Titilaka Inkaterra Puno, Lake Titicaca, Andes
Lake Titicaca, on the Peru/Bolivia border, is the location of Inkaterra’s new 18-room lodge (opening in February) with spectacular wraparound terraces and panoramic views. Suites on the private peninsula have heated floors, large bathrooms and signature spa treatments such as the Andean Hot Stone massage. Further information from Original Travel (020 7978 7333; www.originaltravel.co.uk).

Tierra Atacama Hotel and Spa, Chile
In the Altiplano of the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile, this boutique hotel, opening in January, will have 32 contemporary rooms, with terraces and views of the Licancabur Volcano. There will be a spa with a wide range of treatments and an indoor pool. Further information from the Ultimate Travel Company (020 7386 4646; www.theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk).

La Casona, Cusco, Peru
Built on the site of the Palace of Inca Manco Capac, founder of the Inca Empire, in Cusco, this small hotel, which opens in February, will provide a luxurious start or finish to the Inca trail. In the old quarter of Cusco, the former 16th-century Spanish mansion has 11 open-plan suites, open fireplaces, large bathrooms and therapy tables for in-room massage. Prices start at £300 b & b for a 100 per cent carbon neutral stay. Further details from Inkaterra (0800 458 7506; www.inkaterra.com). Read more »

Here are more reviews of the new generation of hotels that are now opening up for travellers seeking hotels with character. We have already reviewed some of the best new hotels in Europe, here is the pick of places to stay in India and the Indian Ocean islands : Here are the current top places to stay in Europe:

1. Four Seasons Mumbai
The Four Seasons hotel group has now developed its first property in India, and it is going to make an impact on the city of Mumbai. The Worli district is the place to be in the fast expanding capital, central to the bustling heart of former Bombay. Spacious rooms overlooking the Arabian Sea in the 33-floor glass tower give a breathtaking first impression. The hotel offers its guests S-class Mercedes transfers around the city and helipad access close to the hotel entrance. Read more »

A new generation of hotels is opening up around the world. Here are the current top places to stay in Europe:

1. Kempinski Hotel Dukes’ Palace, Bruges

The historic World Heritage city of Bruges is the home of this magnificent new hotel, opened in February 2008. The Kempinski Dukes’ Palace is housed in the restored 15th Century Prinsenhof, built for the marriage between Philip the Good and Isabelle of Portugal. The building has been meticulously decorated, retaining original features including the collection of royal paintings. The 93 bedrooms are individually designed to make best use of this historic building. Tel 0032 50 447882.

2. The Four Seasons Firenze is housed in Florence’s Renaissance Palazzo Della Gherardesca. The earliest parts of this palace and former convent date back to the fifteenth century and the hotel will feature frescoes, sculptures and works of art that have been displayed here for hundreds of years. There are 117 guest rooms and suites, and no two are the same. The decor is a blend of Renaissance artistry with high-tech comfort, and the best rooms overlooking the romantic inner courtyard or the extensive private gardens.

Both hotels include state of the art wireless internet access in all areas, and tranquil health spas.
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The Lake Malawi National Park now has an extra attraction in the Pumulani Beach Lodge, comprising ten luxury lakeside villas. Each commands a spectacular view over Lake Malawi and its own private deck. Activities at the lodge include birdwatching, waterskiing, sailing, diving, wakeboarding, kayaking, snorkelling and fishing.

Guests can experience the beauty of the Lake of Stars by night on scenic cruises in a traditional wooden dhow, a 40ft sailing boat handbuilt by local craftsmen. The National Park is a World Heritage Site and the opening of the lodge brings luxury accommodation to this natural paradise. Read more »

You are probably very experienced at surfing for the best price on flights for your next vacation but it is a fact that most of us simply contact the hotel of our choice and ask for a room. But there is a big market in cut price rooms at some of the very best hotels around the world. How to find those deals involves just three easy steps. First, check the hotel website or the site for the parent group which will show all their brands on the same web page. For example, Le Meridien is part of the Starwood Hotels group: sister chains include Sheraton, Westin, St Regis and Four Seasons. Often you may find some good seasonal special offers on the company website, this will give you an idea of the benchmark price so that you can look around for a lower price room rate. Remember to check whether the room price includes breakfast!

