NYC
Ritz Carlton in San Francisco
Don Cesar in St. Pete

ETA: None of these were on my dime!

[pb&j]

The Michelangelo in Manhattan - very nice hotel, great location, good memories!
The Inn at Little Washington - have eaten there, but haven't stayed there - would love to!
The Penrose Inn in Sedona, AZ - have stayed there several times. Not super fancy, but again, just a lot of good memories, and the MOST amazing views in Sedona.

Please note that my list does not include a single hotel I stayed at during my years as an airline pilot. LOL!

[Fairy]

The Mirage in Vegas. We were stuck there on 9/11, and they were unbelievable. Gauged no one, made room for everyone, including folks like us who were slated to check out or had already checked out and now had nowhere to go, made us feel safe, were kind, and were just stellar. We don't stay there every time, but in one way or another we always compare every stay to that hotel whether it was truly better or not.

[o_mom]

Probably the one where we got married, The Chester Grosvenor Hotel www.chestergrosvenor.co.uk (http://www.chestergrosvenor.co.uk). We had planned to stay there for our fifth anniversary but ended up moving to Chicago 4 months before. We're hoping to make it for 10 instead!

Chester is such an amazing town! I loved just walking around the wall. We didn't stay at the Grosvenor, though, because DH was on business.

[lilycat88]

#1 favorite is the Chateau Frontenac http://www.fairmont.com/frontenac in Quebec City :) Lovely rooms, GREAT view, and amazing location.
#2: The Grand Hotel, Mackinac
#3: My aunt and uncle's B&B on Lake Michigan

I've stayed in some pretty wonderful places in Europe too, but that was so long ago I have no idea of the names now.

We honeymooned at the Frontenac. Amazing.

[Fairy]

Has anyone mentioned the Bullock Hotel in Deadwood yet? Loved! http://www.historicbullock.com/

Or the Holiday Inn Chatanooga Choo Choo? Not 5 stars but very novelty and fun. http://www.choochoo.com/

[smilequeen]

These places from our honeymoon will always be two of my favorites...

http://www.hayman.com.au/

http://www.silkyoakslodge.com.au/

I also have a soft spot for the Waldorf in NYC (since they gave us a free upgrade to a huge suite when we were there) and the Peninsula in Chicago (also great experience, we were there with our oldest when he was 4 months old and he was cranky at dinner and we left early...they sent us a huge tray of deserts to our room).

I am putting the Frontenac on my list...DH and I really want to take a side trip to Quebec City when we are visiting his family. But only if it's summer...

[MontrealMum]

I am putting the Frontenac on my list...DH and I really want to take a side trip to Quebec City when we are visiting his family. But only if it's summer...

I know the Chateau Frontenac looks horribly expensive, but it's really not all that bad, and they do run some great deals from time to time. But unless you're used to serious winter it may be better to go in the non-snowy seasons. In the Upper Town they run ropes and have railings on buildings down the sides of hilly streets (they're all hilly, it's built on the edge of an escarpment) to help pedestrians get up and down streets in the winter. It's even worse than here, and that's saying something.

[clc053103]

The Mirage in Vegas. We were stuck there on 9/11, and they were unbelievable. Gauged no one, made room for everyone, including folks like us who were slated to check out or had already checked out and now had nowhere to go, made us feel safe, were kind, and were just stellar. We don't stay there every time, but in one way or another we always compare every stay to that hotel whether it was truly better or not.

We were in Disney on 9/11! I can't tell you how wonderful they were- we ended up staying 4 extra days, free of charge. They told us all could stay until we were able to fly out. When the parks were shut down, they pulled out all the stops to keep us entertained in the resort areas. That's probably why it's one of my favorite places on earth (and yes, I am aware that makes me a dork!!!)

[jayali]

The Beau Rivage Palace in Lausanne Switzerland. Hands down the best experience in any hotel I have ever had.

The Dorchester in London was also very special, but it has been years (about 10) since we were there last.

