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?

Beijing Equals Diversity

As I sat in the highest restaurant perch in Beijing at the Park Hyatt last night I gazed at the huge city of Beijing spread out below, the city is massive in scope. The other thought that popped into my mind was how diverse Beijing is. A luxury dinner was waiting but a simple lunch the day before was also a fantastic event. We ate at the home of an artist in a hutong or old part of Beijing. His wife cooked a lunch that was so fresh and satisfying and simplistic and the small streets and alleys made for a perfect stroll after. I think diversity best explains Beijing!