There's a hotel in Hyderabad where several people always recognise me. Their customer service levels are outstanding, and I often wonder if they have some kind of procedure to look at guests arriving and try and remember some faces.

I do think this is partly down to the remarkably sociable nature of the people they employ, but perhaps also down to being one of very few non-Indians who stayed there just after the place opened. Perhaps I just look odd, or perhaps it's my overenthusiasm for local food, or the long chats about food, travel and everything...

I did also spend a couple of years travelling to Amsterdam maybe 2 weeks out of 3, always staying at the same place, where they knew me well - and were incredibly welcoming. At one point, I was quite ill and couldn't travel, so they got quite concerned and asked colleagues about me - sent over a 'get well soon' card, which was rather touching.