#BoHoLover: Meet Alessandra of We are local Nomads @WeRLocalNomads
We have asked Alessandra Speri of We are local Nomads to share her thoughts with us about her love for hotels, and Amberlair, of course. And before you ask, a #BohoLover is a Boutique Hotel lover… just like us!
How do you choose a hotel when you travel?
When I travel I am very price sensitive, but I would never ever renounce to treat myself at least once when it comes to hotels. What is essential to me, especially in western countries is that the accommodation must be located in lively area where you can hang out with locals at night. I make some research online, browsing blogs. Then check out booking.com in every corner to find out the most intriguing hotel or hostel that I can afford. Just then, I finally book.
If you had to choose 3, which were the most special (boutique) hotels you have ever stayed at and what made them so special?
Piece Hostel in Japan is not literally a hotel but it represents perfectly the price/quality ratio and personality level that I would love to find in every single place I book a room when I am on holiday. Minimal but cutting edge, clean but lively and rich of services that are very useful for any traveler.
Piece Hostel in japan. Photo by hotel.
In Japan I had the occasion to sleep in a Temple near Nara and ate kaiseki kitchen cooked by the monks, that was amazing. In Iran I had the opportunity to sleep in Zein-o-Din caravanserai in the middle of the desert, that was a very charming experience!
Zein-O-Din in Iran. Photo by Geo Reisecommunity.
Zein-O-Din in Iran. Photo by Geo Reisecommunity.
If you had your own boutique hotel, what 3 things would you make sure existed?
- A free, tasty and healthy breakfast
- A properly working and safe WiFi service
- Something surprising that no one would expect to find for free in a hotel (such as super-premium toiletries, a free bottle of local wine/treat in every room or simply an automatic room upgrade if a better room is available at the moment of arrival of the guest).
Name 3 things you loved in hotels you stayed in before…
- Premium toiletries at Hotel MyStays Kanazawa
- The royal breakfast I had in a hotel placed inside the detached barn area of a castle in Normandy. Breakfast is always a very important factor in the level of happiness I reach after a stay in a hotel.
- The amazing design kitchen of Piece Hostel in Kyoto, where you could cook or just relax on the design sofas overlooking the tiny japanese style garden.
In general, I am very happy when a hot tub/pool is provided!
Name 3 things you wouldn’t want to experience in a hotel ever again.
Dirty rooms or common areas are not acceptable in hostels, let along in boutique hotels. Sometimes luggage rooms are a service you have to pay: well, that’s a big issue for me, at least as big as employees that speaks a poor english or are not able to give interesting suggestions to guest when it comes to shopping and eating local.
How do you feel about the Amberlair concept?
I am in love with the project itself, and also the fact that the community chose Italy. This way it will be very easy to be your guest as soon as you open the boutique hotel. Keep us updated guys!
Where are you off to next?
My list is long, but I plan to visit St. Petersburg soon, Sicily, the Philippines, Bordeaux, India and the West Coast Parks in the USA.
Hi, my name is Alessandra and I am from Italy. Above all, I love three things: reading books, constantly traveling (in Italy and abroad) and sharing!
Alessandra Speri works as digital media strategist and PR agent, she blogs on Wer are local Nomads about her travels and shares tips about Milano, the town where she is based.
Her big dream is to open a boutique hostel that combines all the things that she loves in one cosy and welcoming place for travelers and locals. Not just a place to sleep for tourists, but an actual hub where they can eat healthy and tasty local foods, organize their trip, work or meet locals attending cultural events organized also inside the boutique hostel. The ideal location for her hostel would be her fascinating hometown: Verona.
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