On the five-star scale, this hotel scored -2. No bathroom, no bedding, no heating, no flushing toilet and certainly no celebrity chef in the kitchens. (The place would probably win about -150 Michelin stars for its virtually unchewable yak-burgers.)
And yet The White Yak, in Pheriche, Nepal, felt like the most decadently luxurious hotel I’d ever stayed in. After a week or so of hole-in-the-floor WCs, glacier-cold washing water and utterly unlit bedrooms on the trail to Everest Base Camp, I looked at The White Yak’s bare-bulb lighting and flush-it-yourself-with-a-jug lavatory, and very nearly wept with joy. (Best of all were the 12 – count ’em; count ’em slow for pity’s sake – minutes of hot water each guest is allowed in the shower.)
You can read more about that trip here, but the point I’m trying to make is that the best hotels aren’t necessarily the most expensive. And, you’ll find the proof: 100 outstanding accommodations, covering every city you’ve ever considered weekending in – and not one costs more than £100 a night.
As ever, Travel’s tried them out so you can book with total confidence. And this month we’re taking that same assurance out on to the open ocean: our Cruise supplement, brought to you in association with Royal Caribbean International, is aimed not just at seasoned sea dogs (though they’ll find plenty to surprise them), but at hydro-sceptics, too. If you think cruising’s not for you – and that’s certainly what I thought until a voyage to Antarctica changed my mind quick-sharp – you might just find something in there to tempt you aboard. If not, enjoy the rest of the issue, landlubber!