Richard TurenMy family never stayed in hotels. If your home has a bedroom, they thought it was absurd.In my teens, my family went on their first vacation to upstate New York. There, I met Natalie Wood, who was filming on the property. I had dinner with Natalie Wood twice.I found Southern fiction appealing and imagined roadtrips with cicada swarms and Moon Pie emporiums.One thing I loved about Lee Smith, William Faulkner and Harper Lee was the fact that they all started with grits and ended up with the moon shining at the end of a party. Southern fiction is mostly about daytrips.Where, I wondered, did they sleep after setting out from home? The best moments of any travel day are those that occur in the evening.For me to have a restful night's sleep, all I need is a comfortable bed with crisp linens and a mattress that seems like it has been used just once. Complete darkness and silence are the best things. I've often wondered why hotels don't have quiet floors for people like me.My most memorable hotel stay was at Villa La Vedetta, in the hills above Florence. At 3:00 a.m., there was a banging on our doors. A FedEx package arrived at my door with a photo and a medical report in Mandarin. Surprisingly, the adoption process that we initiated over two years ago was completed.The mind wanders. Angela and Mike Tyson shared a hotel wall once with us. We were joined by about a dozen Kentucky friends. That night, I slept well.One morning, in Moscow's Metropole Hotel, I woke up to find that one of my group members had been removed from his bedroom and taken into custody by authorities. (Too lengthy a story -- but I was able to get him back.Ireland is my favorite place to sleep because it is full of Whole Foods on steroids. You can sleep well if you eat well.After checking in at the Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi, I noticed a vending machine in the lobby. I thought I would get a snack before I went to my room. It didn't contain any chocolate, but I was able to see it more closely. It was actually dispensed solid gold bars.My favorite Paris hotel, the Esprit Saint Germain, on the Left Bank, is where I sleep well. This is due to my great crisp bedding and the fact I start my mornings by visiting the best bakery in the area. Are things too perfect?Monastero Santa Rosa, on the Amalfi coast, is my favourite hotel in Italy. I love the fact that there's a "Confession Booth", right along the main hall. The hidden chef's garden is just across the street is a favorite of mine.American Airlines, near Miami Airport, was the worst hotel I have ever stayed in. It was a result of a cancelled flight. It is a bad sign that check-in takes place behind bulletproof glass.It is sad to report that the mattress was not in the box.
