SEVERAL teams of men and women raced around Singapore yesterday, vying for a chance to go to Rome.

They had to abseil down a building, travel around the island by bus, MRT or on foot, and put on a sarong and play traditional games.

They were taking part in City Chase, an urban adventure series held in nine cities around the world, with the winning team from each getting a chance to take part in the world championship in Rome.

Nick Jelinek, 39, the creator of the series which will be screened on Nat Geo Adventure (StarHub Channel 73), flagged off the participants at the Pan Pacific Hotel.

The Canadian is a frequent flyer, taking a trip every three weeks. Based in Toronto, he is married to a teacher, Andy Avery, 40, with whom he has three children aged seven to nine.

Which are the best three hotels you've stayed in?

One of them is the Star City Hotel in Sydney, Australia, which costs about A$300 (S$391) per night. Its location in Darling Harbour truly gave me the holiday feel.

At the end of each working day, I would walk over the footbridge from the business centre - after having drunk too much beer throughout the day - towards the hotel which boasts a casino, a gorgeous swimming pool and hot tub, walk-out balconies and other amenities that support a holiday rather than business travel.

The Hotel Elite in Gothenburg, Sweden, is another wonderful hotel. It is located in the centre of a beautiful section of the old city, and the building, which was formerly a bank, is centuries old. The old bank safe in the basement is now a massive wine cellar. Notwithstanding its age, the hotel offers every modern convenience and very friendly service.

I was based in the Elite for five days to stage a corporate City Chase event for Volvo Worldwide in September 2005 and fell in love with Sweden, with Gothenburg, with the hotel and also, many times over, with the most beautiful and healthy women on the streets. I wished I knew a few Swedish words as, apparently, my ogling stares didn't do it for them.

I love architecture too, and the stone walls and massive old staircases of The Elite were a real treat. A night's stay costs about US$150 (S$228).

Another favourite is the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver in Canada. The Fairmont chain is one of my favourites as it has large centrally located hotels in each major Canadian city.

However, Hotel Vancouver is my favourite. It is within walking distance to everything in the city and has a large hotel lobby bar with such comfortable armchairs that evening cocktails would often lead to dinner at the same table as I was so comfortable.

The most enjoyable element of the hotel, however, is the Fairmont Gold Floor on the ninth floor for loyal hotel guests where a large common room serves breakfast, evening cocktails and hors d'oeuvres every day.

But it doesn't come cheap. A night in a room on the Gold Floor costs US$280.

Which was the worst hotel?

I spent three nights at The Grange Fitzrovia in the heart of London's West End last year. It had been booked online because the photos looked so nice and the price was affordable. But nobody told me that there was construction work going on directly outside my second-storey window, starting at 7am every morning.

Furthermore, it seemed that the hotel was trying to use up a massive supply of disinfectant as the cleaning staff would spray, pour, wipe and shampoo the corridors with the strongest-smelling cleaning product every afternoon.

I would race down the hall to my room in an effort to jump inside and slam the door before wheezing and hacking from the smell.

The room was also typically small, like most London hotels, with only a desk-top fan and three TV channels. The bathtub was about a metre long - I could bathe and wash from my waist down but I would practically have to stand on my head to wash from my waist up.

What hotel facility can't you do without, and why?

My work never stops as someone will be contacting me from some part of the world at all times of the day and night. As such, the one convenience I require in every hotel is Internet access in my room.

It is incredible what a range of pricing there is for this service around the world. Many hotels, specifically in North America, do not charge for this, whereas some places in Europe charge as high as 45 euros (S$93) per day, or 1 euro per minute. As such, my e-mail replies are short, full of typing errors and,

I'm sure, appear quite rude to the reader as I try to do it fast to save money.

A close second in my must-have list is an exercise room. A healthy body leads to a healthy mind.

What's the best hotel restaurant you've ever eaten in?

Spago at The Four Season's Resort in Maui, Hawaii. This is a Wolfgang Puck - a famous Austrian chef who has catered for after-event parties for the Oscar awards - restaurant where the cuisine is a blend of Californian and Hawaiian cuisines. All fresh ingredients, lots of seafood and relatively healthy while also incredibly tasty. The views of the ocean also helped considerably.

Be honest now, do you ever cart home hotel freebies?

Due to the air-travel restrictions, I do not take any toiletries from hotel rooms, but I do frequently sneak off with one or two hotel-room pens and, sometimes, the note pads.

I love to take notes wherever I go and I have numerous pens and pads. I also enjoy pulling out a pen with a remote hotel name on it, recalling memories of the trip as

I sit in a dreary meeting back home in Canada, in the midst of our grey winter months.

My body is at the meeting but my heart and mind travel.

frankiec@sph.com.sg

ST PHOTO: LIM WUI LIANG