Toravaig House Hotel, Isle of Skye

Our accommodation on the Isle of Skye is the gorgeous boutique hotel Toravaig House.

As their website describes the hotel:

“… elevated, south facing position on the Sleat peninsula on the Isle of Skye, enjoying views out across the Atlantic waters of the Sound of Sleat.

“With its comfortable lounge, open fire and baby grand piano, this is a gorgeous place to begin your evening after a day exploring our beautiful Island.

“Toravaig offers an elegant dining experience in its 2AA rosette restaurant which offers the best of local produce.”

To celebrate Ali’s birthday and our 25th wedding anniversary we opt for the breakfast & dinner included option. Yum!

Hotel Indigo, Edinburgh // Princes Street

Our bed for two nights in Edinburgh is Hotel Indigo in Princes Street. The girls are very close by at the Hotel Indigo in York Place.

Our hotel has lots of old world charm with balustrade staircases and odd hallways with several steps up and down in places.

Our room is comfortable with views of Edinburgh and a very grand looking hotel across the road called The Balmoral. However, the floor has an unusual curve to it from one wall to the other giving us the impression we’re on a boat.

The staff are kind and helpful and although we arrive close to midnight we’re greeted with a cheerful smile (sans a tooth).

All Seasons Lyon Part Dieu

Our hotel is conveniently located a stones-throw from the train station, Gare de la Part Dieu in Lyon, where we will depart from tomorrow as we embark on our return journey home.

The hotel, part of the Accor group, is brand-new having been recently opened just a few months ago. The staff are friendly & helpful and speak excellent English.

Our room is clean and decked out in relatively hip and funky wallpaper and curtains. However, the room facilities are minimalist with only a TV provided. No room safe or minibar fridge and the space is fairly small compared to others we have experienced. Still, it does the job of ensuring a good night’s sleep with double windows blocking out any noise and the double sofa-bed permits four to sleep in the one room.

The now mandatory free Wi-Fi doesn’t function inside our rooms but works fine downstairs in the lobby and restaurant area.

A more than adequate petit dejeuner is also complementary including toast & pastries, meats & cheeses, cereals & freshly-squeezed orange juice, fruit & fruit salad, and the must-have morning coffee!

All-round a good hotel though not as fun as others we have enjoyed yet ironically more expensive, probably because it’s in a large city.

Kim*

swissôtel

We cross under the Oerlikon train station through the tunnel and emerge to find the swissötel Zürich towering high above us. Apparently it’s the tallest building in Zürich and we’re lucky enough to score rooms on the 28th floor. In fact, we have this awesome adjoining room where the kids have their own bedroom, TV, iPod docking station, bathroom etc. They have a separate entrance and keycard so we can close the door between the two rooms and have peaceful bliss for a time.

Our view is expansive although the area is relatively industrial compared with the beauty of the town and we are above a train station but as we are only minutes from the centre of Zürich there is really no need to get a room any closer.

One drawback is that breakfast is not included and like all things Swiss, it’s quite expensive. Wi-Fi is also an optional extra but we discover that in town you can obtain a free Wi-Fi connection from either the Apple store or the nearby department store Manor, both located on Bahnhofstrasse.

Although the kids each have a single bed we share a double which is OK but we would prefer a queen-sized mattress as it’s not as firm as some we have experienced thus disturbing the other partner at times.

On the positive side, the service is excellent with very friendly, helpful staff. We have a bar fridge, a room safe and our own TV together with plenty of space for clothes. The room is anything but pokey. And on the top floor there is also a fully-equipped gym plus spa & infinity pool with terrific views towards the city.

This is yet another hotel I would highly recommend and look forward to staying at again!

Kim*

AD Place Venice

I love everything about this place!

AD Place Venice is a charmingly inviting hotel and clearly sets itself apart from the crowd. From the moment you step inside the front door you feel the relaxed sophistication beckoning you to enjoy the Venetian atmosphere and experience.

The foyer is festooned with candles and colourfully patterned drapes. A large vase of apples, perhaps real, perhaps not, rests upon the counter below an elaborate red chandelier hanging from the ceiling. An attentive and friendly receptionist efficiently checks us in explaining the various house-keeping matters and provides our all important complementary WiFi logins and passwords.

Our rooms, Novembre and Dicembre, transport us to an almost make-believe world, fantastic in it’s creation and imagination.

The anteroom has an exercise bike for the super-keen juxtaposed with a soft sofa able to provide some respite from the day’s travels, a comfortable spot to recline and drink in the surroundings.

On one table an oversized silver tea pot stands ready to boil on command. On another, chocolates sit enticingly in a bowl. And the spot-lights on the wall turn the whole place into a theatre stage.

In the bedroom a four-post bed is draped with sheer fabrics surrounded by walls that are striped in a silver and black fabric. There is even a large silver candelabra sitting in one corner with fresh candles prepared to add some romance. And the TV is viewed whilst lying in bed.

The ultra-modern bathroom, painted in a wash of golden orange, is pleasantly scented. Fresh, clean towels hang from the heated towel rack.

Breakfast is a feast but with a few twists. The coffee cups are groovy, quite Dali-esque in their moulded shape fitting neatly in your hand. The lighting is quirky, each fitting different from it’s neighbour. The cutlery is funky. And the fruit is served in very cute, individual, small preserve jars.

The range of food is broad, not unlike the spread at Cavarchino B&B which was fantastic.

Juicy!

Kim*

iQ Hotel Roma

The iQ Hotel Roma is slick & modern and was one of the few hotels in Rome that I found using Trip Advisor that didn’t have any bad reviews. It’s also within a comfortable walking distance to many of the major tourist attractions.

The staff are helpful and offer to have our room ready earlier than normal. So we drop-off our bags and look for a place to grab coffee and a small bite to eat.

When we return we find our room is spotlessly clean and more than big enough for our needs. The hotel boasts a gym & sauna, a self-service laundry, and a vending machine rather than a minibar although we do have a bar fridge in our room.

The beds are comfortable and the Wi-Fi is free! What more could we ask for?

Kim*