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In California there is a lot of attention to sustainable living and some excellent people have organised trips and activities to introduce their ideas of living in tune with the environment, especially on vacation. When you visit California you can take guided foraging trips into the canyons to find out about all the wild edible plants and fruits that are abundant and free.
On this excursion trip, led by Sunny Johnson, the haul included wild mustard, malva greens and cheeses, ice plants, blackberry new growth tops, sticky monkey flower, elderflower, wild lettuce, ceanothus berries for soap and much more. The video is fascinating and I am sure after watching it you will want to visit this part of the States so I have looked around at places to stay in the vicinity.
I found great hotel room rates at the Hilton in Woodland Hills, which is a pet friendly hotel with internet access, just six miles from Tapanga Canyon, where Sunny led the wild food hunt shown in the video. The hotel rooms are spacious and comfortable, the hotel has a large swimming pool and room rates are around $100 per night. The Hilton also operates a free shuttle bus in a three mile radius of the hotel so you can leave your car behind and reduce your carbon footprint!

If you want to visit more than one city in Spain then you will find out that this is a big country. The driving distance between major Spanish towns is more than one day’s travel, for example the train journey from Madrid to Barcelona takes anything from five hours to nine hours depending on the train service you use. However if you fly between the two cities the flying time is under one hour and because this is a domestic flight, you do not have to check in hours in advance so you can travel from Madrid and check in at any of your favourite Hotels in Barcelona in less than half a day.
Once you arrive in either destination you will be spoiled for choice. Hotels in Madrid include some of the best in Spain , like the Ritz - which has special discounted rates from EUR 419 upwards. The hotel is situated in Plaza De La Lealtad 5 28014 Madrid, convenient for exploring the Old Quarter area. Read more »

While we were away recently, enjoying some great English seaside hotels in Devon, we ended up talking to other guests and the hotel staff about how we found the best hotels for this Devon adventure. There is plenty of competition on hotel rates now, even in the sleepy Devon countryside, so it is worth shopping around. For example, if you have heard of Fawlty Towers, did you know that you can stay at the real Fawlty Towers in Torquay and relive some of the best scenes from the programme? Don’t worry - Basil Fawlty is no longer running the hotel, and it is now fitted out to the highest standard with friendly and polite staff.

We did not get as far as Dartmoor and we are already itching to make a return trip so I had a look around the website. I found the White Hart hotel, with real ale and pub food. All the bedrooms have flat screen TVs, CD players and coffee and tea making facilities. This is available at hotelshopuk.com for less than £100 a night, which is an excellent rate.

Even if you have chosen a hotel to stay at, you can always check at this site for the best rates. You can select seaside hotels, country retreats or the best touring bases and make the most of the beautiful British countryside at the best room rates possible. The sun is out at the moment, so make the most of it.

Country house hotels should be a place where dogs are welcome but that is not always the case. Here are some good ones, also offering WiFi access.

Langar Hall (pictured) is situated in the Vale of Belvoir between Nottingham and Stamford. This is an area that few overseas tourists find out about. Stamford is one of the best preserved Georgian towns in England and worth exploring further. The hotel will accept small well-behaved dogs and it has Wifi access in all rooms. www.langarhall.com.

Further north, the Angel Inn is a 500-year old hostelry in the village of Hetton, North Yorkshire. Dogs are welcome, as long as they bring their own beds. No WiFi, so you can go out walking on the North Yorks Moors instead. The Angel is strictly speaking a restaurant with rooms, meaning food is the focus. The rooms look good as well, but do not let your dog on to your bed! www.angelhetton.co.uk