Where you can you find a heavy dose of rustic, old-world elegance with a shining view of a snow-capped volcano, complete with practically perfect weather all year round?

 Believe it or not, in northern Ecuador, just a couple of hours out of Quito. The place? Hosteria La Cienega. This charming antique hacienda turned hotel and restaurant has been in the same family since the seventeenth century.

Also near Cotapaxi National Park, this hotel and restaurant makes a wonderful retreat from the city for quiet relaxation. Offering casual breakfasts al fresco as well as more formal indoor seating with a full menu, the atmosphere was (in this writer’s humble opinion) exquisite. Glitzy? No. Understatedly elegant? Absolutely. 

After exploring the interior courtyard’s formal garden and on-sight chapel built into the hacienda itself, we sat down to enjoy grilled fish and steak with rounds of spirit-infused consume, homemade bread and house wine.

Needing to walk off lunch and delighted that the establishment’s management encouraged full facility exploration, we strolled the grounds and explored various suites and communal sitting rooms.

We feel comfortable recommending this hotel and restaurant to those people interested in paying from $12 – $20 USD per plate and $60 – $180 USD per night for accommodation.

Photo Credits: Trek Hound

This article was submitted to the February 3, 2010 edition of Wanderlust and Lipstick’s Wanderfood Wednesday.

Photo Credit: Lucerne Inn

Recently, we were having difficulty finding a room in the city of Bangor due to a huge international folk festival they have every year.

We really needed to get down there and get some bulk shopping done for the winter ahead and also to pick up some business and educational equipment, and it had to be on a specific weekend. A friend recommended a hotel she and her husband love to visit that is only 20-30 minutes outside of Bangor. The place? The Lucerne Inn.

It was just exactly what we needed. Relaxing, full of atmosphere and quiet. The rooms come with a whirlpool tub, a gas fireplace and almost all have a phenomenal view of the lake. We felt like we were back in Europe. They also have a dining menu which was excellent, and a more than passable wine selection. The Lucerne is within easy access to various sights and activities and is filled with old world, well-loved charm. Personal verdict? Worth checking out.

Photo Credit: Astroguyz.Com

A dirt cheap option is Jerusalem’s Muslim Quarter, this place offers open dorm beds for about 25 shekels each, with shared bathroom.

Private rooms are available, but there was no private bath option and they were small. There is a fridge but no kitchen, and a common seating and reading area sans television. David really dug some of the art work on the walls, pictured below.

Photo Credit: Astroguyz.Com

Staffed by volunteer travelers, this place is in easy walking distance to most of the old city’s tourist stops. Downstairs there is an affordable (although not terribly efficient) restaurant with internet service. Housed in an old building with vaulted ceilings and cleaned daily. It’s not fancy, but do-able for penny pinchers. We have to say, it made us feel even more like we were on a pilgrimage, especially with the wide range of ages and personality types residing there.

Located at 8 Aqabat at-Takiya Street. In country phone number: 628-1101.

Photo Credit: Allenby #2 B&B

Looking for a charming, affordable place to stay in Jerusalem? Something right by the bus line that can take you anywhere you want to go?

This bed and breakfast has been recommended enthusiastically by two separate friends of ours who have lived and traveled extensively in the Middle East. Here’s the link: http://www.bnb.co.il/allenby/ Both friends have commented on the service, homey atmosphere and helpfulness of the staff and shared kitchen.

Photo Credit: Allenby #2 B&B 

It’s called Allenby #2 B&B, and they appear to be able to accommodate singles, couples, families and groups of up to 35 people. They also have holiday apartments.  If you have a chance to try it out, post a response and let us know what you think.

Photo Credit: Astroguyz.Com

So, you’ve seen the blurb in the guide book and wanting a little more information? Here’s our take:

Fancy? No. Clean? Somewhat. Safe and Friendly? Absolutely, and “doc” is a hoot!

Photo Credit: Astroguyz.Com

In walking distance to several eating options. Helpful if you are trying to save a few bucks while in Korat trying to arrange transport to other locations, such as some of the nearby temples or the wine and spa district. As I recall, we paid somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 bucks for a double room with AC and shared bathroom.

Located at 78 Suebsiri Soya 4 Korat 30000 Telephone: 044-255846

Photo Credit: Mariam Hotel

Sight seeing in Madaba and the surrounding area? Looking for an affordable, clean and friendly place to stay?

This spotless, family run establishment offers clean rooms with satellite TV and private bath facilities. Our cost for a double? A little over thirty USD per night, breakfast included. There is also a bar, restaurant, swimming pool and spacious common area.

