Il Cannito - a Boutique Hotel near Paestum, Italy

Here, at Naviquan.com, we travel a lot, and boutique hotels are our favorites. As a result, we've seen quite a few of them. But I have to admit that il Cannito was a pleasant surprise. Not only our staying there turned out to have exceeded expectations by all traditional criteria regarding hotel accommodations (value, location, rooms, cleanliness, service), but our experience was enriched also by an unexpected personal touch which made several days we spent at il Cannito especially gratifying and memorable. Nov. 19, 2011

Hotel Santa Caterina (Amalfi, Italy)

Often, if a person stayed in a hotel you are interested in and you want to know this person's opinion about it, you ask a simple but wise question: Would you stay in this hotel again? If you ask me this question about Santa Caterina Hotel (Amalfi, Italy), I will say "It depends." Let's find out why I am so uncertain about staying in a hotel of this caliber and reputation. Oct. 5, 2011

Montepulciano (Italy) - Coming to Town

Montepulciano is a charming Tuscan small town which with its dramatic setting on the ridge of the high hill dominates the valleys of Val di Chiana (on the west) and Val D'Orcia (on the east). In this town you can find many masterpieces of such artists as Antonio da Sangallo Il Vecchio, Andrea Pozzo, Vignola, Michelozzo, Taddeo di Bartolo, Ippolito Scalza. In addition to its medieval architecture and art, Montepulciano is known for the wine called Vino Nobile. Wine tasting and wine tours through many vineyards surrounding Montepulciano are activities attracting many wine lovers.
Montepulciano (Italy) - Coming to Town
Montepulciano (Italy) - Churches
Montepulciano (Italy) - Some Places to Eat Feb. 3, 2011

La Locanda di San Francesco (Montepulciano, Italy)

To stay three nights in Montepulciano, amall, cute and ancient Italian town in the heart of Tuscany, we chose La Locanda di San Francesco hotel. With only four guests' suites, located in the center of the town and family owned, La Locanda seemed to have everything to meet our expectations of a quiet, well maintained place. Dec. 14, 2010

Hotel Cavaliere, Spoleto (Italy)

While travelling in Tuscany this year we decided to stop and explore Spoleto. The town is located in Umbria but it happened to be on our way back from Tuscany to Rome. Cavaliere Palace Hotel was our choice for lodging. There were several reasons for our decision. One of them was our preference for quiet places. Another one was the location of the hotel in the historic center of the city. Nov. 11, 2010

Hotel L'Antico Pozzo, San Gimignano (Italy)

To stay for tree days in the small and charming medieval Tuscan town of San Gimignano we chose hotel L'Antico Pozzo. It is located in via San Matteo 87 - the street which starts from one of the gates in medieval defensive wall surrounding the historic center of the town. Despite some minuses, we believe that anybody traveling and staying in San Gimignano should consider it. After all there are few hotels located within the town's historic center. Nov. 8, 2010

Orlando World Center Marriott Resort - Part 1: Common Areas and Convention Center

Orlando World Center Marriott Resort and Convention Center is a large complex well known among both, leisure and business travelers from all over the world. Its popularity is well deserved due to its prime location and proximity to Walt Disney World Resort (about 5 miles - World Center Drive continues as Epcot Center Drive on the other side of I-4) as well as large event space occupying a total of 450,000 square feet. Add to this Orlando World Center accommodations facilities with about 2000 rooms and 80 suites, several restaurants, bars and lounges, its own golf course, plus a complex with 6 pools, waterfalls, water ride and whirlpools in a lagoon-like setting, and you will understand why this piece of real estate located on more than 200 prime acres is so much appreciated by many visitors.
Part 1: Common Areas and Convention Center
Part 2: Dining and Accommodations May 10, 2010

Orlando World Center Marriott Resort & Convention Center - Part 2: Dining and Accommodations

The second part of the article dedicated to Orlando World Center Marriott Resort & Convention Center: let's now move on to things that are closer to more practical issues related to any traveling - food and accommodations. The most important observation in these areas is that Orlando World Center Marriott is self-sufficient in almost any life related aspect. I mean literally, everything you may practically want or need during your several days of staying at this place can be found without leaving it.
Part 1: Common Areas and Convention Center
Part 2: Dining and Accommodations May 10, 2010

Hôtel de Crillon Paris, France

If you want to find a place to stay in Paris during your vacations and stay there in style, Hotel de Crillon is a perfect place to do it. Located in the very heart of Paris and overlooking Place de la Concorde with Avenue des Champs-Elysees, Rue Saint-Honore and Louvre in a minute walk distance, this hotel is an answer to all tourists dreams. Jan. 19, 2010

