Acting in a lot of ways like an exclusive members only club, Hotel Du Vin's magic was in its ambience, good food, delicious wines, fantastic furnishings, and amazing cocktails from its bars. Service was also paramount, with its staffing delivering impeccable service. For the wealthy the hotel became a regular haunt, for those a little less financially well off it became a treat. People on the lower end of the financial spectrum would save for weeks and even months to enjoy the Hotel Du Vin experience, for one or sometimes if they were lucky more nights guests were made to feel really special. Of course the inevitable happened and what began as a one off became chain, firstly expanding the hotel portfolio then becoming part of a major group.

All Hotel Du Vin's began to have similar desirable qualities like the often stunning Laroche wine tasting rooms, while others had exclusive additions, grand mezzanines, balcony bathing, pool tables, libraries, Health Spa's, Gyms, and cosy snugs with sofas bigger than some beds. It seemed that Hotel Du Vin's future was set in stone, with hotels in some of the UK's most desirable locations Tunbridge Wells, Kingston Upon Thames, Cheltenham, Brighton, and Birmingham to name a few, when they became a sister group to Malmaison the company spread out further still; with a catchment area giving every 50 miles in main bodied England access to a Hotel Du Vin and Malmaison.

But then things began to change, the words "economic slowdown" became a popular conversation topic, the world braces for recession; but in the world of Hotel Du Vin things started changing a little too quickly, and while the company still continues to expand. First to go were Du Vin's fine Egyptian linens, something the company prided itself upon, this was all done on the QT with not so much as a word being mentioned, and a complete omission in the press when publicising the new Hotels, York's opening boasted Egyptian linens yet no such thing ever made it into the hotel, oversight or fraud?

Directors suddenly became directed by senior directors, over night the arrival of a director of vibe; the product of this high profile appointment the rather trashy catchphrase "I Think, therefore I Du Vin" and a series of incredibly tacky gimmicks including the "Dad's Secret" promotion, something so ridiculous that no manager in the business could get their head around it let alone promote it.

Then it started, the meal deals, the happy hour drinks; all these things contributed to the state Hotel Du Vin is in now. And what state is that you ask? Du Vin or rather its parent company MWB devalued the product far too quickly, Hotel Du Vin is no longer the exclusive product it was in 1994, its no further up the foodchain if you'll excuse the term than Cafe Italia, Bella Italia or Cafe Rouge. Now Lord Suchandsuch when he visits Hotel Du Vin to impress his clients to a £400 dinner has to sit next to Doris and Sheila who are laden with Primark bags and on a £10 meal deal each. Does this sound like the sort of exclusivity you would expect from the same company? At the bar buy one glass of wine get another free, a clever gimmick that the business promotion team thought would encourage guests to sample more expensive wines, instead they are encouraging cheap wino's benefitting from low cost drinking in Hotel Du Vin's exclusive furnishings.

But the biggest mistake was yet to come, having built a sizable head office with executive chef's, directors of vibe, a strong human recourses team, and some of the greatest wine specialists in the country; Du Vin's (or rather MWB's) next trick was to reduce the wage bills. Offering these specialised and some less specialised individuals the opportunity to either leave the company, or to except minor roles in hotels. So for example a head Sommelier suddenly is forced into a bar managers position. What does this do? It creates disillusionment of the staff, those once in high profile roles now feel undervalued, while staff on the first rungs of the ladder feel these people have been pulled in to spy on them.

Of all the funny things though, people believe in their mind that Hotel Du Vin offers value for money, they think they are getting a special service. But money does funny things to people; it seems that guests that cross the threshold at Hotel Du Vin leave their brains on the other side, only thinking to reinsert after departure from the hotel. You talk to guests and they tell you everything is just "Wonderful"; but the service is not a shadow of what it used to be, staff bogged down with internal politics, those that are not are too wrapped up in being part of the "Hotel Du Vin Magic" walking round like they own the place, with inflated egos and attitudes so appalling the best place for them is the most rundown of McDonalds. While you might well have the perfect stay or at least seem to, you might be amazed by the horrific amount of complaint letters that follow a happy stay, as I said once they leave they assess things and reinsert their brains.

