My travel style is unusually eclectic. My hotel stays have covered the spectrum from a stunning room as a guest of the owner of the Grand Hotel in Stockholm (before I started writing these short reviews) and a luxurious Gulf view room in Kuwait to humble but economical 2 stars in Vienna, Paris and Washington; from local organizational guest houses in Tblisi, Moscow, Edinburgh, Beijing, and Tokyo to reliable US chains like Westin, Crown Plaza, Woodfin and JW Marriott.

I enjoy breaking out of the tourist and business bubble, to get a feel for local customs and lives. To be sure, staying in a five star as a guest of the owner offers an astonishing degree of service and comfort, but there is much to be learned from travel at all budget and star levels. What I value more than creature comforts is talking politics, economics, and cultures with folks I do not meet in Boston.