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The Milan Cathedral, or Duomo, occupies a site that’s been holy since the time of the Romans, but it wasn’t until the early 19th century when the finishing touches were finally placed on this massive building. The Duomo is the fifth largest cathedral in the world and one of the top tourist sites in the northern Italian city. Entrance is free, but a small fee is requested if you wish to take photos. Inside the church is even more magnificent then the outside, with scores of shrines and altars dedicated to saints and notable Milanese. During the Christmas holidays the city’s night market takes up residence next to the cathedral, adding one more reason to visit this central site.

Why we love it: A condo-style property near Pier 60 that’s perfect for traveling families

The Highlights:
- Spacious, residential-style rooms with kitchenettes
- A kids’ club for children and rooftop cantina for adults
- A prime location steps from the Gulf and Pier 60

The Review:
Steps from the ocean and famous Pier 60 stands the flamingo-pink Hyatt Regency, favored for its friendly, attentive service. A residential-style property, the hotel boasts 287 generously sized rooms and suites, complete with some combination of walk-out balcony, kitchenette, dining table, living area, and workspace. Also on site is a 24-hour gym, a serene spa with sun-warmed shell massages, and a heated pool on the eighth floor overlooking the beach.

Though rooms here cater to those who like to prepare their own meals, the hotel still shines with dining options. Guests can start the day with freshly brewed coffee and pastries from the grab-and-go Market and end it with a handcrafted cocktail at Off SHOR or the Latin-inspired Tropicana Rooftop Cantina (order your drink in a souvenir glass and it will come in a coconut carved into a monkey’s head). For dinner, there’s SHOR American Seafood Grill, which boasts a spacious patio and regional seafood dishes like whole local snapper and line-caught Florida swordfish.

Why we love it: A converted farmhouse in the Xlendi Valley offering traditional charm and sweeping views

The Highlights:
- Superior rooms with private balconies and outdoor Jacuzzis
- Original details like stone walls and Maltese tiles in the suites
- A rooftop pool with panoramic views of the valley

The Review:
Nestled in the Xlendi Valley on the island of Gozo, Cesca Boutique Hotel was once surrounded by a working farm. While the original owners were focused on growing cotton, their great-grandsons, who now own and operate the property, turned the 350-year-old farmhouse into a luxurious boutique hotel, complete with 15 guestrooms done up in lace-print wallpaper and elegant furnishings. All rooms feature marble bathrooms with walk-in rain showers and balconies with epic valley views, while superior options also boast outdoor Jacuzzis. Three additional suites even include original stone walls, columns, and Maltese tiles, plus extras like a separate seating area, free-standing bathtub, and decorative fireplace.

Elsewhere in the hotel, guests will find a rooftop pool with scenic vistas and an indoor-outdoor restaurant and bar, which serves a large breakfast spread each morning, lunch a few days a week, and dinner nightly. Should you wish to get out and explore, Cesca is within walking distance of the towns of Victoria and Xlendi, making for easy sightseeing.

Why we love it: A casually elegant stay where you can relax but still be surrounded by it all

The Highlights:
- A top-notch bar stocked with rare whiskeys
- A rooftop hot tub that’s open year-round
- Boat and motorcycle rentals for exploring in style

The Review:
Located on the St. Croix River in the hip town of Stillwater, the Hotel Crosby offers a unique type of laid-back luxury. A mix of historic details and modern design, the 55 rooms, including five suites, feature exposed brick, wood beams, and high ceilings alongside leather furniture and subway-tiled bathrooms. Available in eight different layout—from standard double queens and premium kings to studios and deluxe suites—they accommodate a range of needs, whether you’re traveling with your partner or bringing your entire extended family.

To further pamper guests, the hotel offers cozy common spaces decorated with local art, as well as MatchStick Restaurant & Spirits, which serves farm-to-table small plates and 700 rare whiskeys. There’s also a fitness center, a rooftop hot tub that’s open year-round, and an on-site spa offering everything from facials and massages to body-contouring treatments. Should you wish to venture out, the hotel enjoys a convenient location on Main Street, surrounded by boutiques, restaurants, breweries, historic sites, and galleries. An outdoor activities coordinator is on hand to make suggestions or help arrange boat and motorcycle rentals to aid in your exploration.

After a multi-phase expansion completed in 2016, the former Restoration on King dropped “the King” from its name and gained a new restaurant, spa, coffee shop, and several dozen more suites. The sleek and modern rooms at the boutique Restoration are spread over five historic buildings at King and Wentworth, linked by a courtyard with its own wishing fountain. Exposed brick, high ceilings, and dark wood add to the suites’ loft feel, and amenities such as kitchenettes and breakfast baskets delivered to your room from the on-site Rise Coffee Bar beg a longer stay. Seasonal “happenings” at the property include yoga classes, movie nights, and fashion pop-ups at the Port Mercantile retail store. The Amethyst Spa and Nail Bar uses charged gemstones and essential oils in their massages and treatments, and the jewel-box rooftop pool provides refreshment on a hot day and has panoramic views. After a swim, the Watch Rooftop Kitchen and Spirits serves farm-to-table Lowcountry dishes and cocktails inspired by the city, such as the seasonal, bright tequila-and-watermelon-infused Charleston Brick. The Restoration understands the need for speed and style, and offers to hook up guests with vintage car rentals or even help serious riders design and commission their own custom-built motorcycle (a favorite subject of the hotel’s artist-in-residence, photographer Gately Williams) to pick up on a return trip to Charleston.

