Located in the small historical town of Yame, Craft Inn specializes in renovating old houses and tastefully decorating them with furniture and tools made using local materials and techniques. It is the perfect way to experience staying amongst Kyushu’s crafts, re-imagined to suit modern lifestyles.

The Retreat at Blue LagoonAdd: Norðurljósavegur 11, 240 Grindavík, IcelandTel: +354 420 8700Website: www.bluelagoon.com/accommodation/retreat-hotelPrice: from 162,000 ISK (~1290 USD) / nightVisited: Sep 2019 When planning our Iceland road trip (Part I, Part II), we decided to end it at the Blue Lagoon for two reasons. First, the Blue Lagoon is only a short 20-minute drive…Continue Reading “[ICELAND 冰島] The Retreat at Blue Lagoon 藍湖酒店”

A stylish, convenient, and super comfortable boutique accommodation in Singapore’s vibrant Chinatown neighborhood. Highly recommended especially for those looking for a more affordable and fun alternative to the five star hotels.

Though Tokyo has an endless supply of stylish hotels, I personally prefer to stay in apartments, especially when it’s for a longer trip. If you are on the same boat, in the hood might be something worth looking at.

[Kyushu] Garden Terrace Miyazaki

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Garden Terrace Miyazaki

Add: 247-18 Shimoharacho, Miyazaki, Miyazaki Prefecture
Tel: 0985-73-8888
Website: www.gt-miyazaki.co.jp
Price: 37,000~57,000 yen/night
Visited: Oct 2016

Please note that this was a complimentary stay arranged by the hotel.

Our last stop in Kyushu was Miyazaki, where we stayed at a most beautiful and serene hotel designed by famed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. Located on the site of a former factory, Garden Terrace Miyazaki is sheltered by a timber canopy, and entering its bamboo premises automatically imbues one with a sense of tranquility. How did I find out about this low profile hotel, you ask? Well, a friend had stayed at Garden Terrace Nagasaki (also designed by Kengo Kuma) on a recent trip and really loved it, and after doing some research I found out that it has a sister hotel in Miyazaki, and decided to give it a try…

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Upon entering the hotel, we were first left upstairs to the second floor lounge for check-in. This space also functions as a club lounge for hotel guests, with complimentary snacks, drinks, and a small library.

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[Hong Kong 香港] The Upper House 奕居

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The Upper House

Add: Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2918 1838
Website: www.upperhouse.com
Price: from 5,000 HKD/night
Visited: Aug 2016

It’s been a while since I last went to Hong Kong, so I couldn’t help but feel a little excited on my flight over – especially knowing that I will be staying at The Upper House. I have heard so much about this hotel and was already quite charmed by it after a lovely lunch at Cafe Gray Deluxe five years ago, so naturally I was looking forward to the stay. 4 days and 3 evenings after, I’m a believer. Let’s see how the experience unfolded.

八月底,去了一趟香港。由于在巴黎這些年幾乎都沒回亞洲,上次到香港玩也是快六年前的事了,去程的飛機上不免有種鄉巴佬要進城的興奮感(是真的)。這次住宿選擇在The Upper House 奕居,四天三夜下來除了滿意還是滿意 - 方便的地點、優雅的設計、舒適的空間、細致的服務,無一不讓人傾心。

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It all started at the airport. Thanks to The Upper House’s limousine service, I didn’t have to wait in the long queue for taxi. I hopped on a Lexus Hibrid (Mercedes also available) and 40 minutes later I was at the hotel. Smooth.

感謝酒店的機場接送服務,不用大排長龍的等出租車。Upper House 用的是 Lexus 混能環保車(也可以選擇Mercedes),車裏設有wifi,連水都很貼心的准備了不容易灑出來的嘴吸裝水瓶。香港小旅行,完美開始。

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The hotel sits on top of Pacific Place, a glossy shopping complex at Admiralty, which is one stop from the Central business district and one stop (across the harbor) from Tsim Sha Tsui, and also within walking distance to Wanchai. Perfect location.

從機場出發一路順暢,和司機先生聊著天,大約40分鍾抵達酒店。Upper House 位于金鍾太古廣場,是港島非常中心的地段,到中環、上環、灣仔都非常近,以地點來說沒有比這裏更方便的了。

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The hotel entrance is cocooned inside a thick wall, entitled “Stone Curtain” by British designer Thomas Heatherwick, a understated yet solid facade that separates the hotel from the outside world. As The Upper House is renovated from an apartment building, its design is unlike that of a traditional five-star hotel – there is no grand lobby, but instead, it feels more like a (very stylish) home. At the reception, hotel service staff are all smiles and know the guests by name.

酒店大門隱藏在石砌厚牆內,低調、隱密、有與外界區隔的安全感。這裡由一棟公寓改造而成,設計上不像傳統的五星級酒店,沒有氣派的大堂,反而更有家的感覺,服務人員也都笑容滿面,叫得出客人的名字。

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[Tainan] Old House Inn 謝宅

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Old House Inn 謝宅

Add: Tainan city center
Tel: +886 0922-852-280
Price: 7000-8000 TWD/night
Visited: Jun 2016

Luxury hotels are nice, but especially for an old city like Tainan, staying in a historical house seems like a much more attractive option. For our two-day trip, we checked in at Old House Inn 謝宅 (literally Hsieh’s House), a charming space renovated from owner Kyle’s old family house. He currently has 6 properties dispersed across the city, the one we stayed at is “Inn #4”, a small house of two stories, tugged away inside a hidden alley located in the center of Tainan. For privacy concerns, the address isn’t publicized, and there’s no sign at the door – the staff will personally lead you here when you arrive in Tainan.

這次台南兩天一夜的小旅行,選擇住在由老房子改造而成的民宿 - 謝宅。同行的朋友是這裏的常客,托她的福,有老板小五親自來接我們吃飯喝果汁,也因此有機會和他聊了聊。小五是台南人,從 2008 年開始將自家老房子修建成民宿,到現在已有六間。我們住的 “謝宅四” 是一棟兩層樓的小屋,隱藏在台南市中心一個不起眼的小巷子裏。

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Since 2008, Kyle has been refurbishing his family properties while preserving their nostalgic charm.The door, for example, is pieced together using old woods recycled from temples, a material which we will see over and over again inside the house. Side note: the house we stayed in originally belonged to Kyle’s grandma, and became the dowry of his mother when she got married.

這裏原是小五外婆的房子,後來成了小五媽媽出嫁時的嫁妝。爲了給客人隱私,沒有門牌,也不公開地址。大門由收集來的廟門木料拼裝而成,很有意思。門上還挂著一串串葡萄,太可愛了。

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Upon entering, we were greeted by a small patio with a pond. It’s a such a lovely set up with the chairs and trees and fish and turtle, and if Tainan weren’t so hot and humid in June, I could really sit here all afternoon.

一入門首先見到的是有池塘的小庭院。露台上放著兩把椅子,可以看見池塘裏的小魚和烏龜先生,還有一旁這顆五十多歲的非洲紅。要不是台南六月天氣太熱,真的可以在這裏坐一下午。

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