How We Choose Hotels

We know that hotels aren’t the main reason for traveling. But it happens that good accommodations can enhance your overall tour experience – and great accommodations can contribute to a great trip. So we select those hotels that we believe are the best for a particular trip and experience – those that will offer our guests the best combination of quality, value, and atmosphere for each destination. Our hotels in major cities are usually centrally located so guests can get around easier; our unique lodgings are often out of the way, offering our tour members a local ambiance larger groups never experience.

A note about foreign accommodations. As you know, hotels around the world can vary significantly. European hotel rooms, for example, tend to be smaller than those in the United States – especially single rooms, despite the supplement charged. Also, air conditioning isn’t as universal as at home; bathtubs are typically higher; and of course, standards of service can vary depending on cultural norms. Our goal is to select lodgings that offer a sense of place, standard amenities or better, good service, and a good location. Please note that in rural areas the best accommodations available may be limited in terms of service and amenities.

A Variety of Accommodations

We categorize our diverse selection of accommodations as follows:

Excellent Hotels
These are the Deluxe, Superior First Class, and First Class accommodations we use in major cities worldwide, including well-known chain hotels as well as independently-owned properties. You can expect excellent service and amenities in these well-located hotels.

Unique Lodgings
Perhaps our most interesting lodgings, these properties cater to small groups and independent travelers, and generally are not available to conventional groups of 40 or more. From the historic paradores of Spain and pousadas of Portugal to a French farmhouse or a Tuscan villa, these accommodations often are destinations in themselves.

Small Ships
We leave the mass-market big ship cruise experience to others, and instead focus on the smaller, more intimate ships that ply distinctive waterways. As you cruise along the Yangtze River, the Turquoise Coast, or the Galapagos Islands, among others, your small ship is as much a part of the journey as the places you visit. These vessels let you see the life of a country up close, and allow you to disembark frequently to explore ashore. And while they may vary from simple and comfortable to truly deluxe, these ships generally feature a casual on-board atmosphere, single-seating dining, and amenities such as lounges, boutiques, and plenty of open deck space.

How We Rate Hotels

Itineraries on every trip in this catalog list a rating beside each hotel. Rather than impose our own subjective ratings, our source is the standard travel industry manual, Hotel & Travel Index, which ranks hotels throughout the world based on standard criteria. This allows you to effectively judge the value of a particular trip and accommodations, and to make an educated decision relative to other travel companies.

Hotel Classifications
Geared to travel professionals in the travel industry, the Hotel & Travel Index’s classification system comprises three categories: Deluxe, First Class, and Tourist Class. Within each category, a lodging may be rated superior, moderate, or with limited service to further define it.

Unrated Accommodations
Some hotels may be too small, too new, or too remote to be included in the Index, so we list them as Not Rated. This in no way infers inferior quality or service. Please note that our small ships are not included in the Index; their ratings here are based on the classifications of their operators.