Glitz, Glamour and the hallmark of being Green is what's marketed in travel these days. From designer hotels to solar spas, novelty and innovation are the rage. But what does this mean for the visitor? Not much without one thing: good old-fashioned hospitality.

Restaurateur Danny Meyer makes this point in his best-selling book "Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business." The most exotic petits pois are nothing but stale old peas unless served up by an empathetic waiter. In other words, unless you're a total status seeker, it is the overall experience that counts--not just the goods. And that experience--the welcome a place exudes--is as old and coveted as travel itself.

In the following vignettes, Travel Classics seasoned writers talk about charmed places--the world's most hospitable inns, restaurants, countries--and what makes them so endearing.

Margie Goldsmith on the Ritz in London
Step inside The Palm Court Restaurant of the Ritz London for Afternoon Tea, and not only will you be served tea in silver pots and sandwiches and fresh cream cakes on the finest Limoges china, but your waiter will hover over you like a doting parent. At The Ritz, every staff member knows and remembers your name, and each time you return, the same suite will be waiting. Need a computer in your suite? The porter will deliver a laptop, printer, scanner, and fax machine. Ask the front desk for walking directions, and they'll draw your route on a map, point out highlights worth seeing, and tell you exactly how long it will take to get there. Talk about puttin' on the Ritz!
mgoldsmith@mgproductions.com, www.mgproductions.com

Candace Dempsey on Campo dei Fiori
Some may call the noisiest place on earth, but it's also the most hospitable. Amid crumbling buildings of eternal charm, this ancient Roman marketplace welcomes Hari Krishnas, German tourists, American foodies, hip young Italians, Roman shoppers and, well, everybody else. Come here for espresso and a sweet cornetto in early morning. Watch the vegetable sellers set up pyramids of zucchini, artichokes and mushrooms. Lap up spaghetti cacio e pepe at lunch. Stick around for cocktails on the cobblestones after dark. Check out the pretty restaurants under the lights. Get up the next morning. Do it all over again.
www.candacedempsey.com

Gayle Keck on Uncle Harry's in Reedley, CA
You'll see a lot of sunburned necks at this small-town restaurant in California's Central Valley. Farmers flock to Uncle Harry's for homestyle Armenian cooking (five types of savory kabobs and heavenly stuffed grape-leaf sarmas). But even strangers from the big city get a taste of true country hospitality. "You haven't been here before?" Diane the waitress asks. "I'll give you some of everything" for your side-dishes. Harry himself pulls up a chair, shares his family history, schools us on how to detect a ripe watermelon and then pops back into the kitchen to whip up luscious plum smoothies--on the house. A good reminder that the best four-star hospitality comes straight from the heart.
www.gaylekeck.com

Stephanie Stephens on New Zealand
Kia Ora! or Hello in "Kiwi." It's not a language of course, but a wonderful way of being that's warm, welcoming and "no worries." It's also our treasured bird that doesn't see well and can't fly, and a shoe polish that inspired the informal name of our people, "The Kiwis." And, yes, it's a furry green fruit. Kiwi is my way of life: I'm a permanent resident and possibly the only U. S. journalist who lives in and specializes in New Zealand. I wouldn't trade my life there for an around-the-world ticket. Come on Down Under, and I'll say, "Good on ya'!" I just can't say enough about New Zealand. (Perhaps I just did!)
www.stephens-ink.com

Paul Ross on Istanbul
Service Above & Beyond: "Why now?!" (Like there's ever a good time for equipment to fail.) Yet, there I was saying just that when, on the eve of a departure for Turkey, my camera and flash were as about as cooperative as Sunnis and Shiites. At a stopover in New York I was told, "Only the factory can fix a unit this new. It'll take a month." Yet, in Istanbul, a local repairman loaned me his personal camera and fixed mine, in one afternoon. He refused to take any money. Now that's hospitality, sweet.
Paul@GlobalAdventure.us, www.globaladventure.us

Stephanie Ager Kirz on Ireland's The Quay House
One glance at the shiny, polished Sheffield knife blades retrofitted on the hotel silver and I knew The Quay House in Clifden, Ireland was no ordinary Irish guesthouse. Breakfast in the conservatory captured the simple elements of grace rarely seen in a country guesthouse and certainly lost in the American household.