And Elbow Beach in Bermuda was pretty darn special as well.

[elektra]

We were in Disney on 9/11! I can't tell you how wonderful they were- we ended up staying 4 extra days, free of charge. They told us all could stay until we were able to fly out. When the parks were shut down, they pulled out all the stops to keep us entertained in the resort areas. That's probably why it's one of my favorite places on earth (and yes, I am aware that makes me a dork!!!)

Well I have always wanted to stay at the Grand Californian at DL! It's something I'm going to have to do before I die, even though I live about 10 minutes from DL.

[pinkmomagain]

Oh lord, how can I forget! Carneros Inn in Napa, CA. Heaven on earth.
http://www.thecarnerosinn.com/thecarnerosinn/

[boltfam]

Wow! Some of the others put mine to shame, but my fav was The Westin on St. John in the Virgin Islands.

[mommylamb]

Oh, I forgot another amazing place (sadly, also a work trip)-- The Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels, Maryland. http://www.perrycabin.com/web/omic/inn_at_perry_cabin.jsp

This summer my organization's annual meeting will be at the Ross Bridge Resort in Alabama, which is supposed to be wonderful too... I swear, these hotels have totally spoiled me because I refuse to pay that kind of money when I travel on my own, and then I just b*tch about it.

[shawnandangel]

My favorite hotel is The Glasshouse in Sligo Ireland. It was amazing.
http://www.theglasshouse.ie/

[ChunkyNicksChunkyMom]

The Plaza, from my more frivoulous days, or the place we stayed with the glass bottom in Bora Bora.

[ChunkyNicksChunkyMom]

The Plaza, from my more frivoulous days, or the place we stayed with the glass bottom in Bora Bora.
Also, Regent in Hong Kong. From my more recent days Honeymoon suite at the world's largest Travelodge :)

[maylips]

Sadly, I thought this thread meant "favorite hotel that you stay at regularly" and was going to mention Hampton Inn. :bag

Many of these are now on my bucket list. Thanks, ladies!

[lmh2402]

for exotic and "will likely never see again in my life" from our honeymoon to the maldives

http://www.sixsenses.com/soneva-gili/
&
http://huvafenfushi.peraquum.com/


for a more local (for us) and realistic favorite in Newport, RI

http://www.castlehillinn.com/

[hillview]

Monte Carlo Bay Hotel
http://it.montecarlobay.com/

Il Falconiere
http://www.ilfalconiere.it/en/en.html

/hillary

[Melbel]

What a great thread! My all time favorite is where we honeymooned in Barbados, Sandy Lane (also where Tiger Woods held wedding festivities :bag).

http://www.sandylane.com/

Other favorites include:
The Breakers in Palm Beach: http://www.thebreakers.com/?ad=google&keyword=breakers_palm_beach&camp=Branded_Terms&gclid=CMie4-3Xjp8CFQJinAodn0dGJA
Ritz Carlton in San Fran

[jent]

Do inns count? It's a toss-up between the Wildflower Inn (http://www.jacksonholewildflower.com/) in Jackson Hole where we spent our honeymoon and the Friday Harbor House (http://www.fridayharborhouse.com/) where we spent our "babymoon."

[egoldber]

http://www.la-reinejeanne.com/hostellerie-reine-jeanne-anglais.htm

In Les Baux, France. The views were amazing. You had to drive in before dark, before they closed the city. :ROTFLMAO: It was one way in and one way out and you better be driving a compact, because the streets were that narrow!

We didn't stay here, but had the most amazing meal ever:
http://www.hostellerie-des-clos.fr/

[ilfaith]

The Mirage in Vegas. We were stuck there on 9/11, and they were unbelievable. Gauged no one, made room for everyone, including folks like us who were slated to check out or had already checked out and now had nowhere to go, made us feel safe, were kind, and were just stellar. We don't stay there every time, but in one way or another we always compare every stay to that hotel whether it was truly better or not.


