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As everyone knows London’s expensive, possibly the most expensive city on earth right now thanks to our pumped-up pound. So it makes sense to cut corners where you can and where better to start than a free walking tour of London.

Be aware that I haven’t tried one myself but the website and the company look reputable so give it a try the next time you visit London. Remember to check out Parkes Hotel if you’re looking for a luxury boutique hotel in London

Parkes won best luxury hotel in London and has an unbeatable selection of luxury suites.

The Daily Telegraph recently ran a piece on luxury hotels in Dublin - here’s some of the highlights:

 The Dylan. One of the best boutique hotels in Dublin - or anywhere else for that matter.

15 minutes from St Stephen’s Green, the hotel is in a quiet and leafy affluent street with good restaurants nearby.

Feels like an exclusive nightclub, the  interior design is gaudy, but this boutique hotel is anything but boring: crimson carpets, wacky furniture and zany lights.

Each of the 44 bedrooms is individually designed, they all come with an iPod loaded with funky music, plasma TV and powerful hairdryer. The bathrooms are small (some are shower only) and are stocked with Etro products.

Excellent service, attentive and unobtrusive - one’s entire stay feels tailor-made.

Contact: 00353 1 600 3000; www.dylan.ie. Doubles from £275.

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The Fitzwilliam Hotel

Overlooking St Stephen’s Green from the west, with Grafton Street almost on its doorstep.

Conran Designed 10 years old with a room refurbishment underway.  A lime green and purple colour scheme lend it a fresh and interesting look.

The lobby’s bold colour scheme is being introduced across all 130 or so rooms. The bathrooms are lovely, with stylish mosaics. The smallest (”Executive”) rooms are compact  and many lack a decent view. The fifth-floor ‘Superior” rooms are divine - a good size and great views over the park.

Contact 00353 1 478 7000; www.fitzwilliamhotel.com. Doubles from £259.

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Brownes is a quiet townhouse on the north side of St Stephen’s Green.

Formerly a society residence and then a gentlemen’s club, this traditional Dublin townhouse is stunning from the outside and quiet and refined within. Wooden floors, green walls and grandfather chair add a sense of charming creakiness to the lobby, and the reception, with a fireplace and huge windows looking over the green, is intimate and restful. It may seem a little worn but that is part of its appeal. Perfect for those who want to feel as if they are in old-world Dublin. And for Irish literary enthusiasts, Samuel Beckett was once a guest.

The 11 rooms are small and have low ceilings, but the simple yet tasteful furnishings make them seem homely.

Contact: 00353 1 638 3939; www.brownesdublin.com. Doubles from £175.

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Aer Lingus (0870 8765000; www.aerlingus.com) flies several times a day from Heathrow to Dublin. The prices are competitive with Ryanair, but have the advantage of seat allocation. Ryanair (0871 246 0000; www.ryanair.com) has multiple daily flights to Dublin from Gatwick, Stansted and Luton. For further information on Dublin and the rest of Ireland visit www.discoverireland.com or call 0800 039 7000.

Boutique hotel in Paris? Five star hotel, luxury hotel in Paris. Here’s a selection of independents hotels in Paris you may not have come across.

On the roof of the neo-classical Palais de Tokyo you can spend the night in a designer pod with the best view in Paris. The Everland hotel is described as a kind of ultra-modern tree-house on one of Paris’s best-placed rooftops, it has a panoramic view of the Seine and the Eiffel tower. The lone capsule — with bedroom, bathroom and lounge area including a record player with a selection of vinyl and a well-stocked mini-bar — is serviced like any other luxury hotel. With only one room, this is Paris’s smallest hotel, but also its most sought-after – it will only last until December 31 2008.

Hotel Caron de Beaumarchais

Furnished in the style of a private townhouse in the time of  Mozart, this “bonne adresse” on the edge of Paris’s chic Marais district is cosy and atmospheric, but also good value. The bedrooms and bathrooms have an air of Louis XVI, with chandeliers and elaborate heavy curtains. The hotel’s location is a definite plus point -  you’re in a warren of bars, restaurants, chocolatiers and stylish shopping only a short walk from Places des Vosges, the Picasso museum and the Jewish delis of rue des Rosiers. On the same road as the hotel, are some of the Marais’s favourite cafes, including the literary bar, La Belle Hortense, and opposite it, the typical Paris bar, Au Petit Fer à Cheval.

