I found the following inexpensive but comfortable lodgings during a February-March ’07 visit to South America (see April’08, pg. 49). Each had private bath, cable TV and, where needed, A/C. The price given for each is the approximate dollar amount for my single room.
• Hotel Rosario del Lago (Padres at Costañera, Copacabana, BOLIVIA; phone 591 2 862 2141, fax 862 2140, www.hotelrosario.com/lago).
The piéce de résistance of our October ’07 trip to INDIA was a stay at Jim’s Jungle Retreat (Village & PO Dhela, Ramnagar - 244715, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India; phone +91 5947 238038 or 238039, fax 5947 251636, www.jimsjungleretreat.com).
Opened in 2006 at the southern edge of Corbett National Park & Tiger Reserve, it’s situated far enough from the public road that you don’t hear foot traffic, horns or any sounds of civilization, only bird calls, elephants trumpeting and (if you are lucky) the roar of a tiger.
In Malta, the Marina Hotel (Tigne Sea Front, Sliema SLM15, Malta; phone 00 356 2133 6461, fax 2133 0650, www.themarinahotelsliema.com) is a family-run hotel that offers sea-view rooms, which, while not luxurious, have all you need plus wonderful views of Valletta across the bay. Ask for an upper floor to avoid street noise. We enjoyed room 305 on our 6-night visit in May ’07.
Here are recommendations from a November ’07 trip to the Campania area of ITALY.
We’ve been to Venice six times, and the perfect hotel if you’re arriving by car or departing on a cruise is Hotel Cá Doge (Piazzale Roma, Sest. Santa Croce 467/e, 30135 Venice, ITALY; phone +39 041 5286 975, fax 041 2410 865, www.cadoge.it).
For those who were saddened by the closure of St. Margaret’s Hotel in Bloomsbury, London, in the spring of 2007, be of good cheer. The Marazzi family, who owned St. Margaret’s for almost 60 years (for those who haven’t heard, the property was sold and is being converted to an “upscale boutique hotel”), owns another London property.
For readers seeking inexpensive but comfortable lodgings in South America, here are some from a stay in February-March ’07. Each had a private bath, cable TV and, where needed, A/C, and all were listed in the Lonely Planet guide as “mid-range accommodations.” The price given for each is the approximate dollar amount for my single room.
• I cannot recommend Hotel Renovación (Av. Este 2 #2, Urb. Los Caobos, Caracas, VENEZUELA; phone +58 [212] 5710133 or fax 5778910).
My wife and I always try to rent an apartment for a stay longer than a few days in major cities. We were not doing well for our recent trip to Athens, GREECE, June 8-14, 2007, until we found a one-bedroom flat on the Internet.
Kodrou Plaka (Kodrou St. 5, Plaka, Athens; phone owner Stefan Järhad at 011 32 479 414 910 or visit www.yourstayandtravel.com) is in an excellent location. It was an easy walk (with our roller suitcases) from the Syntagmatos Square metro station — no small matter for us, what with the poor reputation of Athens’ taxi drivers!
My old haunt in Paris is Hôtel Esméralda (4 rue St. Julien-le-Pauvre 5e, Paris, 75005, France; phone 33-1-43-54-19-20). Its location on the Left Bank just across from Notre Dame is ideal, but the hotel has gone downhill over the years.
On my visit in June ’07, Room 12 had torn wallpaper and the toilet seat was not working well. Worst, the room smelled of mold, to which I am extremely allergic. However much I regret it, I can’t stay there the next time I am in Paris.
ADDRESS CHANGE — Since my article on AUSTRALIA’S Snowy Mountains was printed (Feb. ’07, pg. 24), the contact information has changed for the wonderful B&B where I stayed. Here is the new mailing address for Nariel Haven (2037B Murray Valley Highway, Colac Colac, Victoria 3707, Australia; phone/fax [02] 607622 51, e-mail narielhaven@activ8.net.au or visit www.narielhaven.com.au).