boutique hotels (2)

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It was a few years back on a rainy night that we wended our way to Palazzo Manfredi and dinner at its Michelin-starred Aroma restaurant. A lot of hotel stays and superb dining experiences later, we still had a memory of that time and also of our meeting with the elegant Bruno Papaleo, general manager.

Now we were back in Rome, guests at the Palazzo Manfredi, a five-star Relais & Châteaux property (Via Labicano 125), right near the Coliseum. In the 17th century it became a villa of the Evangel

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I had some business meetings scheduled in downtown Atlanta, and I wanted to find a top rated hotel in the area that offered character, class, and quality.

The Glenn, part of the Marriott Autograph Collection chain, promotes a boutique-ish vibe and looked appealing.  Ditto the upscale Courtyard by Marriott and swank Ritz Carlton.  While all were within walking distance of my confabs and appeared to be perfectly fine choices, I hesitated on the chain thing:  given the uniqueness of Atlanta, my pre

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