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Peira-Cava. – Les Hotels et la Foret (France)
We can’t quite make out from the postmark when the card was mailed, but suppose it was 1931 or later because that’s what the stamp says. In the event, we thought you might enjoy seeing what happens when we submit the original Wikipedia French version for English translation (slightly abridged only): “Peïra-Cava is a village dependent on the municipality of Lucéram, located in the department of Alpes-Maritimes… Peira-Cava, the first winter sports resort in the department, enjoyed international renown in the early 20th century, as evidenced by the list of famous people who stayed in the resort. Attached to the village of Lucéram , the station nevertheless benefited from a system of electoral division which allowed the peir-cavois to elect their own municipal councilors. Following several inquiries carried out by the Prefecture of the department and a decision of the municipal council, this section will be deleted.” That’s cryptic! Think of it as a ski resort. Grade: 1
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Walt Disney World, Contemporary Resort, Grand Canyon Concourse (Florida)
Unused, official, older card 01110250 with a typically breathtaking caption. Grade: 1
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Tunis, Abou Nawas Hotel (Tunisia)
Unused old card, significantly aging and with part of what might have been a hotel “chop” on the reverse caption area. Grade: 3
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Las Vegas, The Stardust Hotel (Nevada, USA)
Unused card, serrated edges, but very heavily abraded and stained on the reverse. Grade: 5
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Reno, MGM Grand Hotel (Nevada, USA)
Other entries give you a flavour of this hotel’s history. This postcard, very heavily aged and handled, is unused. Grade: 5
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Hamer, South of the Border (South Carolina, USA)
Unused Hannau-Robinson card 91752. “Largest free-standing sign East of the Mississippi!” And interesting online reviews, too. Grade: 1
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Virginia and Florida Hotels (Mongkok, Hong Kong)
From a series of unused cards that don’t have captions. Because we live here in Hong Kong, we have filled in some of the gaps to let you know where the pictures were taken. These hotels are in the red light district. Grade: 1
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Virginia Hotel (Mongkok, Hong Kong)
From a series of unused cards that don’t have captions. Because we live here in Hong Kong, we have filled in some of the gaps to let you know where the pictures were taken. Grade: 1
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Sapporo Grand Hotel (Japan)
Unused, really high-quality glossy postcard clearly not of the hotel, but issued by it. The explanation is on the front, but only in Japanese. Grade: 1 (We must verify availability)
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Hotel Carshia e Jupave, Gjakova (Kosovo)
We stayed here. It was wonderful; likewise, its restaurant. If you ever find yourself in Gjakova … now as for the card, like many from Gjakova, it is blank on the reverse. Unused. Grade: 1
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Hotel Rugova, Peja (Kosovo)
This property may have changed its name to Hotel Dukagjini (we think so), and if so, it is very highly rated, though possibly suffering slightly from being even too popular. Of course, if this is some other hotel, we take it all back. Unused card. Grade: 1
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Sveti Stefan (Montenegro)
As of this writing, an Aman property. Take a pile of money with you before you go. We could look down on this from the carpark of a restaurant on the shore. Unused card. Grade: 1
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Sveti Stefan (Montenegro)
In English, Saint Stephen. Now largely an Aman hotel resort. Unused postcard. Grade: 1
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Tequendama Hotel, Bogota (Colombia)
Unused, aging Fotorama card 0123. Bilingual Spanish and English captions. Grade: 1
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Hotel Inter-Continental, Cali (Colombia)
The hotel is still there and gets generally good online reviews, some noting that the building is a bit old and looks tired. We could say the same for this unused Movifoto postcard 7105, noting that the card says “Inter-Continental” while the hotel sign shows “intercontinental”. Either way, you know. Grade: 1
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Waterland (Suriname)
Unused card of a property whose name now seems to be Marina Resort Waterland and whose online reviews are really quite good. We wish we could go! But it is so far away from here. Grade: 1
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Casa Schaser-Luxemburg, Sibiu (Romania)
By looking at this photo, you might not guess it’s a hotel. Or maybe that spire is on a separate building behind it? Regardless, the card was mailed in 2018 with three stamps and indistinct postmark, along with significant postmark ink ransfer on the front. Grade: 4
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Hotel Alferez Real, Cali (Colombia)
Unused card measuring about 3-3/4″ x 8-3/4″. As usual, we Googled to see what we could learn about the hotel, and came out of that experience knowing nothing. It may have changed its name, or may now be a Convention Centre. Regardless, it’s a nice old photo. Grade: 1
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Cable Beach Resort & Spa, Broome (Western Australia)
Unused 4-7/8″ x 6-7/8″ card. Grade: 1
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Hotel Turizmi, Elbasan (Albania)
