The 13th century explorer, Marco Polo, described the Chinese city of Hangzhou as the "City of Heaven" and "the most beautiful and magnificent in the world." Today, seven centuries on, keeping this cultural legacy intact in a city that is booming and growing is no mean feat, but it's one that several new hotels in Hangzhou are aiming to achieve - including the brand new Banyan Tree.

The Banyan Tree Hangzhou, which opened in January of this year, is designed in the traditional style of the Jiangnan region. Like the neighbouring XiXi Wetlands, the property is surrounded by channels and lakes, with picturesque bridges and a pagoda within the grounds.

Consisting of seventy-two suites and villas, The Banyan Tree Hangzhou feels almost like a (very luxurious) village. We stayed in a Premier Water Terrace - one of the suites within the main building - which with its own sitting room, balcony and spa treatment room, plus a bedroom with a free standing hot-tub, and vast bathroom, was both very spacious (120 sqm) and fantastically indulgent. I was able to view a Water View Villa too, which though more private in it's own mini-grounds and with better views, didn't feel as spacious as the suite.

All of the suites and villas in the hotel are themed according to the four seasons, with colour schemes to match. In terms of mod-cons, guests have access to free in-room WiFi, plus the hotel's DVD and CD collection.

The Banyan Tree's location, 15 minutes away from downtown Hangzhou and the famous West Lake within the Xixi National Wetland Park, should - and no doubt shall - spell complete tranquility. At the moment however, it's the first finished property amongst a number of new hotels going up in the Westbrook project, which means there's some construction noise. This was minimal during our three-night stay though, especially as visiting the city's famous sights keeps most visitors busy from dawn till dusk.

The hotel's concierge team can help to organise all sorts of tours and full- or half-day trips. Though these definitely do not come cheap (around 2,000 RMB for a full day) in the heat and humidity of summer, and with limited time on our hands, it was well worth splashing out on. Our guide spoke impeccable English and took us tirelessly from one hot-spot to another explaining the history and significance of each; no need to cart along a cumbersome guide book. Our day tour took in Hangzhou's main sights of Fei Lai peak, and its 300 limestone carvings; the Temple of the Soul's Retreat; Longjing tea village (pictured below) and the Dragon Well; Leifeng Pagoda; a private boat trip on West Lake; the Three Pools Mirroring the Moon; and a historic shopping street. Not bad for a day's work!

If you do get sightseeing weary, the Banyan Tree Spa is a great haven. The pages-long treatment menu is full of solutions to ease you from stone into butter, and there's also a large indoor swimming pool and daily yoga or tai chi sessions to help you unwind. If you have a spa treatment room within your suite or villa you don't even have to walk to the spa - they will come to you.

What is worth heading out for though is dinner. Perhaps due to teething problems, the Banyan Tree's food is not its strong suit. On our first evening we tried the Chinese restaurant, Bai Yun, where Hangzhou and Canton flavours take centre stage. It's impossible to judge the food here as I am no aficionado of Chinese cuisine; some of the dishes on our tasting menu were fantastic - especially the West Lake fish - and others less so. It is the resort's Waterlight Court restaurant that really lets the side down. The breakfast buffet is average, and the a la carte menu a disappointment. I ordered a Caesar salad with "grilled chicken breast" and was served romaine leaves with processed chicken slices. On another occasion we asked for a vegetarian pizza and received something that can only have come out of a freezer packet. Let's hope it was the head chef's weekend off...

Food aside, the Banyan Tree Hangzhou was a great place to spend a weekend away from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong: scenic and indulgent with a young team keen to cater to your every need. Though Marco Polo's superlatives may not yet quite apply, they no doubt soon will.

Room rates start at RMB2,700 per night for a Water Terrace Suite and RMB3,700 per night for a Water View Villa (rates are subject to 15% tax and service charge).