We were in Disney on 9/11! I can't tell you how wonderful they were- we ended up staying 4 extra days, free of charge. They told us all could stay until we were able to fly out. When the parks were shut down, they pulled out all the stops to keep us entertained in the resort areas. That's probably why it's one of my favorite places on earth (and yes, I am aware that makes me a dork!!!)

My parent were stranded in Hawaii 9/11...at the Volcano Inn on the Big Island. They gt to know that volcano very well over the five extra days they were on the island before they were able to return home. I think most hotels had no choice to be anything but accommodating to guests who couldn't leave...after all it wasn't like incoming guests were arriving in the days after 9/11. We stayed at The Phoenician in Scottsdale about a week after 9/11 (a trip booked far in advance) and the hotel was empty (a big corporate event pulled out). We were upgraded to an enormous suite (about three times the size of our Manhattan apartment) and were given discounted golf and spa treatments.
http://www.thephoenician.com/

My favorite hotels are the St. Regis, NYC
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/stregis/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=81

And Princeville, Kauai
http://www.stregisprinceville.com/

Also loved the St. Regis in Aspen and Monarch Beach, CA.

We are Starwood Points people.

[dcmom2b3]

Yikes, all of my great hotel stays were for business too. But I love them for the happy memories (yes, even on business travel happy memories are possible. But maybe I need to get a life . . .)

1. The Grand Bay in Coconut Grove (they upgraded me to a ginormous 2 story suite when they found out I was a baby lawyer taking her first deposition).

2. The Sanderson made me feel soooo glamorous, and had an incredible spa.

3. The W Tuscany in midtown Manhattan. I was there on an extended crazy work-around-the-clock project when the East Coast had that blackout in 2002? 03? The staff was just wonderful and rolled with the punches, always gracious. Cooked meals for all comers on grills in the tiny courtyard. They made what could have been a miserable experience (Manhattan w/ no electricity and a brief due in 24 hours?!?!?) a source of great memories.

[hillview]

for exotic and "will likely never see again in my life" from our honeymoon to the maldives

http://www.sixsenses.com/soneva-gili/
&
http://huvafenfushi.peraquum.com/

Um WOW. Can I go? Thanks for posting!
/hillary

[codex57]

We don't do fancy hotels (we're too cheap lol), so we haven't really stayed in many fancy hotels.

My personal favorite is the http://www.princess-kaiulani.com/ Only a 3 star or so, but my favorite cuz we got an AWESOME upgrade for reasons we're not sure. I'm assuming the desk lady thought we were newlyweds? We weren't wearing rings and it's not like we were all over each other or anything so I'm really not sure why.

I dunno, I think location really affects how I think a luxury hotel affects me. I've stayed at the Westin St. Francis and one of the Hyatt's in a suite in San Fran, but b/c DW is from SF, the hotels weren't memorable to me. I stayed at a supposed 5 star hotel in London, but since it was London, the room was tiny and all the marble and shininess in the lobby can't make up for that (same problem with the St. Francis).

[gatorsmom]

Hmm, there are three that come to mind.

1) We eloped to Tuscany and stayed in the Castello di Spaltenna the night before we got married and a few nights after that. It's a former monestary and the photos we took there are wonderful. The staff was great too. http://www.spaltenna.it/

2) I also have wonderful memories of the JW Marriott Cancun but maybe because it was trip won in a sales competition at DH's previous company. They paid for everything- including several hundred dollars of spa treatments for me and DH. fun fun!

3) We stayed in a troglodyte house in the Loire valley in France. It was owned and rented out by a French couple. It was absolutely charming and historically interesting. The kitchen and bathroom were completely modern (thank goodness). I can't find a picture of the exact house, but this is a little info on troglodyte houses. http://www.troglodyte.info/troglodyte_photos.html The house we stayed in was very light on the inside, although the pictures here make the houses look dark as caves on the inside.

