Frederic Koklen Boutique Hotel - Odessa, Ukraine

Hotels often fail because the owners had a basic concept of the type of hotel they wanted to run, but didn't follow through on the detail. The proprietor of this hotel obviously had a very clear idea of what she wanted to accomplish with it and has overseen all the details. The result is a genuinely top class boutique hotel offering a high level of services and facilities and with a look and feel that is very co-ordinated and works as a whole. In terms of the nitty gritty, the room I had was spacious, elegantly furnished, had loads of wardrobe and drawer space, had a comfortable bed, fixtures and fittings that all worked as intended, a very well appointed bathroom (although the shower attachment will need fixing soon)and free wi-fi that was much stronger than you usually get in a hotel. The reception and restaurant staff all spoke good english and were very friendly and helpful at all times. The restaurant serves up evening meals of good quality, while the breakfast, which was included in my room rate, was probably of the best standard I've had anywhere. Hotels don't get much better than this.