It s not just the feeling of wow, because you can get wow from anything. You can get wow from a 100-foot-atrium in a corporate hotel, Herbert Ypma, author of the Hip Hotels guidebook series, said in an interview from his London offices. Instead, Ypma looks for highly individual places that are capturing and reflecting and radiating the notion of travel with some element that is unforgettable - whether it s stunning decor, extraordinary architecture or a breathtaking location. What disqualifies a hotel automatically is mediocrity, he added. That s straightforward. When a hotel is mediocre, it s mediocre in every respect - location, design and quality. There are 14 books in the "Hip Hotels series, including the most recent, a paperback version of the Hip Hotels Atlas (Thames & Hudson, $36.95), that has just been released in the US. The lushly illustrated atlas offers descriptions of hotels on six continents. Some of the properties in the book are luxury accommodation with price tags to match - like the Chateau de Bagnols in Bagnols, France, a restored medieval castle where rooms begin at $675 a night. But others are moderately priced, so you are bound to find something to suit your budget. Two Egyptian properties are listed by Hip Hotels: Andrére Amellal in Siwa and the Old Cataract in Aswan. Sofitel provides some history of its luxury landmark: Built in 1899 on a granite bluff overlooking the Nile, the Sofitel Old Cataract got its name from the spectacular effect of the river colliding with the land. The hotel - with 123 rooms and eight suites - has always attracted a mix of famous figures: Winston Churchill, Agha Khan, King Farouk, Lady Diana and Agatha Christie, who wrote "Death on the Nile right here. The Andrére Amellal eco-lodge is about 16 kms from the center of Siwa, and is situated at the base of a majestic white mountain. It consists of a series of traditional houses that have been restored into 10 suites and 27 Casbah-style rooms, all offering genuine comfort, and they are all built using local traditional methods. The walls are made of sun- dried salt rock mixed with straw, and palm is used for the stylish roof. The furniture and fittings are mostly made of palm trunks, and the region s handicraft, which is both colorful and very comfortable. Every single room has a view of Siwa Lake and the Great Sand Sea with oil lamps and candles for lighting. The pool is supplied by an ancient Roman spring, and the Andrére Amellal is totally electricity free, so not only is nighttime very romantic with hundreds of candles against a backdrop of the incredible desert sky, but there are no mobile phones, television or trappings of the 21st Century. Of all the things you can do in the world, travel is the most emotive and probably the most rewarding, Ypma said. Hip Hotels exists to allow people to find something that really will create a rewarding travel experience. With the luxury spots in Siwa and Aswan, you won't have to travel far for a spectacular travel experience. With AP For more information go to http://www.hiphotels.com
