Kyoto – David Enzel

Over the years I’ve stayed in many hotels. Most of them blur together. A few, however, have never left me.

This is not a list of the “best” or the most luxurious places in the world. It’s something more personal. These are properties — including one cruise line — that stayed with me long after I checked out. Places that, for one reason or another, made me feel unusually well cared for, at ease, or quietly happy to be exactly where I was.

I have stayed at every place on this list. None of this is theoretical.

The list is in no particular order and will continue to evolve over time. If a place belongs here for you, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments.

Ballynahinch Castle Hotel & Estate — Connemara, Ireland

A former castle set deep in the Irish countryside, surrounded by rivers, fields, and misty hills. It feels less like a hotel and more like being a guest on a private estate where time has slowed down. Wikipedia – Property Website

The Thousand Kyoto — Kyoto, Japan

Modern, calm, and beautifully restrained. A hotel that understands that luxury can be quiet, light, and space rather than ornament. Property Website

Four Seasons Hotel Seattle — Seattle, Washington

Not a resort, not a palace — just an impeccably run urban hotel that made me feel at home in the middle of Seattle. Property Website

The Peninsula Hong Kong — Hong Kong

Old-world elegance without being stuffy. You feel the history the moment you walk in, and yet it never feels frozen in time. Property Website

Silversea Cruises

Not a hotel, but it belongs here. More than any other cruise line I’ve experienced, Silversea understands privacy, pacing, and the feeling of being a guest rather than a passenger. Website

Four Seasons Hotel Toronto — Toronto, Canada

Polished, welcoming, and quietly luxurious. A hotel that gets the balance between professionalism and warmth exactly right. I had the pleasure of staying in the flagship Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto at 21 Avenue Road in Yorkville — now long gone and replaced by a modern, elegant property. I still remember arriving after a long, delayed flight. The woman who checked me in said she wanted to come out from behind the desk and shake my hand. Even years later, that simple gesture stays with me: a moment of genuine human welcome. Property Website

What all of these places share is not a star ratings or a price points, but a feeling. Each of them made me feel temporarily rooted — not like I was passing through, but like I belonged there for a while. That matters more to me than novelty or spectacle. The places that stay with me are the ones that give me a sense of calm, dignity, and quiet pleasure, long after I’ve gone home.

I hope to add to this list as I travel, including on my upcoming trip to Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

^{Last updated: January 13, 2025}

Emmanuel Nataf writing on PetaPixel discussing his hit rate on the Leica Q3 compared with the Canon R5:

Going back to my “hit rate,” I simply can’t get anywhere near my R5. Part of it is due to the ergonomics of the Q3: a typical Leica without joystick to move the focus and poorly placed dials (the worst one being for exposure, placed on the outer part of the body and hard to reach with your thumb). With the temperatures dropping in the past few weeks, I used the Q3 with gloves and missed countless street shots by pushing the Play button instead of the arrows, definitely killing my shots. You may wonder why I’m not using subject tracking: because switching between subjects rapidly with the Q3’s buttons is completely unreliable.

The second reason for the low hit rate is the autofocus: average in poor lighting conditions and terrible in motion. With the Q3, I’ve had to stop shooting while walking. I have to stop, compose my image and shoot when the right subject comes into the frame — a much less spontaneous experience than what I’m used to.

Lastly, the camera is painfully slow to wake up. It should be on within a few milliseconds, but it takes the Q3 a second or two to start… far too long when trying to capture an instant.

I too own both a Canon R5 and a Leica Q3. The R5 is my main camera. I love it but it is big and heavy compared to the Q3. The Q3 is small, a pleasure to hold and the image quality is great, maybe even a little better than the R5.

I agree that the Q3 is slow to start. But I just leave it on and then it starts pretty fast. Sure it drains the battery but the batteries aren’t big or heavy. It’s easy to carry extra batteries.
I adjust exposure using the camera dial and find that works well for me. The camera can be adjusted almost infinitely. You just have to experiment and see what works for you.
I agree that the R5’s autofocus is better than the Q3 but find that I can shoot on the fly with the Q3. I feel I’ve gotten some nice street photos with the Q3. The eye detection on the Q3 works very well.

I made the photos in this post with the Q3 while on a trip to Japan in 2023.

In my opinion, when it comes to small, light weight full-frame cameras, Leica has the market all to itself. Would I love to see more competition in this category? Sure. But I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

I am happy to have the Q3 in my bag along with the Canon R5.

Update: April, 2024: On a recent trip to Europe my Q3 malfunctioned. The SD card would not click in the slot. After returning home, I took the camera back to the Leica Store in Washington DC. They returned the camera to Leica Repair in New Jersey. On April 30, 2024 I received the following email message:

4/30
Your equipment has been inspected by our technician. Your repair has been processed and placed in queue. No action is required.

Error description

strong traces of use adjust/replace printed circuit SD card slot faulty

I don’t yet know how long the repair will take. I miss the camera. I really like it. I will continue to update.

Update: May 21, 2024:

Dear Leica Customer,

During the repair of your Leica product, the technician found that a
part required to fully repair your equipment to Leica standards is
currently out of stock.

Our colleagues and worldwide suppliers are working together to resolve
this issue as quickly as possible. However, this will most likely delay
the completion of the repair.

We apologize for the inconvenience and sincerely appreciate your
patience. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not
hesitate to contact Customer Care at 201-995-0051 ext. 9930 or email
repair@leicacamerausa.com

Sincerely,

Your Leica Team

Leica Camera USA INC.
Customer Care

I am thinking of buying a Leica M11-P but this experience with the Q3 gives me pause. Still one Leica does not feel like it’s enough for me.

Update: May 24, 2024

I called Leica Repair today to see how long the repair will take. They answered the phone right away and explained the part I need (the SD card holder) must be manufactured and shipped from Germany. The wait will probably be a couple of months. They offered me a Q3 loaner for the duration of the repair, which sounds great to me. They will send me the loaner next week. When my camera is repaired they will notify me. I will then return the loaner and they will then ship my camera to me. I am glad I called.

I added that I’m thinking about buying an M11-P and asked how long repairs generally take. The reply was 60 days – and longer if the camera has to go back to Germany. Analogue repairs take much longer – nine months or longer.

I guess Leica is a small company and this is the price of admission.

Update: May 29, 2024

My Q3 loaner arrived today. Once I held the camera in my hands, I realized just how much I missed it. Luckily, I saved my profile settings on my Mac so I only had to transfer them to an SD card and load them into my loaner.

Update: August 7, 2024

Leica notified me a few days ago that my Q3 has been repaired. Leica sent me a prepaid shipping label and I returned the Q3 loaner. Today, my Q3 arrived well-packaged and working just fine. The entire process took about 100 days. With the loaner, I am happy with Leica service.

Memorable Places

Leica Q3 Review From a Canon Photographer