Windsor Home

This smart Parisien hotel in the 16th arrondissement is ia quirky but chic hideway with a B&B feel. With only eight rooms, decorated like the home of a true Parisian dandy, it feels more like staying with posh friends. Good value and not far from the Eiffel tower, it’s a good starting point for exploring western Paris.

 Hôtel Mayet

A colourful, chilled-out, family-friendly and nicely-priced small townhouse hotel on the Left Bank. Modern art murals decorate the entrance hall while modern white, grey and red colour schemes dominate the simple upstairs and attic rooms. On a quiet street south of the Invalides and L’Ecole Militaire, it’s perfect for visitors who like long Paris walks — you can easily head into the Latin Quarter or up to the Eiffel Tower, the river and beyond.

Hotel Daniel

For a more expensive weekend break near Paris’s priciest shopping streets, le Daniel is a boutique hotel in a quiet street behind the Champs Elysées.  Like all Parisien hotels in picturesque buildings, some rooms are small, but the décor more than compensates. If you tire of the crowds of the Champs Elysées or the designer boutiques of rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré, it’s a pleasant walk to Parc Monceau.

Hôtel Arvor Saint Georges

A cosy house near Montmartre and Pigalle, with rooms winding up a staircase to a rooftop view. Its mix of white minimalistic bedrooms and funky downstairs décor makes you feel more like you’re in a Parisian bourgeois-boheme flat-share than a hotel. Be sure to ask for one of the recently renovated rooms – particularly with a good view over the patio and backyard.

Alcôve & Agapes guest bedrooms

To stay in the guest-room of a genuine Paris flat, browse through the options on offer from the company Alcôve & Agapes which acts as an intermediary. Possibilities include staying in the homes of hosts across Paris from the Ile Saint-Louis to Montmartre, from modern apartments to 19th-century mansions, or even an artist’s studio in Saint-Germain. The French chambre d’hôtes system that’s so common across the French countryside also works well in the capital.

Hôtel Beaumarchais

Hôtel Beaumarchais is a cheap and cheerful option for young people on a budget, or those travelling in a group and sharing a room. With incredibly bright carpets and décor with oddities like plastic bathroom furniture, it provides a basic but chilled-out Paris base on the edge of the hip Oberkampf district with its bars and clubs.

Hôtel Bourg Tibourg

Hôtel Bourg Tibourg, Paris True romance … Hôtel Bourg Tibourg A gem in the Marais, not far from Paris’s city hall, Hôtel Bourg Tibourg is a calm hideaway on a quiet street with décor that can only be described as modern oriental baroque. The little sister of Paris’s vastly expensive Costes hotel, this is a romantic option for a cheaper but nonetheless opulent weekend break. There are good bars and cafes within staggering distance, yet it’s quiet. Again, be warned: it’s a historic building, so the rooms are small, but perfectly designed.

Hotel du Nord

Tucked away in a quiet street near the Gare du Nord, this is a simple, down-to-earth and incredibly good value Parisian house, that’s very proud of its local neighbourhood feel. With homemade jams served at breakfast, it feels more like a cheap but cosy B&B than a hotel. They have 10 bikes available to guests free of charge. There are 22 bedrooms and one suite. But for a brighter, lighter room ask for one high up or facing the street.

Parkes Hotel, winner of Trip Advisor’s Luxury hotel London award in 2007, is offering some amazing Dollar Rates. Click the link for more details. It just goes to show that if you know where to look it’s still possible to get good rates at luxury London boutique hotels - even though the dollar’s struggling like crazy to keep its head above water.

One of the best times to visit Paris is in the off-season -
there are ferwer tourists in the city, fewer tourists means less time spent waiting in the lines, easier access to monuments and museums, and less hassled and therefore friendlier Parisians.

On the financial front you’re more likely to get good prices/rates because hotels need guests and one sure fire way to attract them is low prices.

