.... Taxi services were quite good too, but be careful they don't rip you off, we did experience threatening behaviour a couple of times in cabs we flagged down.
In Asuncion itself don't miss visiting the government buildings and the palace - you can't miss them they are the wealthiest looking buildings in the city!
Also go to Mercado 4 the market - very smelly, but amazing, very south american. Another interesting visit is to the Botanical gardens which are just like a big park, but inside is the Natural History museum which is a must if you aren't sqeamish! The museum consists of 4 rooms of stuffed animals and jars of pickled animals and animal parts uugggh. Beware of the toilets in the Botanical gardens as they really pong!
If you want western shopping in Asuncion visit Shopping del Sol where there's a Burger King, Benneton and other big...
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Advantages: great staff, clean modern rooms, peaceful location Disadvantages: not very central
...My favourite hotel was booked for the dates we were travelling to Barcelona so we tried the Granados 83, a brand new hotel, as they had a special opening offer.
Location
The Granados 83 is located in the Eixample area of Barcelona with its fabulous architecture. L'Eixample was built as an expansion of the old town in a well-planned grid system where the rear of the buildings look out onto a shared square, often having gardens or a small park. It is a nice area of Barcelona and one where you feel happy walking back after dark. The street outside the hotel is one way with parked cars along the centre, so it is relatively quiet.
There are cafes, bars and restaurants all within walking distance. Enric Granados street is close to the Passeig de Gracia (walk East and you arrive at La Pedrera) and Avinguda Diagonal (the longest road which...
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Advantages: Bargains Galore Disadvantages: A little dull
...OK, Asuncion, and Paraguay in general aren't that exciting, but who else has ever been there? You can impress all your mates by saying "oh yes, in Paraguay this or in Paraguay that"
Asuncion is located about half way up Paraguay, but on the western border of the country with Argentina. You can see Argentina across the Rio Paraguay from the main squares.
Like much of South America, expect refuse on street, poverty in your face and scammers left right and centre. In fact, in Asuncion the slums are more evident than in many cities - they are along the banks of the river and you can overlook them from one of the main squares in the city. I wouldn't advise this though - we did and nearly got chased away. Besides, it's rather rude to pry into people's lives in this way.
The town centre is somewhat removed from the town itself. As I...
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The Waterton Park Hotel, Wakefield
The Waterton Park is a Best Western Hotel situated deep in Yorkshire and only 4 miles from the M1 motorway. However, when my husband and I went for a mid-week one night break recently we were surprised at how remote... more
Currently under-going extensive refurbishment, as the hotel rebrands to a JW Marriott.
I have not stayed at the hotel for over 2 years, but the one thing the Grosvenor House has always prided itself on is an extremely high standard of service and a... more