One blustery winter afternoon found a few colleagues and me gathered around the table brainstorming for the Canadian Living Travel Planner (in our May 2007 issue). At one point we began to regale one another with memories of our most memorable accommodations while on the road. Some were unforgettable because of their luxury, others couldn't be erased from memory due to quirky twists and unexpected "extras."

A Paris hotel…with pigeons
I recalled my first trip to Paris in the spring of 1988. I had found the best deal in town: Hotel Henri IV, 25 Place Dauphine, smack in the centre of Paris (for 80 francs at night, roughly $20, un très bon bargain back then) -- and virtually within bell-ringing distance of the hallowed Notre Dame Cathedral. But did anyone inform me that each balconied room in the City of Lights came equipped with its own flock of invading pigeons? Mais non! I arose from my slumber one morning to the musical ringing of church bells wafting into my room -- along with three unembarrassed pigeons crouched at the foot of my bed. The astonished concierge, upon hearing my complaint, simply gave me that ah-you-pauvre-imbecile look, and replied, "But monsieur, zee pigeons haff lived in Paris long before you! Non?" He had a point.

A B&B in England
And then there was the B&B owner in Lewes (a quaint village in the south of England), who marched into my room around 10:30 one night, deposited a crate of three ferrets at my feet, and promptly announced, "I'm going round to the pub for a bit. Do be a dear and keep an eye on the girls, will you?" My response was quick: "You're leaving me with these, er, um, animals…and in my very own room?" Again with that pitiable look so peculiar to innkeepers the world over, she sighed, "Well, I'd hardly leave them on their own for the night, now, would I?" And with that she was off. As for my midnight reverie with the rodents on the loose, well that's another story.

Good hotel rooms, from Mexico to Florence to university residences
I've spent nights in castles, barns, fine hotels, university residences, monasteries, convents and in waterlogged huts on the side of mountaintops. The variety of accommodation I've enjoyed over 25 years of travel speaks to all manner of traveling -- and to a variety of budgets. Here's a passport to some of my most memorable (yet, in many cases, practical) hotels and lodgings across Canada and around the globe. (Plus, I've also asked my colleagues for best rooms at the inn, so don't forget to scroll down.)

1. Hotel Irma, Zihuatanejo, Mexico
Do you recall the "dream escape" that the wrongly imprisoned Tim Robbins constantly fantasizes about in the popular movie Shawshank Redemption? Picture the closing reunion scene when Morgan Freeman comes upon the free-as-a-bird Robbins painting a boat on an isolated beachfront. Well, that's Zihuatanejo, on La Madera Beach, on the west coast of Mexico, and just above that bayfront is the Hotel Irma. Try it -- you'll feel relaxed, you'll feel free!

Recommended for: couples, families and groups of friends who want a nice alternative to the übertouristy hotels (and excess commercialism) of nearby Ixtapa.

Info: www.hotelirma.com

2. Summer accommodation at university residences
It was during a three-day stay at a university residence in Prague in 1993 that an aged janitor took me aside and explained, in broken English, about the momentous day four years earlier when the Soviets pulled out of what was then Czechoslovakia, restoring freedom after decades of repressive rule. "Svoboda," he said. "Volnost!" Freedom.

University residences the world over face empty rooms when students leave at the end of the academic year and so offer up their rooms to travelers. I remember my cousin Peter and I finding cheap digs at McGill University in the summer of 1985; the savings alone enabled us to prolong our vacation in la belle province by a few more days. University and college residences are typically clean, safe and equipped with all kinds of services (laundry, dining halls, some with exercise facilities), but most important -- they're modestly priced. I have booked myself into university residences in Montreal, Vancouver, Quebec City, Halifax, Prague, the Czech Republic and the University of Toronto (long before I moved here). I strongly suggest this as an option for first-time travelers. You'll easily meet other travelers.

Recommended for: students, travelers on a budget. Some universities accommodate couples and families but check first. Note: they tend to fill up on long weekends, so book ahead.

Information on summer accommodation at some Canadian university residences:
• Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
• McGill University (Montreal, Quebec)
• Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec
• University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
• University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
• University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C.

Tip: Be sure to check the universities and colleges well in advance.

3. Hotel Henri IV, 25 Place Dauphine, Isle de la Cite, Paris, France
I've stayed at the pigeon-friendly Hotel Henri IV three times, the last being 1994. Friends tell me that little has changed. You can still get a single room for below-average rates for Paris, at less than 75 euros. The 17th-century building once housed King Henri IV's printing presses. Expect tiny beds, only a handful of washrooms (out in the hall), a timeworn spiral staircase, a simple French breakfast (strong coffee, baguette and a bit of jam) and lots of character, and not just from the birdlife, either. It's located right on the Isle de la Cité, in the middle of the Seine.

