Accommodations Worldwide

I read in the October ’03 issue, page 65, about Los Alpes Hotel (233 Tamayoy George Washington, Quito, ECUADOR; phone [593-2] 2 561-110, e-mail losalpes@ecuadorexplorer.com or visit www.hotellosalpes.com). The reader said it was his favorite place in Quito — and now it’s my favorite, too.

I booked a reservation starting Dec. 15, ’03, and a taxi was waiting for me at the airport in Quito ($7 to the hotel; Ecuador uses only American currency). I was royally greeted and accommodated.

After almost 40 years of travel in Southeast Asia, I’ve found a new candidate for the region’s most beautiful hotel-room view. Yuzana Hotel (130 Shwe Gon Dine Rood, Bahan Township, Yangon, BURMA) has some rooms looking directly upon the huge, golden Shwedagon Pagoda, the spiritual center of Burmese Buddhism. This close-up view is truly awesome both day and night.

The cost? In July ’03 it was only about $20 per night, single or double, and that included breakfast!

On a trip I led to Sikkim state, northeastern India, in fall ’03, I found that the Norkhill Hotel (phone 910 3592-25637) in Gangtok has upgraded its guest rooms and bathrooms. In addition, the front office manager, Gyan Thapa, is a very capable person. The rack rate for a room, including breakfast and dinner, is 4,300 rupees (near $95) plus 13.2% tax and service charge.

Just off the main lobby is an excellent dining room that serves Western and local cuisine. The restaurant staff was friendly and attentive.

We enjoyed staying and eating at the Bucharest Marriott Grand Hotel (Calea 13 Septembrie, 90, Sector 5, Bucharest 050713, ROMANIA; phone 800/228-9290 or [40] 21 4030000 or visit http://marriott.com/property/propertyPage/BUHRO) in October ’03.

Surprise is the heart of adventure travel, and adventure was the keynote of our apartment rental with Rome Sweet Home (phone/fax +39066992 4833, e-mail info@romesweethome.it or visit www.romesweethome.it) in September ’02.

Selected for its convenient location, average price and amenities suitable for two couples sharing expenses on a week-long visit to Rome, the apartment was reserved online five months in advance from the convenience of our home in California. We paid $1,670 for the week for four.

For my January ’04 trip to BELGIUM, I found two great hotels offering extra services, good prices, 4-star ratings and family-friendly atmosphere. Also, both were in their city centers.

Need a base for exploring the Borders, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling, SCOTLAND? Think about using Linlithgow. It is on the main train line between Edinburgh and Glasgow, with easy train access to Stirling as well. If you are driving, everything from the borders to Perth or the Fife Coast is an easy day trip. Even Aviemore can be done as a day trip.

We are a senior couple who love London. After reading how someone used one location as a hub for sightseeing rather than moving luggage from place to place, we decided to follow that strategy on a visit to London, Sept. 19-Oct. 7, ’03.

Back in 1996 on a freighter trip down the Pacific coast, the captain of the MV Widukind took five of us passengers ashore at Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica, to while the day away as the ship was being loaded and unloaded. We went to the resort Fiesta Hotel (Apostado Postal 171-5400, El Roble, Puntarenas, Costa Rica; phone 506 663-0808, fax 506 663-1516 or visit www.fiestaresort.com), which impressed us greatly with lots of activities going on for the hotel guests, both children and adults. We were impressed enough to consider returning.

In March ’03 we spent six nights at the Bedarra Inn (P.O. Box 1213 Sigatoka, FIJI; phone 679-6500476, fax 679-6520116 or e-mail bedarrahouse@connect.com.fj).