XAVIER de Royere may be a top executive with upmarket Spanish designer brand Loewe, but he doesn't always stay in posh hotels with fluffy pillows and lush carpets.

The 38-year-old Frenchman, who is a senior vice-president of the company, spends as many as 250 days a year travelling.

He says he enjoys spending his nights in all kinds of hotels, from basic economy types to five-star ones, just to experience what each can offer.

He is married with four children aged four to 12 and the family, now based in Hong Kong, will be moving to Madrid soon. He was in town last month when Loewe showcased its fall/winter collection - Singapore was the first Asian country to host this outside Paris - in an event at Jet Quay in Changi Airport.

He kicks off our Frequent Flyer Hotels Special series.

Which are the best hotels you've stayed in?

The Arlberg Hospiz in St Christoph, Austria. It's in the Alberg region and wonderfully located high up in the mountain so there's snow. Once you step out of the hotel, you can just put on your gear and ski off. You don't need to carry your skis around, which is especially convenient when you have children with you.

There are so many slopes around, you can go skiing for a few days without going on the same slope twice.

The charming hotel has been family-owned since the 1950s, but it has modern amenities and the service is incredible.

My family goes to Hospiz every year. It costs about 300 to 350 euros (S$617-S$720) per night. Hotel Cipriani in Venice is also very nice. I spent two nights there about 15 years ago.

It is on Giudecca, an island outside the city, and so looks into Venice. Other hotels in the city can only look out from within but here, you have a fantastic view of the city from the outside.

This hotel is more for the jet set, and celebrities often stay here.

What was the worst hotel you've stayed in?

I can't remember its name, but it was one in New York that I went to about 15 years ago.

The windows in the room faced a wall and the room was very, very small and it stank. I had very bad vibes immediately and told my wife we were checking out.

It was about 9pm and after making some calls, we managed to find another hotel. The next morning, I saw from the news on TV that the elevator cable of that hotel had snapped just a few hours after we left.

Have you had any interesting encounters in a hotel?

Yes, in one called Travel Lodge in Manchester in 2003. It's an economical, rock-bottom-priced hotel and I had two incidents there.

I was coming back from a party at around 3am when I saw a naked guy walking towards me in the corridor. He didn't even have a pair of socks on, and he wasn't holding any room keys. We didn't speak as we passed each other. It was very bizarre and I had no idea where he had come from.

Then the next morning, I called the front desk to have my breakfast in bed. The lady said okay so I asked her how I could go about arranging it.

She said: "You just come downstairs, take a tray and whatever food you want, then bring it back to your room."

I ended up not eating that morning.

What do you look for in a hotel?

Location. When I'm on a business trip, I'll choose one in the city, but when it's a holiday, I prefer one in the outskirts where I can drive around.

In Europe, I'll drive instead of taking the plane. It's more convenient: I can take as much luggage as I want, leave when I want to, listen to music along the way and there aren't all those troublesome security restrictions. Sometimes it's also faster and cheaper.

I may spend some nights in a very basic and cheap hotel, and others in a luxurious, high-class one. I enjoy going from one extreme to the other rather than spending my nights in an average hotel.

Be honest. Do you cart home hotel freebies?

Yes, toothbrushes. I used to take soaps and shampoos but I ended up with 60 bottles of shampoo.

There's only six of us at home and we could not use them faster than I could bring them back. I sometimes take shoe polish, too.