Difficult to establish criteria to know a priori if a hotel will become our hotel selection and one of our favorite accommodations. An ideal hotel should not necessarily be of great luxury or a great chain hotel. The truth is we have tried all kinds of hotels and accommodations, and sometimes we are surprised for better or worse.
A great hotel may not be expected, and small accommodations will be so excellent that any luxury hotel could envy them. That’s why we don’t make star ratings or prices. It is the real value you perceive in the place that will make a place conquer us. We have learned that luxury is not the glitter and gold that many catalogs sell, luxury at least for us is summed up in sobriety, exclusivity, calm, and effective and discreet service.
Japan’s favorite accommodations
Intercontinental OSAKA
A hotel with a service worthy of a 5-star, with an excellent location to get from the airport and then move to other regions. It is very close to the train station in an excellent area, full of shops and restaurants, ideal for making your first purchases as soon as you arrive, or those last minute ones.
You will see pictures in my post about Osaka.
What we liked most about this hotel:
*The view from the rooms and the lobby
*The IHG service that is always excellent and in Japan even more
*Bathroom
*The perfect location, close to the station and hundreds of shops and places to eat; but at the same time a quiet hotel.
Sainoniwa Kanazawa
The Sainoniwa is a hotel we particularly appreciate, and it became a favorite on our trips to Japan. It is a hotel that mixes tradition and modernity. It includes a buffet breakfast that varies every day and allows you to discover many dishes and ingredients from the region.
The staff is super friendly, they don’t speak a lot of English but they make a unique effort to make themselves understood in case words are missing. The service and availability is worthy of a luxury hotel.
What we liked most about this hotel:
*The quality and variety of breakfast
*Common spaces
*The services: they put at your disposal for free washing machine and dryer, yoga mats
*The amenities with everything you need and even more (lotions, tonics…)
French Polynesia Our hotel Selection
Sofitel Ia Ora Moorea
What we liked most about this hotel:
*A minibar is included in the room price, with coffee, beer, and non-alcoholic drinks. Perfect for the afternoon in the bungalow
*A perfect snorkeling in the same beach area, you don’t have to go far to enjoy the marine fauna
*A perfect location, on the best beach in Moorea: Temae
*Activities included in the price: kayak, paddle
St Regis Bora Bora
There are no words for the St Regis Bora Bora, any adjective will fall short and will not be able to explain the experience that is lived in this place.
Obviously, we are facing a high-end colossus, a five-star hotel in all its splendor. With an impeccable service that will do everything to make you feel that you are in paradise, the landscape will complete that exceptional picture.
If you want to know more about this hotel, read our post A stay at the St Regis Bora Bora
Favorite accommodation in France
At Laperriére-sur-Saune, between Beaune and Besancon.
A place to feel like you’re arriving to friend’s home or family. You will be greeted by a couple of adorable Frenchs, who restored an old barn to turn it into a small B&B that makes travel to the France of yesteryear, but with all the modern comforts.
A delicate decoration, full of lace and patchwork, but without abusing with colors, that keeps you in a totally zen tone.
In the large garden, you will have at your disposal a barbecue that you can use if requested to the owners. While preparing your barbecue you can enjoy the company of an adorable puppy named Ficelle and go give a greeting to the donkey Becassine.
In the morning, you will be surprised by the variety of homemade jams prepared by the owner, you will want to try them all.
We have stayed a couple of times on our way to Germany from the south of France and we would come back again.
