Byrd

In October 1998, a group of eight of us (four couples) had a wonderful trip to France. We stayed in several great places, but none of us will forget the Auberge de Noves (Relais & Chateaux) outside Avignon. We had the third floor of the chateau, which included four bedrooms and a large area with comfy chairs, tables, etc., where we gathered. The rooms were very nice, each with a balcony, not serious luxury, but charming. The bathrooms had big bottles of lavender bath salts and bubble bath and fluffy white robes. Each morning, we had coffee and croissants brought up to our "commons" area where we gathered to plan our day. There are certainly fancier, more luxurious hotels, but I can't imagine a better place for a group of friends traveling together. <BR>

Audrey

For standard hotel rooms (ie. not suites or club rooms)- the Park Hyatt in Tokyo is without a doubt the best. It's done in minimalist style, luxurious, huge bathrooms with a TV over the bath and great service. I think these may be the biggest rooms in Tokyo. (depending on the rate you get ~$350-$450). The basic suites at the Raffles Hotel (all-suite hotel) in Singapore are very nice too- full of character with traditional decor. Outside Asia, I just haven't seen rooms that match up to these... but the best B&B room I've seen is at the Rowanfield Country House in the English Lake District- the room with a private terrace is very charming and the house has a great view.

diane

Two come to mind - and not fancy or plush, very nice and representative of the country each are in. <BR> <BR>The Glen Moriston Arms in Invermoriston Scotland. An old coaching Inn. The rooms are quite large and nicely decorated. Owners are wonderful and food is great. The rooms are about 35 - 50 pounds per person - depends on the room and time of year. Very relaxing and comfortable. <BR> <BR>Chateau d'Arnac in the Dordogne area in France. Not palacial, but a fortified chateau - English owners but still great French cooking. Small working farm supplies food for the meals. Huge rooms with fireplaces. As I recall 440 ff for the room. I will plan a trip to return here.

Rick

The Berkshire in London's West End. <BR> <BR>The room was small and wedge-shaped, but the bathroom had lots of brass. The small bed had crisp linens. <BR> <BR>There was a little writing desk where I worked on my laptop. <BR> <BR>I felt like Rudyard Kipling.

maggi

Our accomodations have ranged from the "Bates" motel in overbooked Quebec to a $550 presidential suite in the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan (a very generous thank you gift from our son and his wife after their wedding.) The best value and most exotic and charming accomodations we have ever had were in Costa Rica. Three places will be ever ingrained in my memory. The first is Vista del Valle, 20 minutes out of San Jose. The house itself has lovely rooms with fabulous decor, outdoor dining, grounds overlooking a huge nature preserve, a gorgeous pool, serene privacy and staff who will do anything for you and will stay in your heart the rest of your life. There are also Japanese-style cottages on the grounds (where we stayed) for about $130 a night. These are the best! I am homesick for them as I write this. For the adventurous, there is even a climb down to see the waterfall on the property. It is a coffee and citrus plantation and they pick avocados off the trees right outside the house. <BR> <BR>The second was Villa Caletas near Jaco. The property is located on the top of a cliff and the furnishings were the most beautiful and elaborate I have ever seen. The pool is set in the hill in such a way that the edge of the water blends into the sky and the ocean framed in clouds of pink and orange bouganvilla. Tiny Bose speakers are hidden everywhere, inside and out, with heavenly soft music wafting through the air. Watching the sunset from the pool remains one of the highlights of my life. <BR> <BR>Last, but not least was the view from our window at Si Como No, Manuel Antonio. Our cottage was the very front one and although our room was tiny, basically accomodating the bed, a dresser and the bathroom, the whole front wall was a window, framing the Pacific ocean, a huge rock jutting out of the water, surrounded by jungle vines, trees and flowers and the sounds of monkeys and all manner of wildlife. The monkeys put on a show regularly at 5:00 every day, moving from one vantage point to another. We watched them sitting on our barstools in the pool, enjoying their fabulous menu. <BR> <BR>I believe the websites to all these are easily found on the internet (my favorite search engine is Google.com). I love this thread and will be eagerly reading everyone else's experiences!

lisa

#1 Ladera, on the island of St. Lucia -- the rooms, perched high up on a hillside, lack a 4th wall meaning there's nothing between you and an incredible view of the Caribbean, the Piton mountains, and the jungle -- and there are private plunge pools in the rooms ($190/night including breakfast, but that was two years ago -- www.ladera-resort.com or check out 360-degree images at www.travelhop.com) <BR> <BR>#2 Lapa Rios, on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica -- luxury open-air thatched-roof bungalows overlooking the Pacific, where you are awakened by the sounds of howler monkeys and scarlet macaws outside your room ($380/night including all meals last year -- www.laparios.com) <BR> <BR>#3 Villa Caletas in Costa Rica (ditto to Maggi's posting above) -- gorgeous views overlooking the Pacific, toucans in the trees off your balcony, great food, incredible service, lovely decor, the most beautiful pool I've ever seen, and a secluded private beach ($85/night last year -- http://www.distinctivehotels.com/hot...etas/index.htm). <BR> <BR>#4 Vista del Valle in Costa Rica -- again, ditto to Maggi's comments ($120/night last year including breakfast; www.vistadelvalle.com) <BR> <BR>#5 Ventana in Big Sur ($275/night last year, including breakfast and afternoon wine & cheese -- www.ventanainn.com) <BR> <BR>#6 Post Hotel, Lake Louise, Canada <BR> <BR>