Oh, Travel: Hotels

If you know anything about how I travel, you know I love hotels. No, you know I’m obsessed with hotels. In my mind, the hotel is almost as important as the trip itself. A good hotel can make a great trip fantastic. A bad hotel can put a damper on even the best trip.

While I normally prefer boutique hotels, small inns & bed & breakfasts which offer a unique experience, unlike chain restaurants, I’m more than happy to stay in a chain hotel if it has something special to offer – a great location, free breakfast in an expensive city, a great value. For instance: a few years ago, I stayed at a great Hilton Garden Inn in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York. Made-to-order breakfast included in the room rate, great location, view of the Empire State Building from the room – what more could you ask for?

I don’t blog about every hotel I stay at – I’ve certainly stayed at my share of uninspiring moderately priced hotels that all look the same – but I always want to share my favorites with you. I’ve already blogged about two of my favorite hotels in the entire country: the Library Hotel in New York City & the Inn at the Market in Seattle. In the next few weeks, I’ll share the modern, fresh Swissotel in Chicago & the chocolate covered, high end Hotel Hershey in Hershey, PA. In June, I’m headed to Vancouver for a travel blogger conference & am staying at a boutique hotel with tons of amenities which I hope meets my standards for offering a great review. In August, we’re headed to Maine for a ten-day coastal road trip, hopping from inn to B&B.

Bottom line? I love hotels, but the whole package really has to be there.

Some of my other favorite hotels:

Do you have a favorite hotel? One that you always stay at, regardless of price? Or could you care less about hotels & look at them as just a place to rest your head?