My Favourite Hotels

I have been super lucky in my life that I have had the chance to travel a bit more than the average person. I've never done the backpacker thing, and the longest I've ever been away for in one go is 3 weeks, but I feel like I have seen a lot of places, cultures and people that a lot of people don't get the chance to.

Along with having an ever-growing destination list to tick-off, there are certain places that have a permanent place in my heart - these are the places that I just KNOW I will re-visit time and time again during my life. And along with this there are certain hotels that I will re-visit time and time again. I have been super-fortunate to be able to stay in some really amazing places, so here is my list of my all-time five favourite hotels. I have alphabetised them as I don't want to pick favourites!

Ace Hotel & Swim Club - Palm Springs, USA

I think this may be the first hotel I fell in love with instantly, right upon arrival, and then continued to love more and more as my stay continued. Situated a couple hours south of LA in the desert of Palm Springs, the Ace Hotel is a welcome haven from the ridiculous temperatures. It has a sort-of hipster vibe but not in an over-the-top way, and both the rooms and the facilities are everything you could want to relax and unwind in. The reason I loved the Ace Hotel is because of the freedom you have - it's not stuffy or pretentious and people come and go as they please. The poolside cocktails are delish, and the King's Highway diner is the perfect place to grab some food. Make sure you stay on a Monday night for Bingo and Trivia - both are now run by Bella da Ball after the lovely, lovely, Linda Gerard sadly passed away earlier this year. I've been to the Ace in Palm Springs twice now and the second time I purposely arranged the visit so I could play bingo with Linda again. Super super glad I did.

Hotel Devillas - Paris, France

This is a bit of a funny one - when we arrived the hotel didn't have our expedia-booked reservation, and then put us in a room for our first night that really wasn't up to scratch, promising us a better one in the morning. I was so cross about it all but then when we moved to our new room all was forgiven. This hotel isn't anything fancy or expensive (especially by Paris standards) but the rooms were lovely and clean and actually moderately spacious, and I loved the little juliet balcony. We were staying in the Latin Quarter (which I think I would do again on a return to Paris) and this hotel was in the perfect location for this - right opposite a Metro station and walking distance to the city centre. When we stayed there it was mid-way through a renovation and so there was no restaurant so I can't comment on this - and the price will probably have increased now as this will have all been finished - but I would have no hesitations in staying here again.

Nira Caledonia - Edinburgh, Scotland

I've stayed in the Nira Caledonia twice now - once by myself the night before a friend's wedding and once for a weekend away with my boyfriend. Both times I had the most wonderful stay - the beds are some of the comfiest I have ever slept in and I love all the boutique-touches the hotel offers - I'm a massive sucker for green and black chocolate in the fridge and classic fm playing when you enter your room. Although I haven't had dinner at the hotel we ate breakfast there every morning on our last stay and the food was all so delicious I think we might try the dinner menu on our next stay (in March, hopefully!) I wouldn't stay anywhere else in Edinburgh.

Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa - Penang, Malaysia

I stayed here a few years ago on a family holiday and just had the most relaxing time. The staff were all so friendly and accommodating and nothing was too much trouble. The rooms are large, the pool is amazing, and the sun loungers are super comfortable. Malaysia is one of those countries that you could feel a bit unsure in, but the hotel were great in arranging excursions and giving us advice on where we should visit. I also had a wonderful morning in the spa, part of which was spent having an aroma bath in an outside (private!) bath. One of my best ever holiday memories.

Sunset Marquis - West Hollywood, LA, USA

Now, I know I have mentioned comfortable beds already in this entry but without a doubt the bed I slept in at the Sunset Marquis was the most amazing bed I have ever slept in in my life. I stayed here for 3 nights with my sister last year, and having only stayed in LA once before (and doing it budget-style) I was a bit apprehensive about what hotel to choose. I'm so so so glad we made this choice though because it was just perfect - not too fussy or pretentious (my number one concern for LA hotels!) with amazing staff who did anything and everything they could to make our stay perfect (including paying a taxi fare for us one night when we were a bit, hmm, sleepy to pay it ourselves). Although I love California if it weren't for the Sunset Marquis I'm not sure I would stay in LA again, but next time I return to the west coast I will 100% be re-visiting, even if it is just to sleep in that bed again!