Windows to the World

Because of my travels, I stay in a number of different hotels.  These hotels range from the most elegant, five-star accommodations to the budget motels on the interstate.  The one thing that all of these places have in common is a window, and this portal provides a unique perspective to the world.  While I'm staying at the hotel, I usually take a picture of the scenery outside the window.  I share some of those views on this page.

Argentina - Buenos Aires - Park Elegance Kempinski Hotel
In spite of the dire economic situation in Argentina, hotel rooms in Buenos Aires are tremendously expensive.  I found the Park Elegence Kempinski Hotel through Travelocity, which had a great rate for the hotel.  My room, 603, was on the sixth floor, facing the main street.  When the air conditioning was running, I couldn't hear any of the street noise.

Argentina - Salta - Hotel Salta
Hotel Salta is located in the center of the old town, just south of the main plaza.  It is considered the city's premier hotel.  Room 220 faced onto the corner on which the hotel stands, with an obstructed view of the plaza.  There were apartments across the street, so I could see into their living rooms.  Nothing of interest, though!

Croatia - Dubrovnik - Hotel Petka
While visiting Dubrovnik in May 2003, I stayed at the Hotel Petka, which is located about three kilometers northwest of the city.  The hotel faces the Port of Dubrovnik, which is where most passenger cruise ships dock during their stay in this city.  From Room 107, I had a great view of the docks and the street in front of the hotel.

Croatia - Split - Hotel Bellevue
Situated just east of Split's old town, the Hotel Bellevue has one of the best locations in this Dalmatian city.  I was given Room 203, which faced onto a side street, cutting down on the noise.  I got a great view of the residential apartments across the street, which had very little activity during my three nights at the hotel.

Croatia - Zagreb - Hotel Jadran
I stayed at the Hotel Jadran during one night in Zagreb; I had made the reservations through emails exchanged with the hotel.  The travel guides had warned not to take a front room, because they can be quite noisy.  Well, my room, 207, faced toward the front, but the noise didn't seem to bother me.  This view is looking northward, with Kaptol behind the apartment block in the center of the picture.

France - Paris - Hilton at Charles de Gaulle Airport
I visited Paris in June 2003 for meetings with Air France.  The Hilton at Charles de Gaulle Airport is located in a hotel park close to airport's Terminal 2.  It was also very conveniently located to Air France's offices, which are about a five-minute walk from the hotel.  The view from Room 253 was not exciting - just the hotel across the bus station.

France - Paris - Suitehotel CDG
I had meetings with Air France, so I decided to spend the first night of this trip near the airport.  My traveling companion, Justin, and I waited at the airport for almost an hour for the shuttle bus.  When we got to the hotel, we discovered that it was the wrong hotel, and the one at which I had made reservations was across the autoroute.  But this hotel was accommodating and gave us a room.  Since I was late to my meeting, I gave Justin the key and my bags and rushed to Air France's headquarters.  There wasn't much of a view from Room 202, but the rate of €95 was much more economical than the other airports in the area.

France - Paris - Libertel Hotel Terminal Est
After spending one night by the CDG Airport, Justin and I moved to a hotel in central Paris.  We stayed at the Libertel Hotel Terminal Est, which is located near the Gare de l'Est.  We had a two-room suite, which allowed each of us to have our own rooms.  From Room 318, our windows faced onto the train station, as well as the main streets.  The hotel was in a great location, and I would definitely return.

Slovenia - Ljubljana - CityHotel Turist
The CityHotel Turist is a clean, three-hotel hotel north of the city's downtown area.  It caters to package tours and others seeking budget accommodations.  Room 702's portal gave me a good view of the old town and, if I contorted my body correctly, I could see the Ljubljanski Grad.

Switzerland - Zürich - NH Hotel at Zürich Airport
I visited Zürich in May 2003 for a research consortium quarterly meeting.  Our hosts, Swiss International Air Lines, had arranged accommodations at this hotel, which is a five-minute bus ride from the airport.  The view from Room 317 looked onto the main street, but because the window was set in an alcove, I did not have a great view.  It rained during my entire two-day visit, so it really did not matter.

United States - Snowmass, CO - Snowmass Mountain Chalet
During our Summer, 2003 trip to central Colorado, Brian and I spent the night at the Snowmass Mountain Chalet.  From room 402, we could see the base of Snowmass's ski slopes.  

United States - Louisville, KY - Drury Inn and Suites
I joined my family on Labor Day weekend in Louisville, Kentucky for the wedding of a family friend.  We stayed at the Drury Inn and Suites, which is located about twelve miles from the airport and ten miles south of downtown.  Most of the wedding's out-of-town guests stayed at the hotel, as well as many BMX-style bikers who were in town for a weekend series of races.  Unfortunately, the view from Room 427 was not attractive and the rain did not improve the view.

United States - Dallas, TX - Doubletree at Lincoln Center
I was visiting Dallas to participate in the 2003 Sabre Airmax™ Design Conference.  These sessions were being held at the Doubletree Hotel at Lincoln Center, which is located just south of the city's Galleria shopping center.  The view from room 614 looked due east onto the flat terrain of North Texas.  Unfortunately, I could not see much of downtown Dallas or even the Galleria.  Oh well, I was only here for one night.

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