Accommodations Worldwide

While our experience of small hotels, especially in Provence, is that great hospitality is a given, we received the ultimate in helpfulness at Au Saint Roch Hotel et Jardin (9 rue Paul Mérindol, 84000 Avignon, FRANCE; phone +33 [0] 4 90 16 50 00, fax 90 82 78 30, www.hotelstroch-avignon.com). My husband and I and our daughter and son-in-law were traveling together in May ’08.

The St. Roch is a fine choice if you want something with a bit of atmosphere. Located just outside the walls of Avignon and a short walk from the main sights, restaurants and shops, the hotel has 27 rooms (with...

The only 5-star hotel in the heart of Old Town Dubrovnik is the Pucić Palace (Ulica OD Puća 1, 20000 Dubrovnik, CROATIA; phone +385 20 326 222, fax 223, www.thepucic palace.com).

Situated on Gundulić Square in the heart of the city center, the hotel is within walking distance of many outstanding restaurants, shops and ancient points of interest.

The Palace combines modern facilities in a splendid old-world atmosphere. Its 17 rooms and two suites are replete with 18th-century Baroque architecture and decorated with rich trappings that include oil paintings, handwoven rugs,...

My husband, Dick, and I took the “Essential Iran” tour with MIR Corp. (85 South Washington St., Ste. 210, Seattle, WA 98104; 800/424-7289, www.mircorp.com), Sept. 8-17, 2006, and thought ITN readers might be interested in the observations of two ordinary American tourists, a rarity there.

We paid about $2,400-$2,500 each, including flights Tehran-Shiraz-Isfahan-Tehran. In 2007, the 10-day trip costs $2,795 per person for two to 16 travelers.

Our “tour group” consisted of only the two of us plus an Iranian guide. Interestingly, he was a graduate of Marshall University in West...