Coarse Brittany sea-salt in a silver dish, toasts in an antique caddy, and eggs, scrambled so softly with piles of butter, they resembled yellow clouds floating on a white plate. They were in fact the best scrambled eggs that I have ever eaten in my life. A little slice of heaven, thanks to gracious proprietors Julia and Paddy Foyle, who understand that old saying, "God is in the details," or certainly in those scrambled eggs.
www.whitedogpress.net

Gillian Kendall on Fiji
Having traveled all over the world and stayed in many a luxurious resort, I have been deliciously spoilt. But the Cousteau Resort and Marine Sanctuary, Fiji, made me feel different--and better--than any other place. Fijian people are famously friendly and genuine, but the managers and staff at the Cousteau Resort exceeded my expectations. They not only welcomed but got to know me and my partner, and, more importantly, they let us get to know them.

The resort offers the usual high-end amenities--superb food, fantastic bures (beach cottages), gardens and beaches, lovely pools, outings to villages and natural wonders--and some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world. And it makes extra efforts in sustainability. But beyond all that, the staff seem genuinely to like each other and to enjoy working there and befriending the guests. I can-t wait to go back. www.gilliankendall.com

Dena Braun on Bread in Durango, CO
"How's my ex-wife?" Rob, the gregarious owner of Bread said as he greeted my friend Anne with a bear hug. For a moment I wondered if Anne was keeping a juicy secret from me, until I realized it was just Rob being Rob. Bread, in Durango, CO, is a local gem. While Rob chatted with every customer, his laid-back, Joie de Vive attitude belayed the perfectionism that he cooks each loaf, scone or croissant with. Bread is a hangout for local cyclists, and every year a big-screen TV on the patio is tuned to the Tour de France. Rob is known to sneak cookies and pastries into unsuspecting patron's bags, and arm children with dough to pelt their unsuspecting Mom's car with. At Bread, the food and characters will keep you coming back for more.
www.fitglobetrotter.com

Judy Fein on Tunisia
It was my sixth visit to Tunisia, and I was kicking myself in the culottes. Why hadn't I bought Oummiktango, the huge puppet kids used to play with to bring rain? I went into the souks, and the antique shop where I had once seen the puppet had sold it. No matter how often I asked, whined, begged, browsed or cajoled, I came up short. On New Year's eve, I came back to my hotel room to gussy up, and there was a huge gift box from a man in the tourism office. Inside was--you guessed it--a two-foot high Oummiktango.-It was a personal gift, not a gimme or a PR expense on the company account. Oummikktango sits on my fireplace, and Tunisia is in my heart.
judith@globaladventure.us, www.globaladventure.us

Valerie Summers on Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel & Spa
Approaching the Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel & Spa through the lush English countryside, I imagined that the hotel on the estate owned by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire might be a bit stuffy. To my surprise and delight, I found that although the accommodations, dining facilities (including one Michelin star rated restaurant and one of the best wine cellars in the country), and exquisite grounds of the Yorkshire Downs were first class, the friendly, courteous staff assured us that their wish was for guests to feel at home and relax. Our every need was anticipated and carried out graciously.
summersvaleries@aol.com, www.scguide.com

Laurie King on Bellevue Bed & Breakfast
After exploring County Cork's charming villages and rolling green hills, you'll appreciate the comfortable and well-situated Bellevue B&B. Gaby, the Swiss-born proprietress, prepares a superb home-cooked breakfast (don't miss the local Clonakilty black pudding) with continental flair. Her Irish husband Benny knows the finest off-guidebook restaurants, arranged for the county's best musicians to drop by and perform at the pub we visited, and pours a mean Irish coffee. Benny also helped me locate difficult-to-find ancient stone Sheela-na-gig figures, and after gentle prodding entertained like a favorite uncle with rollicking folk songs. Both Gaby and Benny are state-licensed tourism guides.
laurie@laurieking.com, www.travelwritersnews.com

Emilie Harting on Dromoland Castle
Surrounded by a medieval garden, rolling lawns, lily ponds, golf courses, a fishing lake, and walking trails, Ireland's Dromoland Castle has a subtle elegance that draws you in as much as the hospitality of the staff. In the dining room waiters lift silver covers off dishes, and a harpist plays traditional Celtic music. Later guests talk over sherry in the drawing rooms and in the former library, now a bar. Upon leaving, I was wistful, for I felt as if I had strolled through many elegiac scenes, and the best of past centuries had blended seamlessly with the modern world.
echarting@hotmail.com, www.emilieharting.com