Recommended for: budget travelers (no luxuries here!); not really suitable for families, and certainly not for the ornithophobic.

More info: call 01-43-54-44-53 or visit Discovery's website.

4. Maca Bana Villas, Grenada, West Indies
I'd never had a hot tub (at the edge of a cliff) to myself, much less a private banana tree, but that was all mine when I booked into Rock Fig villa at Maca Bana Resort, a newly refurbished paradise (owners had to rebuild after the devastation of Hurricane Ivan) set on two acres of rolling hillside at the edge of the ocean, outside the parish of St. George's in Grenada. The air is a heady aroma of sea and spices.

Recommended for: couples and families who want to treat themselves to wonderful accommodation without a lot of fuss. Maca Bana is at the edge of a beautiful beach that is less hectic than some of others on the island and literally a three-minute drive to the airport (but you never hear airplanes!).

Info: www.macabana.com

Tip: co-owner Rebecca Thompson, an accomplished artist, also leads artistic field trips around Grenada with follow-up sessions in her studio.

5. Spice Islands Beach Resort, Grand Anse Beach, St. George's, Grenada
I was convinced I "had arrived," as they say, when I realized the enclosed courtyard to my suite at the elegant Spice Island Beach Resort afforded not only privacy but an outdoor sauna, and my own private swimming pool. Attention is given to every last detail. My second-favourite moment occurred in the front terrace/bar, where I was served afternoon tea at the edge of the ocean.

Recommended for: Travelers on a bigger budget. This is an exclusive high-end resort, one of the finest (if not the top) resorts in all of Grenada. Privacy and luxury are key. The spa is top-notch and there's also an incredibly well-equipped and supervised child-entertainment centre.

Info: spiceislandbeachresort.com

6. Pensionato Pio X (also known as Pope Pius X Guest house), Via dei Serragli 106, Florence, Italy
I remember stumbling in late one night at Pensionata Pio (after an evening out on the town) to be met by the disapproving bust of Pope Pius X at the top of the stairwell. That aside, this is a clean hostel for solo travelers and couples, run by a group of helpful religious women. The hostel's best feature is its arcaded and classically Florentine courtyard. It's only a 15-minute walk from the main train station of Santa Maria Novella. Watch out for speeding mopeds driven by nuns. They seem to be on a holy terror, no pun intended.

Recommended for: solo travelers and couples on a budget who are comfortable with spartan surroundings. Also recommended reading: Monasteries of Italy (If convents and monasteries are to your liking, they provide a peaceful and safe way to see the world.

Info: www.hostelpiox.it

7. Mar Hall, Mar Hall Estate, Bishopton, Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Scotland
I felt like the lord of the manor waking up in a four-poster canopied bed, in a bedroom that surely measured 1,100 square feet, with glorious views (through a pair of 25-foot windows) of the River Clyde with the Kilpatrick Hills. (I loved curling up in bed, taking my morning coffee and watching sheep and horses gad about in the pastures at the river's edge.) The current mansion house was built in 1828 and recently transformed into one of Scotland's most elegant high-end guest-hotels and resorts; the original Mar Hall, when the Earl of Mar was alive, attracted the likes of Mary, Queen of Scots and Robert the Bruce.

Recommended for: people traveling with loads of cash, perhaps treating yourself to a special night. Spa facilities are included and a golf course is in the works.

Info: www.marhall.com

8. Tiroran House, Isle of Mull, Scotland
Staying at this secluded, well-appointed country house felt like a scene out of Brigadoon. There we were, strolling down a country lane one evening before dinner, when and suddenly through the trees came the heart-stirring, almost eerie sounds of a lone piper, piping us in to dinner. We heard him, but we saw him not. The property has 17 acres of lush grounds to wander including a secluded rose garden set against a backdrop of rugged grandeur and wilderness landscape. Owners Lawrence and Kate make it homey and hospitable.

Recommended for: couples (it's a very romantic setting) and small groups of friends who want an idyllic retreat after the hustle and bustle of Edinburgh and Glasgow. (Perfect for nature-lovers.)

Info: www.tiroran.com

And the list goes on. I had almost forgotten about the time I arrived at Gimmelwald, the alpine village in Switzerland, and with no room at the inn, was guided through the tiny hotel lobby, out the back door and across the yard into -- a barn! Up in the tidy loft I was assigned a mattress and blanket. Well, from beach resort to barn, that's what traveling is all about.

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