Imagine a hotel proposing that the housekeeper put a goldfish in your guest room in a basketball-sized bowl filled with colorful rocks.  All they ask is that you give it a name so you can have “your” fish join you again on your next stay. Visualize the bathrobe in the closet being zebra-striped or leopard-spotted rather than boring white, or the turn-down item left on your pillow something completely unexpected—a foreign coin, a flower, even a lottery ticket—instead of the ubiquitous mint.  Welcome to the Hotel Monaco!

 Hotel Monaco is my favorite hotel. Not only because of its over-the-top service but because it provides a clever cacophony of sensory stimulations. Your colorful guest room radiantly greets you with garden-fresh flowers, peaceful fragrances, unusual artwork, and restful music. Bathroom amenities range from scented soap to your very own rubber ducky. A super pet-friendly hotel, the Monaco not only provides a turn-down bone and nature videos for guests’ furry roommates, it even includes a dog concierge in its lobbies. The complimentary late-afternoon wine party in the lobby might include a handwriting psychic quietly reading palms for a small fee.   

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