Faulty Towers: Places to Avoid

W Istanbul:  Poor service, untidy rooms and an unfortunate Las Vegas harem-inspired décor make this one to miss. 

Hotel Skeppsholmen, Stockholm:  A pretty but inconvenient island location, sullen staff and college dorm-like rooms with IKEA-style furnishings sink this ship.

Villa Mangiacane, Italy: Except for the fine views of the surrounding countryside, Tuscany goes missing at this poorly-run villa hotel with overpriced rooms, and grounds incongruously decorated with Zimbabwean statuary.

Casa Colonial, Dominican Republic: An otherwise appealing boutique hotel is fatally undone by boisterous all-inclusive neighbors and a decidedly pedestrian stretch of beach.

Madison Hotel, Memphis: Decorated in a modified art deco style, the rooms here are unfortunately cold and impersonal, despite the multi-thread bedding and fluffy duvets. The public rooms and restaurant also left us cold. 

360° Leti, India: Billed by several international newspapers and glossies as the ultimate perch from which to gaze at the great snow peaks (Nanda Devi, 25,643 feet) and glaciers of the central Indian Himalayas, this allegedly upscale mountain lodge turned out to be worn and tired, surrounded by road construction and with a partial view of one minor peak.