Until 28 February 2011 enjoy the Romance in Hangzhou Package from RMB 5,998. Price includes a two-night stay in a Premier Water Terrace with daily breakfast for 2 people, plus:

- One set dinner at Waterlight Court for 2 people.
- One afternoon tea at Tea Lounge for 2 people.
- One 90-minute massage session (inclusive of a 60-minute massage and 30 minutes calm-time) for 2 people at Banyan Tree Spa Hangzhou.
- One in-suite Intimate Moments experience, inclusive of one bottle of red wine.
- Oriental bath experience in Onsen Treatment Room.

Banyan Tree Hangzhou: 21 Zijingang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310030, People's Republic of China; Tel: +86 571 8586 0000; Fax: +86 571 8586 2222; Web: www.banyantree.com.

Photo Credits: Pagoda on Lake by Mlq4296 (Creative Commons), Banyan Tree courtesy of Banyan Tree Resorts; Longjing Village by Simon Archer-Perkins.

It might be 20 years since the Berlin wall came down, but if you check into The Ostel, Berlin's new GDR-designed hostel, you'd be forgiven for thinking time had stood still.

Full of details to delight even the most ostalgic (nostalgic for life in the former East "Ost" Germany) of visitors, The Ostel cashes in on the trend for recreating aspects of daily life and culture of the former GDR.

Housed in an original Plattenbau, a typical East German building constructed of large, prefabricated concrete slabs, The Ostel offers dorm rooms, private rooms and a GDR Holiday Apartment that can sleep up to six. Rooms cost from €9 per person per night.

We can see The Ostel's Communist kitsch vibe and its proximity's to some of the best of Berlin's nightlife making it a firm favourite in the Berlin stag / hen repertoire.

If stepping back in time is your thing make sure you take a tour of Berlin in an old Trabbi - another East Berlin icon - to add to the GDR experience. Visit www.trabi-safari.de for more information.

The Ostel
Wriezener Karree 5, 10243, Berlin, Germany; Tel: +49 30 25 76 86 60; Fax: +49 30 25 76 88 07; Email: contact@ostel.eu; Web: www.ostel.eu.

Photo Credits: The Ostel ©OSTEL GbR; Trabant by Genial23.

Hidden behind an inconspicuous gate on Phnom Penh's Street 19 is a fantastic boutique hotel, The Pavilion.

The Pavilion has just 20 rooms and all the doubles and suites either have their own private patch of garden or a big, breezy terrace. With prices starting from just USD 40 per night, this hotel is a very affordable slice of luxury in Cambodia's capital city.

Built in the 1920s, the Pavilion is a French Colonial gem that sits in a lush, tropical garden. The 15th century Wat Botum is just across the road and many of the hotel's rooms come with views over this royal pagoda.

The hotel is quiet and calm, a real oasis from the heat and dust of the city. Big day beds are dotted around the swimming pool and garden and there's a restaurant serving both French and Khmer dishes in the grounds. There is free WiFi access throughout the hotel and four shared computers for guests who don't travel with a laptop.

We visited the hotel in a group of five; three of us shared a suite (which is two bedrooms separated by a door) and the other two booked into a superior double. The double had the edge over the suite as it is located in the old building and has a fantastic balcony overlooking the garden's coconut and frangipani trees as well as the Royal Pagoda. Both rooms were nicely decorated in the Khmer / French colonial style.

The Pavilion's staff are incredibly friendly and helpful and come armed with restaurant and sightseeing suggestions. They were great at letting us know how much we should be paying for tuk-tuk journeys, which was a real blessing as haggling with drivers in the 40 degree heat is not so much fun.

Phnom Penh's boutique-lined Street 240 is a stone's throw from the Pavilion as are the Royal Palace and the National Museum.

The Pavilion: 227, Street 19, Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Tel: +855 (0) 2322 2280; Email: reservation@thepavilion.asia; Web: www.thepavilion.asia.

Chic boutique, Naumi, sits right next to the grand dame of Singapore's hotel scene, Raffles. Where Raffles oozes colonial charm and splendour, Naumi flaunts cutting-edge design and contemporary cool.

