Karen Brown's Palazzo Ravizza in Siena, Italy Hotel
Karen Brown's video narration for the Italian hotel - Palazzo Ravizza in Siena
If you want to stay within walking distance of the all the major sights and you are on a budget, the Palazzo Ravizza pensione makes an excellent choice.
The brick exterior of the hotel looks quite plain but inside, the beauty of this once-grand 17th-century palace is immediately revealed.
Belonging to the same family for 200 years, the mansion exudes the warmth of a home, with an intimate parlor, card room, music lounge, cozy bar, handsome ceiling frescos, old family portraits, and fresh flowers on polished antique tables.
The individually decorated bedrooms vary in size, but all are furnished with antiques, down comforters, and have flat screen TVs.
The choice rooms are those that overlook the back garden—I especially liked rooms 14 and 11.
The most outstanding feature of the Ravizza is its splendid large garden.
This is the heart of the hotel where guests can enjoy a cold drink at one of the tables on the terrace or relax on one of the benches strategically placed for capturing a sweeping view of the Tuscany hillside.
Travel your Dreams with Karen Brown
Karen Brown's Burlington House, Oxford, England
This 1889 Victorian merchant's house has been transformed into a delightful bed and breakfast, just a bus ride away from the heart of historic Oxford. Burlington House is impeccably maintained and its rooms are recently refurbished and immaculately decorated to a high standard. Contemporary design, colorful feature walls and designer fabrics, reign throughout. The overall effect is most inviting, uncluttered and functional. The ten guestrooms in the house are supplemented by two across the Japanese-influenced, walled courtyard. The beds are very comfortable and the bathrooms are absolutely modern with power showers, glass, and tile—each one is artfully crafted in the space available. Breakfast is served in the cozy dining room, dominated by its turn-of-the-century German Arts and Crafts dresser, its walls decorated with blue ironstone pottery and large framed prints of exotic fruits. The accent is on freshness, with fresh orange juice, freshly ground and brewed coffee, vine-ripened tomatoes, homemade granola, breads, and live yoghurt direct from the kitchen. Please ask management for suggestions on what to visit in Oxford. Be sure to visit the Cotswolds, Blenheim Palace, Bath and Stratford-Upon-Avon.