A Nominator for National Geographic Traveler

I love unique hotels; they do not have to be fancy or big bucks to be great. I was honored with an email from Beth Lizardo from National Geographic Traveler, to see if I would be interested in being a part of a panel of nominators for hotels in the British Isles and Ireland. Indeed my recent trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland provided a few that fit the bill.

The criteria for possible inclusion in the April 2010 issue are:

As a travel professional, you are in a unique position to nominate one or more hotels (with 6 or more rooms) within the British Isles and Ireland that enhance a traveler's "sense of place" experience. And by "sense of place" we mean hotels that wholeheartedly reflect the spirit of their locations both in practice and aesthetic. When thinking about which hotels to nominate, useful questions to ask yourself are: Does the architecture reflect its location? Does it engage in eco-sustainable practices? Serve local food? And most important, does it offer guests good service and a unique experience as opposed to one that could be had anywhere in the world?

Chateau De Bagnols, My Hotel Pick for the Year

Averaging a hundred hotel stays a year for several years makes it hard sometimes to remember many. One that will always stand out as a top five is the Chateau De Bagnols, in the heart of Beaujolais country, France. The Chateau dates from the 13th century and is stunning in its beauty. The Italian Renaissance decorations and bold ceiling arabesques were a delight to behold and my huge bathroom was a part of a huge circular tower complete with arrow slits. Of course having a Michelin-starred restaurant was the final feather in the cap. I recently saw a piece in Sherman’s Travel and they agreed, it would be hard not to. Here is a link to my trip and more about the hotel as well as a stay in Lyon.