[MontrealMum]

http://www.la-reinejeanne.com/hostellerie-reine-jeanne-anglais.htm

In Les Baux, France. The views were amazing. You had to drive in before dark, before they closed the city. :ROTFLMAO: It was one way in and one way out and you better be driving a compact, because the streets were that narrow!


You guys are so lucky to have stayed there overnight - what an experience. I visited Les Baux during my semester abroad in France - absolutely gorgeous and amazing, with such a sad history! I didn't get to stay over though - back on the train for us students before the city closed for the evening.

[goldenpig]

Great thread! I'll have to keep these in mind.

We took a couple of amazing trips to Europe (France & Spain) pre-baby. We went to Paris/Provence & Barcelona/Catalonia, staying at different hotels for a couple nights each. My husband has a knack for picking hotels with a lot of character. Some of our favorites were:

Crillon Le Brave in Provence--beautiful countryside, great food & stinky cheese, charming hotel
http://www.crillonlebrave.com/main/en/

Best Western in Carcassonne--fun to stay inside the walled city at night after all the tourists are gone. Cassoulet in the city where it was invented...yum.
http://www.bestwestern-donjon.com/

Hotel d'Aubusson, Paris-4 star luxe
http://www.hoteldaubusson.com/

Castell d'Emporda--a castle hotel in the countryside of Catalonia. We stayed in a room in the castle tower. I felt like "Princess and the Pea" or Rapunzel. Amazing 7 course meal in their restaurant.
http://www.castelldemporda.com/eng/index.aspx

Hotel Montecarlo, Barcelona--right on Las Ramblas
http://www.montecarlobcn.com/

Then there was the diving trip to Galapagos, our big swan song pre-baby trip. We stayed in a charming hotel in Quito before boarding the boat:
Cafe Cultura
http://www.cafecultura.com/

Favorite romantic weekend getaway B&B's:
Brewery Gulch Inn, Mendocino
http://brewerygulchinn.com/

Black Bear Inn, Lake Tahoe
http://www.tahoeblackbear.com/

It'll be a loooong time before we can do trips like those again. :crying:
The thought of flying to Europe with toddlers/babies in tow makes me cringe. And no kids allowed at B&B's. Sigh.

Post-kid, favorite hotels:
Outrigger Keauhou, Big Island--breakfast included from $130/nt, right on the water and next to a great snorkeling beach
http://www.keauhoubeachresort-hawaii.com/

Outrigger Waipouli, Kauai--central location and nice 2BR condo, great to share with another family
http://www.outriggerwaipoulibeachcondo.com/

Tenaya Lodge, Yosemite--fun snow play, indoor pool, sleigh rides
www.tenayalodge.com

[kijip]

Maybe it was because it's where we had our first couple only vacation after kid (in a city we loved to visit before we had kids), but I really loved the Clift in San Francisco.

http://www.clifthotel.com/#/home/

In my city, I really like Hotel Deca (for anyone wanting to visit Seattle and not stay downtown):

http://www.hoteldeca.com/

[kwc]

Without a doubt, the Monasterio in Cusco, Peru.
It's a 500 year old former monastery now run by the Orient Express folks. Gorgeous, gracious service without feeling stuffy, peaceful.
http://www.monasterio.orient-express.com/web/ocus/hotel_monasterio.jsp

We stayed in a regular room for a few days before we hiked the Inca Trail/ Macchu Picchu for 5 days... when we returned, they had upgraded us to a Presidential Suite with wine and treats waiting for us... felt amazing to be there when we were tired, grubby, and sunburned. And while we were gone, the concierge had noted that our train to Bolivia was not running and had booked us on a luxury bus instead.

Would love to go back, even without the hiking!

[shilo]

we are decidedly NOT hotel people... but had the opportunity to stay at the montage in laguna for a long weekend dear friends wedding last year - courtesy of the bride's family. wow. http://www.montagelagunabeach.com/

one of my favorite places in the whole world tho and also a fantastically romantic B&B is the inn at depot hill in capitola-by-the-sea. we go back again and again.
http://www.innatdepothill.com/