Top Ten Hotels

Over the years, the lovely Robin and I have traveled a bit, and enjoyed many fine lodgings, from the Inn and Spa at Cedar Falls in Ohio to the lovely inn our friend Nigel booked for us in our 1995 sojourn in England (wish I could remember the name). But I thought I'd take a few moments to compile a list of the top ten hotels (not B&B, timeshare resort, or rented cabin, but hotels, this time around) we've enjoyed over the years. Here's what I came up with:

The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs
We stayed here in 2008, and enjoyed every minute. Luxury, comfort, class, all in the shadow of Cheyenne Mountain. Beyond words.

The Davenport Hotel, Spokane
I stayed at the historic Davenport Hotel, in downtown Spokane, in October 2011. It is named for Llewellyn "Louis" Davenport, who came to Spokane in 1889 at the age of 20, opened a restaurant, became successful, and opened this hotel in 1914. Closed in 1985 and revived by local entrepreneurs Walt and Karen Worthy in 2000, it has been restored to breathtaking beauty and vibrancy. And the bed was the most comfortable hotel bed I've ever slept in.

The Mills House, Charleston
Originally built in 1853 by entrepreneur Otis Mills and designed by architect John E. Earle, this is the only hotel in Charleston's Museum Mile. The lovely Robin and I stayed here in 2010, hosted by our friends Jim and Diane Lillibridge.

The Palmer House, Chicago
I stayed here one night. With my daughter, Aubrey, in 2004, I think, on a job-hunting trip for her. Absolutely spectacular.

El Tovar Lodge, Arizona
On the south rim of the Grand Canyon--tiny room, but everything else was wonderful.

Grand Hyatt Hotel, Denver
The lovely Robin and I stayed here in 2010, compliments of the Writing for the Soul conference. We had a suite. We had it made.

Olive Tree Hotel, Jerusalem
We've stayed in this unique hotel--with an Olive Tree in the dining room--three times on visits to Israel (2000, 2005, 2010). It is a home away from home.

Diplomat Hotel, Jerusalem
The lovely Robin and I stayed here on our very first visit to Jerusalem, in 1987 (yes, that's me in the photo above, with the camera bag and luggage tag; I was young and thin once. Long, long ago, in a galaxy far away). We checked in one evening, and awoke the next morning to a view out our window of shepherds tending their sheep on the hillside below. The hotel has since been converted to an SRO for Russian immigrants living in Jerusalem.

Pyramids Park Resort Hotel, Cairo
Our room was no great shakes (in fact, it took three tries to find one that was acceptable!), but the location of this hotel--right next to the pyramids--couldn't be beat.

The Golden Lamb Inn, Lebanon OH
This is a sentimental choice. Robin and I spent our first couple nights as a married couple in the John Quincy Adams room of this historic hotel, older than the state of Ohio.

I'm sure there are several I'm forgetting. But these I remember well. And fondly.