You’ve spent the day roaming the engaging streets of Salta, Argentina, or perhaps exploring the fascinating landscapes outside of town. You went out to dinner late, as is the local tradition, and hopefully had a glass or two of some fantastic Argentine Malbec. What you want most now is a comfortable, clean, convenient, and charming lodging to rest your weary but contented head. And that’s exactly what you’ll find when you check in to the Hotel del Antiguo Convento. Read more >
Category Archives: Accommodations
Old World Ambience at Helena’s Sanders Bed & Breakfast
When I parked my rental car in front of The Sanders Bed & Breakfast in Helena, Montana, I knew I wouldn’t be returning to it for a few days. I had arrived in a handsome, leafy, residential district in the state’s capital — an area that demands to be explored by foot, inviting you on long walks past impressive homes, historic sites, and some noteworthy restaurants. And when you’re ready to call it a day, The Sanders, more than 100 years old, welcomes you back with snacks, pleasant conversation, and marvelous accommodations from a bygone era. Read more >
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Christmas at Steigenberger Metropolitan Hotel in Frankfurt, Germany
I was spending the most wonderful time of the year in Germany, traveling by train to half a dozen cities in search of the best Christmas markets. Having chosen Frankfurt as my base for a week of day trips elsewhere, I needed a hotel close to the central train station to ensure that I’d arrive without a hassle early every morning to catch the impressively punctual trains to my destinations. Without much of a challenge, I found the Steigenberger Metropolitan Hotel. Although I booked my room here based solely on its location directly across the street from the station, the hotel’s other merits soon won me over, surpassing my expectations, right down to the little nightly treats on my pillow. Read more >
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A Night in a Barn in Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Occasionally in my youth, if I ever happened to leave a door open, my parents would ask me if I lived in a barn. I never understood that commonly employed expression: Do people in barns leave the doors open? Wouldn’t the horses and cows and pigs get out? Was it just something that city dwellers said to disparage rural folk? I never found out. But now that I have stayed overnight at Barn Anew, a terrifically unique bed and breakfast in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, I can say for the first time that, yes, I have lived in a barn. Read more >
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Staying in the Cradle of New Zealand Tourism at Robertson House
Every day in Rotorua, the birthplace of New Zealand tourism, I explored and was continually awed by the region’s gorgeous natural features — the Waimangu Volcanic Valley, the Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, the giant redwoods in Whakarewarewa Forest. I took in the Maori village of Whakarewarewa, fell in love with the wonderful buildings of the Rotorua Museum, and relaxed in the meticulously maintained Government Gardens. And every night I returned to the Robertson House, a comfortable bed and breakfast in a quiet neighborhood about a 10-minute walk from the city center. This lovely establishment had all the requisites of a desirable B&B: a charming property, a convenient location, an excellent host, and a very satisfying first meal of the day. As an added bonus, it had the laziest, most adorable dog imaginable. Read more >
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Rejuvenate Yourself at Casa Calma Wellness Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina
The outside of Casa Calma, in the heart of Argentina’s capital, left me wondering if the place was still open. Decrepit, fairly ugly, and covered in untamed vegetation, the hotel appeared to have been abandoned years ago. When I walked through the front door, however, things instantly changed and just got better and better over the next 48 hours. By the time I checked out two days later, I was most definitely calm and well. Read more >
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Do Everything — or Nothing — at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor, Florida
While visiting cousins on the Gulf Coast of Florida, I needed to stay somewhere equidistant to Palm Harbor and Dunedin. All I wanted was someplace convenient, not too expensive, and simple. During my search, I discovered Innisbrook Golf & Spa Resort, perfectly situated between my relatives’ homes and surprisingly affordable, but this resort, home to a prestigious PGA tournament, was anything but simple. Read more >
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Vicksburg’s Baer House Inn: Refinement and Comfort — and an Irresistible History
My interest in the past is always piqued whenever I travel in the Deep South, where everything seems to drip with history like Spanish moss off a Southern live oak tree. So when I chose to stay at the Baer House Inn in Vicksburg, Mississippi, I knew I would be lodged in refined and comfortable accommodations in the heart of a city brimming with all kinds of references to yore, from its rough-and-tumble era with rampant gambling and prostitution that would ultimately give birth to the term “kangaroo court” to its pivotal role in the Civil War. What I didn’t expect, however, was the utterly engrossing story of the Baer House itself and how one very spirited daughter of Jewish immigrants got her ultimate revenge on her wealthy, controlling mother. Read more >
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A Peaceful B&B Between the Lakes in Madison, Wisconsin
Consistently ranked as one of the most livable small cities in the United States, Madison, Wisconsin, has much to admire, including a grand capitol, dozens of parks, the sprawling campus of the University of Wisconsin, and an enviable setting between lakes Mendota and Monona. The Mendota Lake House B&B takes full advantage of this wonderful isthmus locale and emerges as one of the best bed and breakfasts in the capital of the Badger State. Read more >
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Sleeping Where Train Tycoons Ruled
Repurposing old, beautiful buildings is the best way to preserve a city’s architectural history and unique character, and Baltimore does a fairly good job of it. The Bromo-Seltzer Tower, for instance, is now an artist colony; the Pratt Street Power Plant in the Inner Harbor now houses a giant Barnes & Noble and a Hard Rock Café. You can stay in another landmark building overnight when you check in to the elegant Hotel Monaco, now occupying all 13 floors of the old Baltimore & Ohio Railroad headquarters, constructed more than a century ago. Read more >
Stephen Travels 