Chain Hotels With Style

Four companies are upgrading the big-brand experience wherever they go.

World's Weirdest Hotels, Part Deux

On your next trip, you could be checking into a wine cask, a salvaged 727 airplane, or a room where the furniture defies the law of gravity.

• World's Weirdest Hotels 2008
• Infinity and Beyond: The Coolest Hotel Pools
• 10 Celebrity-Trashed Hotel Rooms

Book It: Spain's Beachside Bargains

Find big style at low prices on the southern Costa del Sol.

Estate Secrets: Heritage Hotels of India

Throughout India, and particularly in the northwestern province of Rajasthan, palaces, castles, and forts are being turned into luxe B&Bs run by families.

Italy: 6 Ways to Spend the Night

Farmstays, villa rentals, mountain refuges. Six ways to immerse yourself in the real Italy.

• See the slide show
• Italy: The Town That Became a Hotel
• How to Rent an Apartment in Venice
• Secret Hotels of Sicily

L.A. Style for Less

Whatever your vibe, one of these new hotels will fit the bill.

• Slide show: Underground Art in L.A.
• Los Angeles's Rock and Roll Landmarks
• On the Taco Trail in L.A.

Secret Hotels of the Loire Valley

Just a two-hour detour from Paris, the Loire was once a playground to Renaissance royals. Now its vaunted châteaux are attracting enterprising young couples and artists who have remade them into captivating—and surprisingly affordable—inns.

• See the slide show
• Secret Hotels of the Dordogne
• Secret Hotels of Provence
• Secret Hotels of the French Riviera

• 2009 Travel Game Plan: Rent at the Last Minute
• 5 Ancient Villages Are Back in Business
• 10 Celebrity-Trashed Hotel Rooms
• 14 Romantic Hotels
• 39 Affordable Hotel Chains Only Locals Know
• 50 Charming Hotels Under $150
• 50 Utterly Charming Hotels
• AAA Website Now Open to Nonmembers
• A New Spanish Chain Has Personality
• An Introduction to B&Bs
• Awesome Art Hotels
• Best Values 2008
• Book a Room With Your PDA
• Boutique Bangkok
• Boutique Makeovers for Economy Hotels
• Brand News: Boutique Hotel Chains
• Bud Travel: Weirdest Hotels
• Buenos Aires at a Price That's Right
• Chicago at a Price That's Right
• Confessions of an AAA Hotel Inspector
• Confessions of a B&B Owner
• Confessions of a Front-Desk Clerk
• Confessions of a Hotel Executive
• Confessions of a Hotel General Manager
• Confessions of a Hotel Housekeeper
• Ecolodges: Top 10 Places to Stay
• Ecotourism: Four Questions to Ask
• Europe: Smoke-Free Hotels
• Extended-Stay Hotels: Home Suite Home
• Extra Mile Awards 2007
• Extra Mile Awards 2008
• Farmhouses Among the Fjords
• Finland's Self-Service Hotels
• Five Hotels: Bangkok
• Five Hotels: London
• Five Hotels: Paris B&Bs
• Five Hotels: San Francisco
• Five Hotels: Vienna
• Government-Sponsored Bargain Lodgings
• Happy Campers
• Have a Green Stay
• Hotel Reward Clubs Get Personal
• Hot Property: The Hoxton
• How to Book Family Lodging Overseas
• Hut Hiking 101
• Hybrid-Friendly Hotels
• Kid-Friendly Hotels and Resorts
• Lighthouses of Croatia
• Máncora, Peru
• Maui Shuts Down B&Bs and Rentals
• Miami at a Price That's Right
• The Motel Gets Its Groove Back
• The New Boutique Hostel
• New Hotels in NYC
• New York at a Price That's Right
• Online Resource Guide: Accomodations
• Paris Hotels at a Price That's Right
• Pulling Out the Perks
• Renting in Pantelleria
• Rome at a Price That's Right
• Secret Hotels of Big Sur
• Secret Hotels of the Dordogne
• Secret Hotels of the French Riviera
• Secret Hotels of Ireland
• Secret Hotels of Sicily
• The Secrets to Happy House Swapping
• Sextantio: The Town That Became a Hotel
• Ski Condos for Slackers
• Stay Here Next! Secret Hotels
• Three Affordable Mini Chains
• Tipping Guide to 10 Countries
• A Treehouse Adventure
• Uncommon Lodging: Bunking WIth Scientists
• Unique Hotels and Alternative Lodgings 
• U.S. Chains Offer Boutique Brands
• U.S. Hotels Sweeten Their Deals
• Vacation Rental Handbook
• A Week in Venice, Maybe Two
• Who Deserves Your Loyalty?
• Your Tour Operator Went Out of Business
• Yurts are Everywhere