Checking in with style. This is the first volume in a series on the world's most memorable hotels. Flip through this book and take a trip through 72 of the world's most enchanting, welcoming and unforgettable hotels. Some are sleek and minimal, others unashamedly plush and traditionally luxurious; whether you prefer a secluded rural retreat or the pulsing center of the urban experience, you'll find a room - or suite - to your taste. However, what all these establishments share is personality, atmosphere, sophistication, and a great location. Similarly, though their rooms range from modest to extravagant, all of them represent excellent value, no matter which end of the price scale, from two to five star hotels. The eclectic mix includes the romantic hotel Spielweg in Germany's Black Forest, where everyone should spend Christmas once in their life; the secret jewel Ksar Char-Bagh in Marrakech; and, the Al Mamlouka in the middle of Damascus, and the most exquisite Spa hotel in Jordan, the Evason Ma'In. Other highlights are the Shigar Fort Residence, a 400-year old palace saved and restored by the Aga Khan Foundation in Northern Pakistan; a sensitively restored 1930's colonial guest house called Boddhi Tree Del El Gusto, in Pnomh Phen, for less than US$40 a night; or the outstanding Corbusier-style beach villas in Kep, Cambodia, called Knai Bang Chatt resort. To get away from it all there's Richard Gere's Bedford Post in upstate New York, or the Golden Rock Estate on the Caribbean island of Nevis, owned by American artist Brice Marden. Finally, nobody who has stayed there will ever forget the stunning Remota, surrounded by the mountains, lakes and glaciers of Chilean Patagonia.