Le Palais de la Mediterranee in Nice, France

Le Palais de la Mediterranee was open in 1929 and immediately became Nice architectural monument easily recognizable by the tourists all over the world. After many years in service and almost total demolition in 1978, Le Palais de la Mediterranee was rebuilt in 2004 - a new nine-story hotel was resurrected in a contemporary style and integrated into restored Art Decor facade. If you plan to spend several days in Nice, Le Palais de la Mediterranee offers a good value for the money. Nov. 30, 2009

Goring Hotel, London, United Kingdom

If you go to London, United Kingdom and want to stay in a hotel that has the flavor and character of an old English mansion, the Goring might be your choice. Cosily located in the very heart of London in Beeston Place, the hotel is only five-minute walk from Buckingham Palace. The Goring Hotel is a trip back into a quieter slower age, it leaves warm memories and romantic feelings of last centuries and people. Oct. 29, 2009

Il San Pietro di Positano (Positano, Italy)

If you have never been to Hotel San Pietro di Positano in Italy, nothing can prepare you, neither Fromms with detailed hotel description, nor hundreds reviews of people who visited it for a kind of a shock when you reach your destination. You see a pole with a sign saying Hotel San Pietro and the address is correct - Via Laurito, 2 Positano. But where is the building? There is only an ancient chapel laced with vines. Oh, yes, there is also a parking lot, but is it for hotel or for the chapel? Just don't worry, go ahead and park your car - you have arrived. Jan. 5, 2009

InterContinental Amstel Hotel

As any other European capital, Amsterdam offers many hotels to choose from when you travel to this city. However, when it comes to luxury hotels, the choice is not that great. If you take into account the service and food offered, there are even fewer options and among those few blessed, there is one undisputable leader - InterContinental Amstel Hotel. Nov. 29, 2007

Hotel Residence de la Pinede

We stayed in the Residence de la Pinede in mid September 2007, and our experience was very good. There are few hotels in the world that can compare to this small luxury property less than 10 minutes walk from St. Tropez center with everything this opulent French Riviera resort can offer: from sea excursions and helicopter rides to luxurious hotels and gourmet restaurants. Nov. 23, 2007

Planning Your Travels with Hotel Chains

To plan our trips we often use tourist guides like Frommer's, Fodor's, Michelin, etc. What is common with approach is that the guides are presumably independent from the establishments they describe or recommend providing unbiased and truthful information. In our experience, it's not uncommon that the reality turns out to be different than the one in the guides, and there many reasons for that. Nov. 17, 2007

Planning Your Travels with Relais & Chateaux

Relais & Châteaux is an association with headquarters in Paris, France of more than 450 hotels and restaurants throughout the world. Its main goal is to promote and provide various services its members. So, it seems like Relais & Châteaux is catering primarily to their needs - where do we, travelers, fit into this picture?

Nov. 6, 2007

Les Chalets de Philippe

Les Chalets de Philippe is a cluster (a hamlet) of seven dwellings located in Chamonix, a small town and commune in Eastern France, in Haute-Savoie département, at the foot of Mont Blanc. And, as the name implies, these chalets are owned and operated by Philippe (Philippe Courtines, to be precise). But to say just this, is to say nothing about this unique and extraordinary place. I wanted to find a word or phrase that would explain vividly the essence of this place instead of giving you a dry account of room sizes, sleeping capacity and services available at Les Chalets de Philippe. Oct. 19, 2007

Ritz Paris - Another side of the Hotel

Ritz Paris hotel is often considered as one of the best hotels in Paris. That's what you can find in Frommer's traveler guide about this hotel: "The Ritz is Europe's greatest hotel, an enduring symbol of elegance on one of Paris's most beautiful and historic squares." A bit below, the guide continues saying that "each guest room is uniquely decorated, most with Louis XIV or XV reproductions; all have fine rugs, marble fireplaces, tapestries, brass beds, and more." Well, our recent experience showed that this is not entirely true. Sept. 28, 2007

Paris Vacations: One Week of Fulfilling Dreams

What can I possibly write about Paris? List of places to visit with brief description of each of them? Or, some blurb about restaurants and bistros that are allegedly better than others? Hardly, there is any motivation for doing this - so much reference material has been published - just choose from a variety of colorful guides the one that appeals to you more and buy it and find in one place enough information not for one trip to Paris but for a dozen. Read this account of a personal experience in planning and visiting Paris.

Part I - Coming to Paris
Part 2 - Our Hotel: First Steps
Part 3 - Day Two: Musée du Louvre, Notre Dame de Paris and La Conciergerie
Part 4 - Day Three: Versailles and Musée d'Orsay
Part 5 - Day Four: City of Paris - Right Bank
Part 6 - Day Five: City of Paris - Left Bank

Sept. 1, 2007

Paris Vacations: Part 2 - Our Hotel: First Steps

Part 2 of Paris Vacations article describing first steps in the city and most important Le Bristol, our hotel in Paris Sept. 1, 2007