>ONE of Michelle Kristula-Green's best memories of eating out while travelling is of the blueberry pancakes she had in an American diner in a hotel in Nottingham, Britain.
The 51-year-old president of advertising giant Leo Burnett Asia Pacific says that when she travels, she prefers cosy, unique hotels rather than big commercial ones.
The American has been based in Hong Kong since 2004. Her husband, Mr Joseph Green, 52, is a professor of medicine in a university in Tokyo while her two children, aged 20 and 18, are studying in universities in the United States.
She comes to Singapore regularly for meetings with the local office and clients.
Which are the three best hotels you've stayed in?
The Oberoi Amarvilas in Agra, India, is one.
After a meeting in New Delhi last year, a group of us decided to go to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. We got a car and a driver and prepared ourselves for what we thought would be a 21/2-hour drive.
Five hours later, we finally arrived in Agra and there was nothing better than walking into the huge and cool marble lobby and being greeted with cold towels and drinks.
We were then led to a room with a spectacular view of the Taj Mahal - a monument built by emperor Shah Jahan, in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
The exhaustion and stiffness from the travel just drifted away and, suddenly, we all had energy for dinner. The service and dinner were excellent.
The next day, a guide arranged by the hotel met us at 6.30am and gave us a marvellous tour of the Taj, after which we returned to the hotel for a huge breakfast.
Another good one is Hotel de la Paix in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I love everything about this hotel. The halls and rooms are filled with wonderful photos taken by reputable British photographer Martin Reeves of Angkor Wat and its surrounding area.
You can sit outside on huge suspended platforms that swing gently as you eat. The Cambodian food is spectacular and the service discreet. The rooms are very comfortable and airy.
I first stayed there on a business trip, then took my family there for a stay a few months later.
This hotel is within walking distance of the markets and restaurants, so you can do a lot of stuff easily. But what really makes it special is that it is a calm oasis to return to after a hot, sweaty day of trekking through the ruins.
Lastly, the Nagase Ryokan in Takayama, Japan, is off the beaten path and a wonderful weekend escape. Located in the mountains about four hours away from Tokyo, Takayama is commonly known as 'little Kyoto'.
There are lots of arts and crafts - lacquerware is a speciality - and there's a folk art village. Sannomachi is an area famous for rows of handsome, old merchant shops housing restaurants, sake breweries and much more.
The Takayama Jinya - an old government office of the Tokugawa Shogunate of the 1600s - also stands in Takayama. Nagase Ryokan is the oldest ryokan (Japanese guest house) in town and has all the characteristics one would expect of a fine ryokan, such as impeccable service, superb food and a beautiful garden outside the tatami room. It completely keeps in character with Takayama.
Be warned though, as you sit on the floor this is not recommended if you have a bad back.
Which was the worst hotel?
Back in 1978 when I was a backpacking student, I stayed at the infamous Chungking Mansions in Hong Kong.
Located in Nathan Road on the Kowloon side, you couldn't beat the location and the price was probably less than US$10 a night for three of us in a room. But it was pretty basic - linoleum floors and beds.
It was a student haven back in those days and one did not expect much. These days it looks worse for wear and tear.
I pointed it out to my daughter when we were travelling in Hong Kong last year and she couldn't believe that I would even walk into a place like that, let alone stay there/
What hotel facility can't you do without, and why?
A gym. Preferably one that opens early and closes late. The Grand Hyatt in Jakarta has the best gym.
It is huge, has fantastic equipment, lots of light and a small outdoor running path although it's usually too humid to run outside. It's a pleasure to work out there.
What's the best hotel restaurant you've ever eaten in?
One of the more memorable meals I've had recently was in the Nottingham Inn in Nottingham, Britain.
This is a real American diner and it has the best blueberry pancakes. The servings are huge, the coffee is excellent and they give out candy canes during Christmas time. It is filled with people living in the area.
The owner is a car fanatic and he has photos from local car rallies put up around the restaurant. This place is not a cookie-cutter restaurant but a local place with character, and that is getting harder to find nowadays.
Be honest now, do you ever cart home hotel freebies?
Only the soap. And only after I've actually used it and decided that I like it.
