Once again, HotelChatter contributing editor Tim Leffel is moving around Mexico, checking out the hotel scene in the colonial heartland. If you have a question about where to stay in Guanajuato or San Miguel de Allende, hit us on the tipline, or just comment below, and we will do our best to get you some sort of answer. Enjoy.
The two luxury San Miguel de Allende hotels we profiled earlier present an elegant, toned-down side of Mexico, intentionally draining out some of the vivid colors and bold folk art motifs. Casa Luna B&B goes in the opposite direction, figuring if one angel statue and blood red wall are nice, then a dozen of both must be better.
If you're the type who wants a real sense of place to be evident in every nook and cranny, then Casa Luna is the colonial Mexican experience of your dreams. In two restored 300-year-old buildings--one on Pila Seca and one on Quebrada a block away--you find 15 fantastic themed rooms outfitted separately with saints, cherubs, metal star lanterns, stamped tin mirror frames, antique headboards, and plenty of color. Hey, there's even a Frida Kahlo room.
The result is a mix of style and whimsy, with much of the original architecture restored and the new additions blending in seamlessly. Most of the rooms have fireplaces, some have a private terrace, and the hearty breakfasts are a big hit. The original Pila Seca building has a group whirlpool in a courtyard and the Quebrada building has an outdoor lap pool. The American owner and her bilingual staff can arrange most any excursion and they host cooking classes at a ranch outside of town.
Rates run $140 to $160 double for a room or $260 for a suite, all including breakfast and taxes.
Drive inland nearly 300 miles north-west of Sydney and you'll find the town of Dubbo, and with it, one of the nicest sounding bed and breakfast accommodations we've seen for a while. The Pericoe Retreat gets full marks just for including the word "retreat" in its name, because that's what a holiday out on the land should be like, we think.
A recent Sydney Morning Herald review was very enthusiastic about Pericoe. It's a purpose-built B&B with four suites, a swimming pool and a tennis court, and according to the reviewer:
It is a benchmark by which other B&Bs should be measured: unpretentious elegance; down-to-earth hosts; meticulous attention to detail; and it's free from the usual B&B vulgarity. No chintz, no excess, no kitsch - just good taste.
Added to that, it has reasonable rates at around A$200 (US$180) per night with breakfast included, and the price varies a little for weekends or weeknights and over holiday periods. Of course, even that is not so cheap for a place relatively in the middle of nowhere in Australia, but if you're looking for a break from the big smoke then it's a good choice.
One fact that we think shows how many agree it's a good choice is that Pericoe doesn't bother advertising much--90% of their bookings come direct through the website and they think much of that is word of mouth. Well, here's the words from our mouth, too.
As we were dumbing the pain of a Monday after a holiday weekend with a bottle of red wine, we received an amazing email that changed our lives.
No, it was not from Ms. Jennifer Wilson who is dying and would like to transfer all of her money into our bank account. Nor was it from a close friend who was concerned about either our sex life, our weight or our mortgage.
It was in fact an email from the true proprietor of Chateau La Rue and her name is not Tori Spelling. It's Patricia King, who we've mentioned before on this site and who even made an appearance in the first season of Tori and Dean: Inn Love.
Now, that Tori and Dean have chosen to lead a life of selling french fries and posing for the tabloid rags, Patricia is bringing Oak Creek Manor back (the name of the place before it was named after Tori's dog.) She writes:
You are correct, Tori and Dean will not be running Chateau La Rue any longer, but I, the true proprietor of Oak Creek Manor am accepting reservations for Friday December 14th, on.
The Inn will maintain most of Tori and Dean's new room colors, but will return a couple of rooms to their original splendor which matches the architecture: Colonial.
Oak Creek Manor is a beautiful B and B situated on 8-acres, with a pond running through it, private patios, and 3-fountains.
Rates run from $150-$295 per night. Please let me know if you would like any further information.
In our red wine haze, we considered sleeping where Tori and Dean (but mostly Dean) slept but our husband might divorce us on the grounds of mental cruelty. Still, there's hope for you die-hard (and no doubt still single) Tori Spelling fans to sleep amongst the halls where Tori once walked.
Email oakcreekmanorATadelphiaDOTnet for reservations.
[Ed. Note: Welcome to our Good Rate/Bad Rate feature where we look at hotel prices in the same region and decide which one most deserves your hard-earned benjamins. Rates quoted here were captured on November 6, 2007 and are subject to change. Enjoy.]
To get to the roots of Thanksgiving, there's no better spot than where it all began, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. See the Plymouth Rock! See the Mayflower! See a replica of the original settlement! And hey, it's right on the water, with a nice beach panorama.
Staying in a cookie-cutter chain hotel just doesn't seem right in a place like this, so it's best to book at one of the dozen or so New England bed and breakfasts scattered around town. Rates run anywhere from $80 to $250, but most fall in the middle of that range.
The top two spots with TripAdvisor reviewers are A Beach House Oceanfront Plymouth (named by a search engine optimization specialist apparently)and By the Sea Bed & Breakfast - pictured here. In both cases you'll have a nice location, a quality breakfast, and attentive service for somewhere between $140 and $170 a night.
We couldn't automatically check availability over Thanksgiving weekend, so you'll have to nose around. Most Plymouth bed and breakfasts are not listed in the big corporate booking sites such as Expedia or Travelocity. You'll need to look in a specialized directory or book direct through the B&B's website.
If you are like us you totally forgot the show existed, but when we showed up at the Century House and spotted a photo of Innkeeper Gerry with the cast of Wings, it all came together.
If you remember the show you will remember it took place on Nantucket, and of course us bringing this up is apropos of absolutely nothing.
The Century House is another Nantucket Inn located on "Inn Row", convenient to town and the beaches, yet far enough away to get a good nights sleep.
The Inn's location, personality, fresh fruit breakfast, and free WiFi, were enough for us, but as you know, these Nantucket B&B's are filled with stories.
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by Tim L.
