Howdy all! Yes, today I am going to give you my top five ‘sleeps’ – hotels to be strictly accurate – from my travels in 2025. So if I didn’t stay there, it can’t be included. I travelled to 21 countries in 2025 and I stayed in over 30 hotels, as well as a few Air BnBs as well when it worked out better, and I will be devoting a post at some point to my Air BnB stays.

I stayed in a range of different places with different budgets in 2025 from a hostel in Athens to a five star hotel near the airport in Nairobi. That one was pretty good too, the Argyle Grand Nairobi, but it doesn’t make this list because well, it was super expensive so you would expect it to be good. I did really like the blind control by the bed I must say and it’s one I wish I had a few days to enjoy rather than the short overnight I had where I had to wake at 3am.

Anyways, all from different countries here are the top five places I stayed at in 2025!

5. Granada, Nicaragua – Boutique Hotel Secret Garden Granada [Website]

Cost $544AUS for an apartment (Approx. $351USD)

This hotel has rooms and an apartment or two as part of the property. From outside you would have no idea it is so nice on the inside. The cost was split between myself and Graham who was travelling with me, they had a bedroom and a second queen bed in the living area of the apartment. A couple of air conditioners, decent WiFi, very spacious and a kitchen, fridge, it was an apartment, you know the drill.

But the real feature was that it was a lovely oasis in Granada, not that it was that busy outside the gate. Breakfast included, and the pool! The pool was much needed and appreciated. And we were able to organise all our day trip transport through the hotel.

4. Bulawayo Zimbabwe – The Bulawayo Club [Bulawayo Club Website]

$230USD for four nights, $57.50 a night.

The Bulawayo Club is an institution in Bulawayo, and an historic building in its own right. It wasn’t always a hotel, it was a club that was founded in 1895, the current building dating back to 1934. Up until 2008 or so it was soley operated as a Gentleman’s Club I think. Today it operates as a hotel and club and has function rooms, a bar, restaurants, a wonderful lift that at one point stopped short of my floor and the door wouldn’t open. Rickety but magnificent!

You can explore many of the rooms there, it’s really very impressive so look out for my video review later this year. It was super cold at the time I was there in July, and at night it wasn’t far off zero degree. The hotel did not have heaters in the rooms. Or anywhere that I saw. Boy was I huddled under that blanket. There may be plans to install heaters, but it was the negative of staying in this amazing building. The other drawback was the bathtub, all of the bathroom was in keeping with the building, historic I guess you could say (the toilets on the ground floor were magnificent and the staircase likewise). However the bath was huge and despite issues getting the water temperature right, it was a great bath.

Anyways, I probably should and could do a whole post on this place. I paid $230USD in total for four nights, but I see at the moment its around $150AUD or $97USD per night. It had it’s good and bad, but it was a great place to stay, oh and good food at the restaurant and really attentive, kind staff.

3. Indonesia, Jakarta – Novotel Cikini [Novotel Cikini Jakarta Website]

$445AUD for four nights, around $288USD or $72USD a night

Jakarta was my final stop before heading back to Australia, and it was a really pleasant stay too. Very comfortable room, I think the nicest Novotel I have ever stayed in. Very kind staff, great restaurant too the breakfast was included and was a pretty good spread with various culinary options – local food, western food, Indian food etc.

The room was very comfortable and excellent WiFi kept me happy too. Nice work area, only thing missing was a bath. Perhaps not perfectly located but Jakarta is a big, sprawling city.

2. Kenya, Nairobi – Best Western Plus Meridian [Website]

$153USD for two nights

This one was a real gem. It was the most welcoming place I can remember staying at last year, and my favourite hotel I have stayed at in Africa. It’s firstly in a great location just of Moi Avenue, a popular downtown strip with lots of shopping.

I was brought by taxi after a 17 hour bus ride from Kampala, and believe me I was SO happy when I arrived. I thought it was very reasonably priced, at just over $100AUD per night. Three star hotel but very good for a three star, very nice restaurant attached with a good buffet breakfast included in the price, you could book your train tickets and tours there too – train tickets a little tricky to purchase in Kenya without the local money app M-Pesa so this was a godsend.

They were always asking (but not over-asking) how everything was and if I needed anything. Good room, desk space, comfortable bed, hot shower, very clean, quiet, I really thought this was a great stay!

1. Greece, Santorini – Pension George [Pension George Website]

70 Euro per night

Okay so this place takes the number one finish! Santorini is not cheap for accommodation, and I expected a bare-bones kind of deal, but this one surprised me greatly and was a lot better than the photos on the internet! (It’s almost never that way round!)

Located in the small town of Katerados, this pension is not in one of the main, larger towns on the Island of Santorini, and I thought that was a huge plus! Because it’s much quieter for starters, and Fira is only a few minutes by car away (main town in Santorini) if you want some action. But Katerados has a small grocery store and a few places to eat. You can in fact walk to Fira in under 25 minutes, the bus from the main intersection, 5ish minutes walk from Pension George, takes a little over five minutes to get to Fira. Then another 30 or so to Oia, a gorgeous town in the north of the island. Well, all the towns are gorgeous on Santorini, including Katerados which you can walk around and explore for an hour or so.

The receptionist there is fantastic and will help you make the most out of your time in Santorini and give you the information YOU want depending on your budget and style of travel. There is a bar and a lovely pool and pool area surrounding, it’s just like a postcard.

My room was a twin, and although simple-ish had a large balcony with table and chairs, was extremely spacious and the only downside was the bathroom maybe could have been a bit bigger but it wasn’t that small either. TV, fridge all the usual amenities you could expect and of course, air conditioning but I don’t think I ever used it.

Great value for money, great hospitality and picture perfect in terms of what people imagine when visiting Santorini. I LOVED Pension George!

And there you go! Five places I can happily and enthusiastically recommend, all in different parts of the world! Thanks for popping by! May the Journey Never End!