Gaia

Have you been to European Designer Hotels? Which is your favourite and what do you think of them. Most of you seem to prefer old "Chateau Hotels"? Why????

ignorant

I tried googling on 'European Designer Hotels'.. no luck. What, and who are they?

darlene

I'd be interested to find out as well. The only source I have found is the "Hip Hotels" book. It is readily available here in the UK, probably in the US as well. THey have other titles as well "Hip Hotels Italy, etc...

Elitist

European Designer Hotels are also called boutique hotels. Search for 'European boutique hotels'and you'll see lists of these. Interior design and architecture sometimes by famous, expensive sheets and towels, usually small number of rooms, rarely dusty or dirty, always with conveniences, usually more service orientated and sometimes overpriced for what you get at a hotel without such a label.

Gaia

Sorry Mr. Elitist@snob what I meant were modern stylish hotels,which we call Designer Hotels. I do not think that they have a Homepage. They are a class of their own....

ElitistStill

Thank you for addressing me as Mr. Elitist, I appreciate it.<BR><BR>We are discussing the same types of hotels--small, stylish, often contemporary and all the things described in my previous message. I know these hotels because I have patronized several in the past. <BR><BR>Please do as I proposed: use your favorite search engine and search for 'European boutique hotels' and you will find many independent hotels there. Some are booked independently; others by booking agencies. As I originally wrote, they are costly when compared to their older, less stylish conterparts. What city are you considering?

Julie

While we tend to like small, traditional hotels with ol-world charm, we're staying at the St. James just outside Bordeaux when we go there this September and I'm very excited about it. I found it in some travel mag where it was described as a "faux-indsutrial palace of minimalist design, the hippest hotel in France." They have a couple of rooms that have Harley's as decor. Can't wait to try this place. <BR><BR>To answer your question, there's something very European about the lovely old chateau hotels--light years away from what most hotels in the States provide (except, for those in San Francisco, which is the most European of US cities.) it's hard to feel like a princess in a Holiday Inn or even a Hilton or Hyatt, but easy in a place that once housed a princess.