You feel less like a local than a tourist because you get to do what Parisians do.
- Winter time in Paris is less cold than many places in the world. The average winter temperature is 7°C (about 45°F), and it’s less rainy than people often think. Plus Paris is one of these great cities where, even if the weather isn’t so nice, the monuments and facades look amazing. The grey colour of the sky gives to the city, a historical aspect even deeper than what it actually is. It makes you feel “special” in a special city.
- Some French food is only available during winter time. Take oysters for example, there is a phrase saying that you can only eat oysters on months ending with “er”, so September, October, November, December and no January or February etc. What a pity not to eat these huge delicious seafood trays.
- Winter sales happen on January; right after you spent all your money on Christmas’s gifts. It stays about 5 weeks, depending on the French department you are in. You wouldn’t want to miss the Galeries Lafayette facades, it’s a national event every year.
- Christmas markets (Marchés de Noel) are so cut. You will find them in various cities in France, some are expected, like the one in Strasbourg, and some are more intimate and still very attractive.

Time and time again the same names appear at the head of an exclusive London list - luxury boutique hotels in Knightsbridge.

Parkes Hotel - winner of Trip Advisor’s best boutique hotel in London award in 2007 - which should be in everybody’s little black book on account of its spacious suites and ultra-friendly staff.

The Knightsbridge - it’s really more of a funky b&b than a boutique but charming none the less.

Jumeirah Lowndes, little sister to big brother the Jumeirah Carlton Tower, still ab fab after all these years as befits a hotel which backs onto Harvey Nichols.

Plus the Franklin due to re-open in 2008 following an expensive re-furb.

Is this the best best luxury boutique hotel in Dublin? Must be the most romantic hotel in Dublin. As everyone from taxi drivers to bar staff and shop assistants will tell you, Dublin has changed and is still changing. In the Eighties, it was rudely alive, rough around the edges and obviously, shockingly poor in parts. But now the city is booming.

The dilapidated dock area is being rebuilt in glass and chrome, new office blocks have sprung up around the River Liffey, and Dublin today is a place where conspicuous consumption is celebrated.

The Dylan complements this perfectly. Formerly the old Royal Hospital Nurses’ Home, latterly the rather run-down Hibernian Hotel, the Dylan is now a beautifully designed 44-bedroomed boutique hotel. In Dublin, the D4 postcode is shorthand for a certain type of swank and there’s no denying that the Dylan’s ultra-modern bar, all angles and reflections, plays to that flash attitude.

Initially, it appears that this is a hotel you stay in to make a point, to see and be seen, rather than to relax in and feel at home. Yet appearances are truly deceptive. From the moment my husband and I arrived, we felt relaxed and suitably pampered, the reception staff were incredibly efficient, the highly-rated Still restaurant lived up to its billing with an outstanding menu centred around well-presented local produce, and our suite was so comfortable that it was quite easy to imagine spending the whole weekend simply lounging around in it.

This sense of welcome elevates the Dylan above its peers. For just as underneath new Dublin’s trappings, old Dublin’s rambunctious heart still beats, so beneath the Dylan’s highly polished surface lurks the warmth and, most importantly, the substance of a classic country hotel.

The Royal a luxury hotel in Bath has just re-opened. 31 bedrooms, including two with four-poster beds, and an established reputation for good food and a friendly atmosphere. Close to all of Bath’s leading attractions, this Georgian hotel sparkles following a full refurbishment. If you contact the hotel direct ( The Royal ) you should be in time to secure a deal for dinner, bed and breakfast in one of the new superior rooms. Currently available from only £120 per night with a complimentary glass of Champagne before dinner on the first night.

It’s easy to work out which are the best boutique hotels in the Cotsolds - or any other area for that matter. All you need do is see what well respected sites like Mr & Mrs Smith, Tablet Hotels, Best Loved Hotels and Intelligent Traveller say and work out the common themes.

Rumour has it that a new luxury boutique hotel in Knightsbridge will open in 2008. It’s a competitive market with the title of best luxury boutique hotel in Knightsbridge currently being contested between Parkes Hotel and The Draycott. Watch this space.