Yes, it’s tiny—and no one knows its name—but this hole in the wall is a new favorite, simply because it’s like no other vibe we’ve seen in the city: an open kitchen and a rustic setting, both a lunch stop and a forum for learning about corn, the ingredient that lent form to Mexican cuisine as we know it today. The big idea came from taco-maker Paulino Martínez, founder of iconic Taquería El Parnita, who reasoned that to make a better taco, you had to get involved starting with corn. It translates to superior grain in everything from sopes and gorditas to atole and tejuino (a slightly fermented corn, brown-sugar and lime beverage).

For decades, the venerable Geronimo, situated in a 1756 adobe, has been serving a bevy of culinary delights. From the house favorites like peppery elk tenderloin to New Mexico lamb chops, the food is accessible and the timeless milieu is intimate. Sit on the front patio with a cocktail for the full Canyon Road people-watching experience. Inside, the stylish series of small dining rooms showcases wood floors, taxidermy, fireplaces, and beamed ceilings.

Guests who lounge too long on the Viceroy Zihuatanejo’s La Ropa beach can find instant relief at the resort’s six-room spa, which features a sunburn-soothing treatment of freshly picked aloe vera, Baja lavender, and organic chamomile. Nearby, the eco-conscious Playa Viva resort offers poolside yoga, healthy cooking classes, and body scrubs made with locally harvested sea salt. This appeared in the June/July 2013 issue.

At this stunning restaurant in the Grand Wailea Maui, Lahaina-born chef Alvin Savella wows diners with bright flavors and striking plating. Start with appetizers like Cantonese barbecue-style char siu pork belly, squid ink bao, and ulu (breadfruit) risotto with nasturtiums, then move on to impressive mains like lobster ramen in red miso–coconut broth and free-range huli huli chicken with garlic fried rice and charred pineapple relish. Set in a lagoon, the round, thatched-roof restaurant—named for Hawaii’s state fish, the humuhumunukunukuapuaa—offers spectacular sunset views, so plan your dinner accordingly.

Located atop the former Sears building, Ponce City Market’s Skyline Park is a nod to the amusement park that once stood nearby. Take the elevator to the roof for the best views of the city, which you can enjoy while racing down the Skyline Slide, playing a round of mini golf, or hanging in the beer garden. During the winter months, the park even transforms its private event space into a winter wonderland, complete with an ice skating rink, seasonal treats, and festive decor.

Set high above the tiny capital city of Tórshavn, Hotel Føroyar blends the best of modern Faroese art and style with tradition. Danish firm Friis & Moltke A/S designed the sleek interiors, which feature original pieces by Edward Fuglø. Outside, however, a traditional grass roof and grazing sheep evoke more typical images of the Faroe Islands. High up as it is, the hotel is a bit of a walk (about 35 minutes) from downtown, but the sweeping views of the harbor make the distance worth the effort.

North of Santa Teresa, in Playa Hermosa, you’ll find sushi master Koji Hyodo carving yellowfin tuna, red snapper, and sea bass at his tinkling, tin-roofed restaurant, Koji’s. His signature Koji Roll wraps spicy tuna around fresh shrimp paste and avocado. Then the entire roll is drizzled with a secret sauce and dipped in crunchy tempura bits. The grilled octopus is lightly fired, then sprinkled with sea salt; his lobster sashimi, sliced so thin you can almost see through it, starts with a crunch and finishes sweet.

In response to the popularity of a large chain of coffee shops in Mexico selling “Italian” coffee, this family of coffee producers set up a little shop near Santo Domingo church and called it The Oaxacan Coffee Company. Here they proudly serve organic coffee that is exclusively from the area of San Miguel Talea de Castro, Oaxaca. It’s a small cafe with wooden benches and stools, and they serve the coffee in handmade pottery cups. The owner is friendly, the coffee is strong, and they also serve fresh pastries. You can get some coffee beans to go, as well as Oaxacan chocolate. If you like chocolate-covered coffee beans, stock up here!

If you’ve ever heard the Eagles song “Hotel California,” you’ve probably wondered whether it was inspired by a real-life equivalent. Eagles members have denied “Hotel California” is anything other than a metaphor, but that’s never stopped visitors to the Baja California town of Todos Santos from assuming its Hotel California gave name to the song. Regardless, the hotel and Todos Santos itself remain fascinating places to visit. Among fun facts: The hotel was the first place in town to serve ice cream.

Fans of Georgia O’Keeffe should definitely book a stay at this quaint adobe hotel in her old painting grounds. Not only is there a well-stocked gift shop where you can buy O’Keeffe prints and books, the property arranges tours of her home and studio, and is located near the Ghost Ranch retreat center and the White Place rock formations, both of which the artist loved to paint. Wood-beam ceilings and New Mexico antiques adorn rooms. Request one of the cottages with wood-burning Kiva fireplaces, or if you come in winter and book economy like I did, you’ll likely get upgraded to a nice room with a gas fireplace. My best meal in New Mexico was also enjoyed here. I ordered trout stuffed with corn pancakes and a chardonnay from nearby Black Mesa winery. My partner’s chili rellenos with green chili and Monk’s Ale—brewed at the Christ of the Desert Monastery about an hour away—were also tasty. It was a lovely introduction to the beautiful state.