BIGGER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER

“There’s a small hotel, with a wishing well, I wish that we were there together…” In 1936, the

renowned songwriting team of Rodgers and Hart wrote those words in a song entitled “There’s

A Small Hotel.” One claim has it that the inspiration for the song came from Rodger’s stay at the

El Encanto in Santa Barbara. Sadly, the aforementioned wishing well was replaced by a floral

fountain in the 1950s.

 

Fast-forwarding to the year 2022, small under-the-radar hotels are still a great getaway choice.

Today’s small hotels exude all the charm and class of the old-world Grande Dames with the

added comfort and amenities of the 21st century. However, what you won’t find in a fine small

hotel is the impersonal service, glitz, crowds, or noise you’ll find in some mega hostelries. Check

out these small hotels for a possible place on your go-to list.

 

BELMOND EL ENCANTO: The El Encanto of Rodgers and Hart‘s song fame was established

during the early 1900s as the El Encanto Hotel. This historic (1915) estate, tucked away on ten

lush acres with glittering Pacific views, has had many renovations and owners in its century-plus

lifetime. Orient-Express Hotels, the last owner, changed its name to Belmond El Encanto in

2014.

 

Perched high in the hills above the red tile roofs of Santa Barbara, the hotel is the place where

carriage trade from the East Coast mingled with the likes of Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, and

Hedy Lamarr who motored up from Los Angeles to escape the rigors of stardom during the

Golden Age of Hollywood. It is the place where Gatsby-clad couples sipped champagne around

a wisteria-ringed lily pond and the place where my husband and I celebrated two of our

anniversaries.

 

HOTEL LORD BYRON: Once a patrician villa, this small 5-Star hotel is close to the

bustling Eternal City’s main attractions. The Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain are within 15

minutes walking distance from the hotel. The hotel lends the opportunity to relax in a most

placid private environment in the exclusive Parioli quarter of Rome. This charming 1930s Art

Deco-style hotel radiates warmth and intimacy.

 

The exclusive Lord Byron provides the best of both worlds. It is a few steps from Rome’s

luxurious Villa Borghese Gardens, and a stroll in the park from Piazza di Spagna.

 

VILLA ST. MICHELE: In the Italian hill town Fiesole, monk-ey business ascends to new

heights at this 15th century monastery-turned-hotel, where guests sleep in luxurious rooms that

were once monk’s cells. With its Michelangelo-designed facade, this elegantly austere hostelry

offers much more than a room with a view. The cloistered elegance of this converted Franciscan

monastery offers one of the most luxurious small hotels in the world. The reception area, once

the chapel of the monastery, is resplendent with its crystal chandelier, raised marble altar and

two ancient Persian carpets that, in reality, are strategically placed to conceal the tombs of

twelve members of the Davanzati family. Precariously perched on a secluded Fiesole hillside,

Villa San Michele gives a drop-dead view of the rooftops and steeples of Florence, Italy.

 

HOTEL LE SAINT-PAUL: This charming 16th century hostelry, wedged between other

medieval buildings in the heart of the tiny village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France has served as

a hospital, a church, a clandestine meeting place, and a private home, in its former lives.

Located fifteen minutes from the Nice airport, between Cannes and Monaco, the 4-star Le

Saint-Paul is perched in the sky of the Cote d’ Azur. It is an enchanting spot at the foot of the

ramparts of St. Paul De Vence. (Be advised: Don’t try to drive within the winding, narrow walls of

the town. It’s Stressville.)

 

Enjoy a Le Saint-Paul Restaurant lunch on the hotel’s flower-decked terrace sheltered by the

ramparts of Saint-Paul. The chef will propose a delectable lunch, laced with decidedly

Mediterranean flavors. After lunch, stroll around the streets of this tiny village that was loved and

cherished by 19th and 20th century artists such as Chagall, Matisse and Picasso. Be sure to

visit Fondation Maeght, a museum that features the works of some of the biggest names in

20th-century European sculpture, including Georges Braque, Alberto Giacometti, and Joan

Miró.

 

 

CHÂTEAU LA CHENEVIÈRE: An elegant hideaway set in the Normandy France

countryside, Château La Chenevière is a gracious 18th-century château surrounded by

attractive gardens and parkland. It is located close to historic Bayeux and Normandy Beach on

the austere northern coast of France. Now a five-star hotel, this refined 17th century manor

house, in an exquisite park-like setting, was fully restored in 1988. There are 29 rooms in

Chateau La Chenevière, each uniquely designed with a hint of Hollywood glamour. Deluxe

executive rooms come with theatrical open-sided marble bathrooms. Guests also enjoy a

heated outdoor pool, tennis court, inviting bar and gastronomic cuisine reflecting the flavors of

Normandy.

 

NIMB HOTEL: Hans Christian Anderson could not have imagined what would await him if

he traveled back to his ‘Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen’ in 2009. With deep pockets, he

might have been lucky enough to snare one of the 13 rooms in this Moorish-style, palatial

accommodation known as the Nimb Hotel. One enters the Nimb across the street from the

Central Railway Station. Step out the opposite side, and you’ll find yourself in that Danish

fairyland known as Tivoli Gardens.

 

From the comfort of your room, with its open fire and huge bathroom with freestanding tub, you

can look out on Tivoli Gardens where some 270 million people have strolled since its founding in

1843. However, don’t worry about the noise factor from Tivoli Gardens. Aglow with tiny lights on

its white marble façade, the Nimb Hotel has airport-standard triple-glazed windows. The Nimb’s

Restaurant Herman might well be Copenhagen’s most elegant (and most expensive) eatery.

 

MERRION HOTEL: Opened in October 1997, Dublin Ireland’s magnificent Merrion Hotel

was created within four lovingly restored 18th Century terrace houses opposite the seat of the

Irish Government on Upper Merrion Street.

In fall and winter, the air in the gracious Drawing Room is filled with the scent of woodsmoke

and flowers. Log fires crackle and sunbeams shine upon Belgian tapestries, French chandeliers

and priceless Irish paintings. In spring and summer, the terrace is alive with ducks swimming to

the music of water splashing on the pebbles in the garden pools.

 

The scent of lilac and jasmine in the air drifts through the open windows of the Michelin 2-star

Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, the most renowned kitchen in Ireland. For what might well be

Dublin’s best Fish and Chips, skip the pubs and head for The Cellar Bar in the basement of The

Merrion Hotel. After hundreds of years of darkness and silence, the rough stone walls of Lord

Mornington’s wine vault have come to life in the hotel’s Cellar Bar. The bar’s arches echo with

ripples of warm laughter, and the amiable staff will “pull a proper pint” and teach you the

difference between Guinness Stout and Smithwick Ale, an Irish red ale-style beer… the most

consumed ale in Ireland.

 

When downing that proper pint, just say “Sláinte!” (Cheers!)

Janet Steinberg, winner of 55-travel writing awards, resides in Cincinnati but calls the world her

home.

 

PHOTO CREDITS: Janet Steinberg