I'm not one to just rave about hotel experiences. It's very rare for me to really, really like a hotel.  But our experience with the COMO properties in both Bangkok and Bhutan were excellent, and I would not hesitate to stay at another COMO property in the future. (COMO did not pay for our stay or provide us any compensation for this endorsement, just so we're up front here.)

When we were first planning for our trip, the idea was to stay at the Metropolitan by COMO in Bangkok for one night--as we received a complimentary night for booking our Bhutan package with COMO.  Then, I had planned to use points to stay in a Marriott for the other two nights.  That plan was sort of scrapped when I drained most of my Marriott points in Naples, when we went to visit Pompeii. But one of the Marriott hotels was still less expensive, so we were considering a move.

I came to my senses and we realized how silly that was, with how little time we were spending in Bangkok. Did we really want to change hotels? No. Plus, we got a promotional rate at the Metropolitan, through COMO, since we had booked them as our tour operator in Bhutan.  So the Metropolitan it was.

As I alluded to in a previous post, we spent less time at Hidden Valley than initially planned due to a flight schedule change, so we didn't get to explore the property and the reserve as much as we would have liked. It was definitely a place we could have spent another few days!
 
Location: Hidden Valley is nestled on a beautiful reserve in the Mountain Pine Ridge area.  It's really interesting to watch the ecosystems change as you climb towards the property--the shift from tropical to pine is quite distinct.  It is pretty remote (given how small Belize is), and not near other lodges in the area. 

I did quite a bit of research before settling on Matachica for our stay on Ambergris Caye. There were a ton of options, and we were looking for something boutique, relatively luxury, small, with easy access to good snorkeling. It ended up being a great choice for us.
 
Matachica may not be (err...definitely is not) the cheapest place on Ambergris Caye, nor is it for people who really want to be near San Pedro.  It's not really near a lot of anything, except fish, which is just how we wanted it. 

You'll see that short and sweet trips are a theme around here.  DH and I both work full time, in jobs we actually don't want to quit, so we squeeze in trips whenever we can, including the occasional road trip.

One weekend a year, before Memorial Day (since that is when people gaggle like geese & beaches close to canines), we take our dog to Virginia Beach.  Yes, the reason we go there *really* is for the dog.  

Did I mention princess hates the waves/ocean?  Yup.  So we essentially take her so she can run in the sand.  That sounds a teensy bit ridiculous....[embarrassed face].  But then again, our whole relationship with our dog is ridiculous, so whatever. She loves it there, so, so do we.

During our recent trip to Naples and Pompeii, we stayed at the Renaissance Naples Hotel Mediterraneo, a Marriott property.
 
The Renaissance has pretty decent reviews on TripAdvisor, with some complaints about old and cramped rooms.  I don't care if the decor is ancient, particularly on a quick trip like this, but I do care about cleanliness (a lot). I have a very low tolerance for dirt and grime.
 
(Note: if you have a strong hatred for 1980's wooden furniture in your room, this isn't the place for you. If you want a view from your room, ask in advance).