One online source says this converted to Hotel Skampa; another source says no, the Skampa is in Durres and not Elbasan. Maybe both are correct but it wouldn’t be Turizmi any more in any event. The card is in bad condition, heavily handled, stained, and with a 1979 greeting. But it’s unquestionably an authentic old postcard. Grade: 5
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Hotel Butrinti, Durres (Albania)
This 1983 card was mailed as a New Year’s greeting for 1984, but the stamp is long gone. By the way, the only Hotel Butrinti we can find now is in Saranda, and it’s really good. Just not the same. Grade: 5
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Pefkos Hotel, Limassol (Cyprus)
The card is older, but we looked up the hotel anyway … it’s still there and gets generally good reviews. So it has staying power! Some extra writing and a small stain on the reverse. Grade: 3
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Heritage Hotel Villa Fortuna, Mostar (Bosnia)
Unused card from the hotel. Grade: 1
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The Palace, Corfou (Greece)
Not postally used, with a long message in French to his mother. (We know the conventional spelling is now Corfu.) Grade: 4
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Hotel Castalia, Delphes (Delphi) (Greece)
The property’s name now is Kastalia Boutique Hotel, and when the unused postcard was printed, the hotel’s phone number was “5”. It now has 14 digits (of which one is “5”) and gets excellent reviews so it is doing things right. Grade: 1
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Manuc’s Inn, Bucharest (Romania)
We’re giving you this long-ago Wikipedia entry because we think it’s interesting: “Manuc’s Inn was, until it was shut for restoration and refurbishment, the oldest operating hotel building in Bucharest … it also housed a popular restaurant, several bars, a coffee-house, several stores and an extensive bar. Its massive, multiply balconied courtyard hosted many performances and fairs and was a popular place for Romanian television crews to shoot folkloric performances. The hotel and restaurant were closed down in 2007 for refurbishment; shops and a bar known both as Cafeaneaua Bucurestilor de Altadata (“Bucharest of Yesteryear” Cafe) and as Festival 39 remained open (though the bar closed in February 2010). There appear to be disagreements between the city government and the owners about the legality of certain modernizations being undertaken.” And now? Looks like they have overcome all that, and are open again. The card was not postally used but has a message and address filling the reverse. Grade: 4
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Happiness (Nepal)
Unused card from Kathmandu’s Jampa Hotel, which famously provides these. Grade: 1
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Water & Life (Nepal)
Unused card from Kathmandu’s Jampa Hotel, which famously provides these. Grade: 1
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Kumari (Nepal)
In Nepal, a Kumari is a prepubescent girl selected from the Shakya caste or Bajracharya clan of the Nepalese Newari Buddhist community. The Kumari is revered and worshiped by some of the country’s Hindus. While there are several Kumaris throughout Nepal, with some cities having several, the best known is the Royal Kumari of Kathmandu, and she lives in the Kumari Ghar, a palace in the center of the city. As for the postcard, unused, from Kathmandu’s Jampa Hotel, which famously provides these. Grade: 1
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Caravan, Tanboche (Tengboche) (Nepal)
Unused card from Kathmandu’s Hotel Jampa, which famously provides these. Grade: 1
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Mustang, Mt. Dhaulagiri (Nepal)
Unused card from Kathmandu’s Hotel Jampa, which famously provides these. Grade: 1
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Yuhtong Hotel, Meet Chiayi Project (Taiwan)
You can find out about the Yuhtong Hotel online (mixed reviews) but we gave up looking for what this Project is/was. Or maybe it’s all in the Chinese-only caption on the reverse. A few unused cards are available. Grades: 1
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Yuh Tong Hotel, Meet Chiayi Project (Taiwan)
From the Yuh Tong hotel, but we gave up looking for what this Project is/was. Or maybe it’s all in the Chinese-only caption on the reverse. Unused. Grade: 1
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NICE Prince Hotel, Chiayi (Taiwan)
Unused. Grade: 1
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Sun Valley Lodge, Challenger Inn and Swiss Village, Sawtooth Mountains (Idaho, USA)
Unused, linen Curteich-Chicago “C.T. Art-Colortone” card 7A-H3943 (226), unused. Grade: 1
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Hotel Belgorod (Russia)
Mailed in 2019 with stamp and two extra stickers, some of the postmark is also there. Grade: 4
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Grand Hyatt (Hong Kong)
This 5″x 7-1/4″ card is fully printed on both sides and was mailed in 2020 using Hongkong Post’s bilingual Circular Service postage imprint. Grade: 1
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New Miyako Hotel, Kyoto (Japan)
Unused, with a faint smudge on the reverse. Grade: 2
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Spa & Golf Resort Weimarer Land, Blankenhain (Germany)
Mailed in 2020 with stamp, postmark, and several extra stickers on the back. Grade: 4
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Wigwam Lodge, Tempe (Arizona, USA)
More contemporary card of a 1960s view, mailed in 2021 with Global Forever stamp, postmark, and both orange and black postal barcoding. The caption tells us this hotel was built in 1945, started to be converted, then partly demolished in 1971 and finally gone in 1983, for Arizona State University use. One cannot help but wonder if ASU debated keeping these as part of a Native American Studies unit, but clearly that didn’t happen. Grade: 2