Travel + Leisure has published their 2009 World’s Best Awards, and the awards and listings for the top hotels make for some interesting reading. The London West Hollywood Hotel in West Hollywood, CA topped the list of large city hotels (above 100 rooms) in North America.

The London West Hollywood was followed by two hotels in Montreal, Quebec – Hotel Nelligan and Place d’Armes Hôtel & Suites, in second and third place, respectively. The top 10 Large City hotels in North America, as per the T + L list are as follows:-  

The London West Hollywood

1 – London West Hollywood, West Hollywood, CA
2 – Hotel Nelligan, Montreal, Quebec
3 – Place d’Armes Hôtel & Suites, Montreal, Quebec 
4 – Omni La Mansion Del Rio, San Antonio, TX 
5 – Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas, TX  
6 – The Carlyle, New York, NY 
7 – The Peninsula, Chicago, Chicago, IL 
8 – Raffles L’Ermitage Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, CA 
9 – Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las Colinas, Dallas, TX 
10 – The Peninsula, Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, CA

You can see the full T + L list of the top 50 large city hotels here. As for small city hotels (less than 100 rooms), the Eliot Hotel in Boston, MA topped the charts, followed by the Watermark Hotel & Spa in San Antonio, TX and the Auberge Saint-Antoine in Quebec City, Quebec. Here’s the list of top 10 small city hotels:-

Eliot Hotel, Boston, MA

1 – Eliot Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts  
2 – Watermark Hotel & Spa, San Antonio, TX 
3 – Auberge Saint-Antoine, Quebec City, Quebec
4 – Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles, CA
5 – XV Beacon Hotel, Boston, MA 
6 – Wedgewood Hotel & Spa, Vancouver, BC
7 – Brazilian Court Hotel & Beach Club, Palm Beach, FL 
8 – Planters Inn, Charleston, South Carolina
9 – Hôtel Le St.-James, Montreal, Quebec 
10 – Mosaic Hotel, Los Angeles, California

There’s a lot more to see in the T + L rankings, including the top 100 hotels in the world, the top resorts and inns in North America, and separate rankings for the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, and other parts of the world.

The lists are published in Travel + Leisure’s August issue, available on newsstands July 24. Hotel rankings are based on the results of a readers’ survey, with ratings in five categories: rooms/facilities, location, service, restaurants/food, and value. The awards winners for 2009 are to be honored in New York City on July 21 at an awards event at the Cooper Square Hotel.

London West Hollywood photo by goalbert. Eliot Hotel photo courtesy – Eliot hotel.

by Barbara Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels

As a travel writer who spends more than half of my life on the road I am constantly in search of hotels or motels that are sparkling clean, well-equipped and furnished, and affordably priced. Properties that meet this criteria are surprisingly rare, but during a recent investigation of Florida’s Nature Coast, I discovered one that more than fit the bill: the Two River’s Inn in Dunnellon, Florida.

Blues Brothers sculpture stands at the entrance to the Two Rivers Inn

Dunnellon wasn’t on my planned itinerary, but as I drove through town a sign proclaiming “Boomtown Historic District” caught my eye. I detoured to see the lovely old restored homes and commercial buildings on Pennsylvania Avenue. At the end of the street I found the Two Rivers Inn. Mounted in front of this otherwise unassuming row of concrete block cottages was a full-size statue of the Blues Brothers. I took it as a sign; I’d been feeling a bit blue – maybe this town would cure what ailed me.

In short order the innkeepers had hooked me up with a $59 room. Given the exceedingly inexpensive rate, I was prepared for the worst, and I held my breath as I opened the front door. My  jaw dropped in astonishment. This was no dump! Read More »

Of all the attractions that Orlando, Florida has to offer, Universal Studios is one of my favorites.  The lines are typically shorter than the lines at Walt Disney World and I love the rides at both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.

If you’re planning a trip to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, I highly recommend staying at one of the three on site properties.

Not only is it convenient for accessing the park, but guests of the park hotels receive free Express Pass tickets to Universal Studios.  You’ll still have to pay regular admission, but you get to skip the regular lines at all of the attractions.  Any time you can visit a major theme park and avoid the lines, you’ll have a much better park experience.

In addition to having easy access to the park and BYPASS perks, staying at one of the hotels at Universal Studios will allow you to enjoy the nightlife of City Walk safely and easily.  Courtesy water taxis and shuttle buses transport guests to and from the hotels and the Universal Studios compound.  There are also well lit paths available for those inclined to walk – because they are clearly less lazy than I am.

Universal Studios has three hotels on site to choose from.

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Studios Orlando

Portofino Bay at Universal Studios

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel is designed to reflect the elegance of the Italian Riviera.  It’s perfect for a romantic getaway.  The hotel also features a full-service Mandarin Spa for added luxury and pampering.  Rooms at the Portofino Bay Hotel start off at about $300 per night.  A suite, including the Dr. Seuss kid themed suite, will cost closer to $600 per night.

Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Studios

Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Studios

Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Studios conjures images of a remote private island in the South Pacific.  The details of the theme run from the thatch roofed entryway to the tropical foliage that covers every inch of the property.  The atmosphere here is much more family beach party fun than secluded romance.  Rooms at the Royal Pacific Resort stat at about $250.  A king suite will cost about $400 per night.

Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Studios

Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Studios

Like the famed Hard Rock Cafes, the decor of the Hard Rock Hotel features memorabilia from the music industry’s greatest performers.  This hotel is the smallest of the three with only 600 guest rooms and 29 suites.  It does allow plenty of room for a 12,000 square foot pool with an underwater sound system and sand beach, as well as a state of the art Fitness Center.  You can book a standard room at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Studios for $289, or opt for a King Suite for $544 per night.

Of course, all three hotels offer amenities that cater to families on vacations, including well staffed children’s activity centers and on site babysitting services.

If you’re an annual pass holder to Universal Studios, you can use your pass to receive discounts on rooms at all three hotels.

For those of us growing up in the 70s — at least those of us who were allowed to watch TV — the iconic Ilikai Hotel was the epitome of glamorous Waikiki Beach, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Remember the opening shot of Hawaii 5-0, when the camera swoops in tight on Steve McGarrett, while he stands on the balcony of his penthouse suite? (It’s at the :17 mark of this video!)

Can you hear the music right this minute? Oh, right, you can because you’re playing the video. But also, Ah! Memories!

Sadly, as of Thursday those will only be YouTube memories — iStar Financial, the new owners, is closing the property because of rising operating costs and falling occupancy rates.

The hotel opened in 1964 and was touted as the “First Luxury hi-rise hotel in Hawaii.” It was designed by John Graham, who also designed the Space Needle in Seattle. Accommodations at the Ilikai were all about the view, with balconies overlooking the city and beaches. Oahu is losing an icon of the early days of Waikiki tourism.

Even more sad, nearly 200 hotel employees will lose their jobs, at a time when the economic slowdown is sharply impacting the hospitality field. We should all consider it our civic duty to save our pennies and take a vacation in Hawaii as soon as possible! It’s too late to save the Ilikai, but there are plenty of others who need our occupancy before they close, too!