Category: lodgings
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Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya Hotel
This building in Moscow was my hotel for a few days. My host suggested it as it is within walking distance from their office. The Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya Hotel (Хилтон Москоу Ленинградская) designed by Leonid Polyakov, completed in 1954 is one of Moscow’s seven Stalinist skyscrapers built in the early 1950s. The Stalinist architecture abandoned modernity in favor of…
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Jomon no Yado Manten 縄文の宿 まんてん, Yakushima 屋久島
Jomon no Yado Manten (JNYM, 縄文の宿 まんてん) was our lodgings for 3 days on Yakushima 屋久島. It is 1-minute walk from the airport, basically just across the 2-lane main road that circumnavigates the island. The airport is really an airstrip and it closes after the last flight left or landed in late afternoon. Between the two ryokans that…
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Yakakutei 野鶴亭, Kirishima, Japan
During our 2-week vacation, we stayed at two ryokans (traditional inn). The first is Yakakutei 野鶴亭 (wild crane pavilion) located in Kirishima霧島 (literally, fog island) in southern Kyushu. Half-board is usually the only option for staying at a ryokan and we were happy to indulge ourselves. And indulged we did. Every night was a kaiseki-ish…
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Corso Giacomo Matteotti, Siracusa (Ortigia), Sicily
Continuing with our trip to Siracusa, Sicily … the apartment we rented is situated on the island of Ortigia and overlooks one of the newer and straighter main street on the island – Corso Giacomo Matteotti. The apartment is located on the top floor of a relatively new, mixed-use building. There is a Zara on…
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Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion 張弼士故居, Penang
Back in Georgetown, Penang, among many of the heritage buildings, the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (張弼士故居) is one of the most celebrated example. UNESCO recognized it with an award in Heritage conservation in 2000. We were treated to a glimpse of how a Chinese tycoon lived at the turn of the century (19th-20th). The mansion is now…
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Heavenly Spa by Westin, Langkawi
The Heavenly Spa is located adjacent to the Westin resort with its own beachfront. One could walk over from the resort lobby in about 10 minutes or hail a golf buggy. Upon arrival, after passing through the entrance gate, there is a small courtyard where one faces a row of trees, the beach and…