Art + Hotel.  That would be my recommended advertising slogan for the St. Regis in San Francisco. The connection between art and hotel has been noted in these pages before (most recently in our reviews of the 21C Museum Hotel and the Four Seasons in Seattle) and the St. Regis is an excellent example of an establishment that’s not only proximate to multiple art museums but one that integrates art into the very fabric of its existence.
Enter the light and airy St. Regis – this is not your father’s dark …

When you step off the bustling Maximilianstraße and enter the Kempinski Vier Jahreszeiten, you enter a time capsule, one that places you inside one of the grand old hotels of Europe.
Once in the salon-style lobby, which features a mosaic glass roof portraying the four seasons (the hotel’s name, Vier Jahreszeiten, means Four Seasons), you could bump into royalty: former guests include Empress Elisabeth of Austria (known to her subjects as “Sissi”), the King of Siam, and Winston Churchill.  Today, the Vier Jahrezeiten is the temporary home for heads of state, …

It’s always interesting to be among the first guests at a hotel, especially during a “soft” opening.  The last pieces of equipment are being delivered to the fitness center, the shrubs are still being planted, and the staff is getting acquainted with the hotel and with each other.
When you enter the Novotel München Airport hotel, you immediately understand why this is the brand’s flagship property.  Guests are greeted by an ultra modern lobby and reception area, attractive and comfortable Ligne Roset furniture, and an experienced and accommodating staff.
There’s a …

Imagine taking a modern, boutique hotel and dropping it into the middle of your favorite art museum.  That’s the best way to describe the 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky;  the city best known for the Kentucky Derby, horse country, and bourbon.  The two dedicated and passionate art collectors who created the 21c Museum Hotel wanted to highlight another aspect of Louisville: its growing arts community.
The 21c Museum Hotel is dedicated to twenty-first century artists (hence the name 21c) and everywhere you look – from the moment you walk …

Business travel to the Pacific Northwest frequently means a visit to Microsoft’s campus in Redmond.  Although many visitors assume they should stay in Seattle, it’s far more convenient to stay in the town of Redmond, which is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S.  There’s a lot to do in the area – nearby wineries and breweries include Chateau St. Michelle, Columbia Winery, Redhook Brewery, and Mac & Jack’s, and there’s a very nice Marriott hotel tucked away in the Redmond Town Center.
WHERE IS IT
The Marriott is …

Comprised of an elegant mélange of buildings from the Baroque, neo-Classical, neo-Renaissance, and modern eras replete with traditional Czech design elements including exquisite Bohemian crystal chandeliers and wooden panels, the soothing environment of the Four Seasons Prague was a welcome antidote to my 380-kilometer drive from Munich.
The hotel first opened in February 2001 and had to close after it was damaged in the 2002 floods in Central Europe, which caused billions of euros of damage in the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Croatia.  In the Czech …

Bozen (Bolzano in Italian) is the capital of the South Tyrol (Südtirol in German, Alto Adige in Italian), a region that was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918.  Today, the region is both German and Italian speaking, and maintains close cultural, social, and economic ties with the Austrian province of Tyrol to its north.
A 286-kilometer drive from Munich across the Dolomites and the Brennerpaß brought us to the Parkhotel Laurin, a hotel I had last visited almost 20 years ago.
WHERE IS IT
The Parkhotel Laurin is in the heart …

Graz, a city of 250,000 inhabitants and six universities, straddles the Mur River in southeastern Austria.  The Old Town district is one of the best preserved city centers in Europe and the Grand Hotel Wiesler is in the heart of the city.
After a 270 km (168 mile) drive, I arrived at the hotel’s beautiful Jugendstil (art deco) entrance with high expectations, given the hotel’s grand name.  I wouldn’t be disappointed.
WHERE IS IT?
The Grand Hotel Wiesler overlooks the Mur River and the Old Town. It is within walking distance of the Kunsthaus …

The historic city of Lindau is located on a small (0.68-square-kilometer/0.26-square-mile) island in the Bodensee, or Lake Constance, and is connected to the mainland by a causeway and railway.  The Bayerischer Hof, prominently located on the promenade facing the lake, is close to the epicenter of activity in this medieval city.
WHERE IS IT?
Lindau is at the common border of Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, along the Pfänder Mountains.  Its harbor, casino, historic buildings, and water and mountain views make it popular with visitors.
The Bayerischer Hof is at the heart of the …

It’s unusual for me to walk to a hotel but, thanks to Seattle’s brand new light-rail system, which transported me from the Seattle-Tacoma Airport to downtown Seattle in 37 minutes for $2.50, I was able to have a pleasurable walk past the Pike Place Market area enjoying unusually, for a mid-February day in Seattle, warm (15°C/59°F) and sunny weather.  The new Four Seasons Hotel Seattle, opened in late 2008, is almost directly on the bay and built in a U shape, which means that 80% of the guest rooms have …