Now I worked for Hotel Du Vin until very recently, and this is not a disgruntled employee lashing out at a company; because while I was bored I was never disgruntled. I know that Hotel Du Vin management surf the internet looking for listings and reviews on their company to understand their fortunes, so my message to them is to remember their roots, put back that Hotel Du Vin magic that made the company something to envy and feel proud of. And my message to you dear reader, as a casual surfer stumbling upon this article; don't be fooled by the magic of Hotel Du Vin, don't have any expectations; walk into the hotel with a straight head, don't be wowed by the fact that you might be paying the earth for a room, food or drink, look at the hotel as you would any other hotel in the country; then brace yourself for the most horrendous shock.

July and August are typically the hottest months of the summer and, for most of us, the driest. Melting as you make your way from air-conditioned house to car? Drenched in perspiration by the time you reach the office? Scanning the skies for those ever elusive rain clouds and thinking, “Just a little rain, PLEASE!” as you stare at empty blue? You're not alone. While it may be miserably dry where you live, there are some spots you definitely wouldn't want to earn your living selling umbrellas or rain slickers; they're the driest places in the planet.

For the US the three driest cities are not a big surprise. Located in Arizona, Nevada and California, the three hold the record for the least rainfall in the US per year.

Yuma, AZ is the driest city in the country, ranking in at only 3 inches of rain each year. Located in southern Arizona, in the Yuma and Gila Valleys, it is surrounded by picturesque mountains mountains and boasts the cool waters of the Colorado River. Ranked by Money Magazine as one of the most desirable places to live in the United States, it is a favorite for residents and visitors alike. Fresh air, a rich history and friendly population makes Yuma a welcoming, but dry place to go.

Las Vegas, Nevada ranks as the States number two most dry city, receiving an average of only 4 inches of rain per year. That doesn't seem to bother anybody; the city averages 40 thousand tourists each year and is supported primarily by tourist trade. There are hundreds of things to do in Vegas, from golfing to gambling, shows to museums, Grand Canyon tours to grand eating at Emeril's. Dry or not, Vegas is definitely a winner.

The third driest city is located in California. Receiving an average of only 5 inches of wet stuff per year, Bishop is located at the edge of the Death Valley Park and Mammoth Lakes. While Bishop doesn't thrive on its tourism industry, it's a great destination for the outdoor enthusiast. The Owens River, South Lake or Lake Sabrina offer great spots for fishing and rock climbers will enjoy the peaks of the Buttermilks. With a wide choice of campgrounds in the area, backpacking, hiking or mountain-biking the Sierra High Country is a breeze, and not much will beat a soak in primitive Hot Springs. It seems the dry weather here is viewed as an asset.

For the world-traveler in you, Aswan, Egypt is the driest city in the world, receiving an average of 0.02 inches of rain per year. Australia is the world's driest continent. Eighty per cent of the continent has an average annual rainfall less than 19 inches. Tourism in Australia seems to be booming, too.

I guess it's true … When you're hot, you're hot!

Mammoth Lakes resides on the edge of the Long Valley Caldera, a large area that subsided after an enormous eruption 760,000 years ago. In fact the same magma chamber that was the source of the heat that eventually caused this great eruption. Mammoth Lakes enjoys unique opportunities as the Town is entirely surrounded by the Inyo National Forest and is home to the world renowned winter recreation facility of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and the beauty of the Eastern Sierra. With so many great attractions such as biking, camping, skiing, hiking, swimming and lots more. Mammoth is a great place for a vacation.

Some interesting facts I found out is that the highest peak is 11,053 feet. The town is 24.8 square miles, with a population of 7,093 people. An average snow fall per year is around 395 feet.