Despite a conversion from an apartment building and several complete renovations, the Goodwin Hotel in Hartford, Connecticut, hasn’t turned its back on its history. A fixture in downtown since 1881, the hotel has retained much of its backstory while infusing contemporary flair and services, making it not only the sole boutique hotel in the city but also one of its best accommodations. Read about it >
When a baron and baroness own a hotel, you can much pretty rest assured that you’re going to be treated to a good deal of luxury. At Le Plaza Hotel, that comes in the form of spacious and immaculately kept rooms, a giant breakfast spread, attentive service, and architectural grandeur. And for a very affordable price, I upgraded to a junior suite in one of the last independent hotels in Brussels as well as one of its oldest and most historic. Read about it >
I had been to France. I had been to Germany. Now I was in Belgium, the third and final country that surrounds Luxembourg. It was now or never for this small European nation, so I tacked on an extra five days for my vacation and based myself at the four-star Grand Hotel Cravat in Luxembourg City, one of the prettiest and smallest European capitals. Read about it >
With its medieval glories, seductive canals, and the seemingly always-present mouthwatering aromas of chocolate and waffles in the air, Bruges, Belgium, boasts an undeniable appeal for visitors. That’s both good and bad—increased tourism has resurrected the city and its economy, but it’s also edging toward the point of becoming over-touristed, especially during the summer. Fortunately, once you head away from the bull’s-eye tourist hotspots in the city’s main squares and along the most photographed canals, you can experience a quieter Bruges that holds its own special allure. One of the best ways to enjoy that is by staying at Hotel Ter Duinen, close enough to the city’s main attractions via a 15-minute walk or convenient bus ride, yet removed enough to envelope you in the undisturbed tranquility of one of Europe’s best-preserved cities. Read about it >
For a carless week in Richmond, Virginia, I wanted a hotel centrally located to most of what I planned to see that I could reach by walking. I found it in the 110-year-old The Commonwealth, in the heart of downtown. I found it to be friendly, truly convenient, and quite comfortable. What I didn’t expect to find, however, was a series of supernatural occurrences that exceeded the parameters of normal hotel room idiosyncrasies and kept my stay here an ongoing guessing game of what would happen next. Read about it >
If you’re going to splurge on a place to stay in Porto, Portugal, then you’d be wise to choose Infante Sagres. For more than 70 years, this elegant fixture in the city’s accommodations has been providing five-star service to everyone from Bob Dylan to the queen of the Netherlands, and now me. Combining polished elegance, Old World attention to detail and contemporary comforts, outstanding service, and an enviable location, Infante Sagres practically guarantees you a highly memorable stay. Read about it >
I was traveling from one desert camp in Namibia to the next. From the fantastic Doro Nawas Camp in Damaraland, I drove north, for about 200 miles, through surrealistic landscapes. With fresh memories of a flawless stay at Doro Nawas, I was setting up my next destination, Etosha Safari Lodge, for some very high expectations. Within striking distance of Etosha National Park, the lodge met every single one of them. And when the very first creature to greet me was a curious giraffe, it did, indeed, surpass them. Read about it >
An accommodation in the heart of Buenos Aires, Argentina, that offers heart-stopping ham omelets, free tango lessons, and the refinement of the Old World transported to the New World — that’s what Rooney’s Boutique Hotel promises you. All of that means you’ll be staying at one of the most atmospheric hotels in this rich and complex city. Read more about it >
Although I’ve visited many national parks over the years, I had never stayed at one of their famed lodges overnight. So, when I headed to parks in Montana and Wyoming, the time seemed ripe. My first one was tucked deep inside Glacier National Park, way up in Montana at the Canadian border. With basic and rustic, but comfortable, accommodations, Many Glacier Hotel rightly prides itself on its excellent restaurant, century-old structure, and one of the most dramatic settings in the Rocky Mountains. But head there quickly: Global climate change is permanently erasing the park’s famed glaciers at an alarming rate. Read more about it >
I had come to the coast of southwestern Namibia with one purpose in mind: to visit Kolmanskop, one of the world’s best ghost towns, something I had been yearning to see for a couple of decades. Not to my surprise, it immediately became one of the highlights of my two weeks in this sparsely populated and wonderfully friendly country. And, after spending a few hours roaming around this remnant of a German colonial diamond-mining town, occasionally being stung by the desert sand in this windy location, I was equally happy to head to the hotel that was serving as my accommodations for a couple of nights, Lüderitz Nest Hotel, fewer than 10 miles down the road in the small city of Lüderitz. With its waterside location, wonderful service, and terrific menu in its restaurant, it’s the ideal place to stay. Read more about it >
Stephen Travels 