Photo Credit: Mariam Hotel

The owners really bend over backwards for guests, and will help you organize any tour you desire, as Madaba is a convenient location for seeing many of the attractions in the general vicinity, such as Mount Nebo and the Dead Sea. We did find their restaurant and internet services to be a bit overpriced, to be honest. If you don’t mind working around that, however, we’re quite certain you’ll be satisfied with the establishment. As we said, the rooms are more than affordable for the quality you receive, and their tour prices appeared to be rite on par price-wise with others we saw in the country.

Photo Credit: Mariam Hotel

Telephone: 962-5-325-1529 Fax: 962-5-325-1530 http://www.mariamhotel.comPhysical location: Aisha Um Al Mu’meneen Street in Madaba, Jordan.

Photo Credit: TrekHound.Com

Fresh off the bus in Haifa? If you don’t mind walking a bit, there’s a guest house not too far away. Here’s our take on the establishment.

As with most places we found in Israel, the double rooms were much pricier here and the more affordable option was the open dorm beds. That being said, we found this guest house to be extremely well run and fastidiously maintained / cleaned. The owner and staff were extremely friendly and went above and beyond to help us out with inside information, money saving cards and coupons and phone translation when things got difficult.

Photo Credit: Port Inn

There is a decent common area with English language cable TV, outdoor garden area and one of the better shared kitchen facilities we had run across on our entire trip around the world.

Photo Credit: Port Inn

This also was meticulously cleaned and well stocked with equipment if you wanted to make a decent meal at the guest house and stay in for the night. They also offered an included breakfast service which was optional.

Photo Credit: Port Inn

Conveniently located within walking distance to train and bus stations, as well as the city subway type of train that runs up and down the mountain to various tourist stops and museums.  Located at 34 Jaffa Road, Haifa. Telephone: -4-852-4401 Fax: 04-852-1003 They also have a web site you can check out at http://www.portinn.co.il

Photo Credit: Palace Hotel

This affordable establishment is located in the older section of downtown Amman on King Faisal Street, just up the street from King Hussein Mosque.

It includes breakfast and offers internet and laundry service. While the facilities were a bit frayed from popular use and the heating system was a bit sporadic, the staff was phenomenally friendly and helpful, which goes a long way in our book.

Photo Credit: Palace Hotel

We had a clean double room with shared bath directly across the hall for around twenty USD. Other rooms had private bath with satellite TV.  The location is great for seeing downtown sites, hanging out in the old market, and for trying the street food at the nearby Al Hashem restaurant.

Telephone: 962-6-4624327/6 Fax: 962-6-465-0603 http://www.palacehotel.com.jo

Photo Credit: TrekHound.Com

Fresh off the bus in Dahab? Received just about all the enthusiastic hotel pitches from well meaning drivers you can stand? Check this one out.

This friendly little establishment on the beach promenade in Dahab (South Sinai), Egypt is a perfect relaxing getaway from the rigors of travel. They don’t have a ton of rooms, and the ones they have can be a bit small, but they are clean, charming and come with a private bath. Our cost for a double? About ten bucks.

The establishment also has a restaurant with a fairly diverse menu and comfy cushions with low tables right on the water. The staff is also super  helpful, which goes a long way with us.

Phone / Fax: 069-640-852  http://www.jasminepension.com

Photo Credit: TrekHound.Com

Ph: 0-3524-1978  (48/2 Th U. Thong, Ayuthaya) email: bannkunpra@ai-ayuthaya.com

Doing the full archeological tour in Ayuthaya and looking for an affordable place to rest your weary head?

This charming little cheapie with a precious river front location offers a variety (though limited in number) of room options from open dorm to private room with shared bath, and also what we chose which was a private room with a private bath. Our cost? About 12 bucks. That’s right, 12 bucks.

Photo Credit: TrekHound.Com

Granted, the shower facilities do not include hot water and the rooms are rather rustic with full access to street noise. However, they are clean and come with a power house floor fan (no A.C. for the $12 price tag either), towels, bed linens and a clothes rack. Some of the rooms even come with a river front balcony, although none of those were available by the time we arrived. Laundry service is also available for a small additional fee.

Photo Credit: TrekHound.Com

This little family hotel also boasts a popular downstairs restaurant with al fresco dining on a deck overlooking the river. At night, they turn on the miniature white lights strung through all the trees and bougainvillea for extra charm and atmosphere. The inside seating is still quite open air with rustic antique floor tiles and loft-style rectangular tables made of the wrought iron bases of antique sewing machines with beveled glass tops. (Loved these!)

The menu is quite creative and diverse, offering a blend of Thai and European styles from an experienced chef. We found all the meals we ordered here to be well prepared and presented, with many entrees being between 80 – 120 baht (3-5 USD).  Basic breakfasts are also available to guests for a nominal cost. Depending on the evening, you may also want to dig out your mosquito net. This place is definitely not the ritz, but for the price you get more than an adequate amount of charm and service.