The lobby houses big pod chairs in its blue-lit bar; the hotel's façade boasts a quirky steel and foliage sculpture; the small rooftop infinity pool offers more pod-like chairs to relax and admire the view in; every hotel guest has an "aide" to ensure that their stay in Singapore is as stress free and personalised as possible.

Naumi's 40 rooms are large and their huge double beds decadently luxurious. Every room is equipped with a free mini-bar that is restocked daily, a Nespresso machine, kitchenette or pantry, en-suite bathroom, iPod dock, 42" to 50" flatscreen TV that you can rotate to watch either in bed or on the sofa, desk area and yoga mat. Suites are well worth splashing out for: they come with a good sized living area, big bathrooms with free standing baths and, in some cases, a private patio. Free WiFi is available throughout the hotel and local landline phone calls are complimentary.

Solo female travellers can sleep easy knowing that there's a women's only floor, separated from the rest of the hotel by a glass security panel. Here satin room accessories and Aesop skincare products abound. The hotel even offers special aromatherapy baths in the privacy of your own room. Heaven.

Naumi is located in the heart of the central business district on Seah Street, which has mercifully been spared the faceless corporate makeover that nearby streets have suffered. Many of Singapore's attractions are within easy walking distance (yes, even in the city's infamous humidity!).

Fitness fiends are in safe hands; the hotel offers three fitness rooms catering to yoga bunnies, runners and weights lovers alike.

Room rates start at 360 Singapore Dollars per night (£150 / US$240).

Naumi Hotel: 41 Seah Street, Singapore 188396 Tel: +65 6403 6000; Fax: +65 6403 6010; Email: naumiaide@naumihotel.com; Web: www.naumihotel.com.

Barcelona could well be Europe's most tourist-friendly city. Beaches, shopping, world-class restaurants, a whole smorgasbord of architecture (from cutting-edge to Gothic, Roman to Catalan Art Nouveau) - and fantastic hotels.

The Prestige Paseo de Gracia is a haven of calm tucked behind a steel door on the Paseo de Gracia, Barcelona's equivalent of Fifth Avenue or Bond Street. Discreet and stylish, the hotel has 45 rooms (including two suites: a 'meeting suite' and a 'home suite' with jacuzzi). All the rooms are decorated in a minimalist style, with Bang & Olufsen stereos and widescreen TVs. Some rooms have terraces.

The hotel has friendly staff, all English-speaking, and an "Ask Me" concierge service on hand. "Ask Me" staff can help secure reservations, provide you with a personal laptop for your stay and find out pretty much anything you need to know about the city.

The most striking thing about the Prestige Paseo de Gracia is the attention to detail. Like the handy suggestions folded into the breakfast menu, with tips on exhibitions and events in Barcelona. The candle and incense by the bathtub. The free minibar. The umbrella in the closet. It's all here, you don't even have to ask for it.

The hotel doesn't have a spa, but there's the 'Zeroom' on the first floor, a library-come-lounge where you can relax, work, have a drink, read the newspapers, or just sip coffee and watch the world go by on the buzzing Paseo de Gracia below. Most of the design objects in the hotel (vases, stereo systems, sofas) are also on sale.

The hotel is very well-situated, just a five minute walk from the Plaza Catalunya, a stone's throw from Paseo de Gracia station, and close to many of Barcelona's finest sights and restaurants. A great place to stay: whether you're on business, a design fan, or just fancy a fun weekend in the Catalonian capital.

Prestige PASEOdeGRACIA: Paseo de Gracia 62, 08007, Barcelona

Rates from 170 EUR per room per night. Book online here. Web: http://www.prestigepaseodegracia.com/ Tel: +34 93.272.41.80 Email: paseodegracia@prestigehotels.com

Quote of the ITB Berlin convention has to go to Bill Walshe, CEO, Jurys Doyle Hotel Group.

Whilst speaking about International Hotel Chain Success he said:

"I would like to go back in time to five minutes before the person who invented hotel loyalty schemes came up with the idea and beat them around the head with a spade."

Does anyone have a time machine he can borrow?