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New York has Ellis Island; Buenos Aires has the Hotel de Inmigrantes. The huge waterfront building, located near the old port docks in what’s today known as Puerto Madero, served as the temporary home for waves of European immigrants arriving to Argentina between 1911-53. Today, the Hotel de Inmigrantes is an intriguing (and free) museum that few tourists see: come to see photos and memorabilia representing the many immigrant groups who came through the port of Buenos Aires, plus colorful advertisements for trans-Atlantic passages and model boats.

Founded in the early 1950s by European film archive pioneer Manoel Ribeiro, this museum’s mission is to safeguard film heritage. In the Cupid Room is an exhibit of Magic Lanterns, an apparatus for projecting images onto glass painted in translucent colors. Also there are several collections of sound, lighting, video, decorative objects, and pre-cinema devices. Indie film festivals take place here too. In the bookshop you can find not only film books but also DVDs. And on the same floor, on a nice terrace, you’ll find a restaurant.

While traveling through Italy, my art history professor booked us students into religious colleges and convents. Wether it was to save money or because she thought osmosis would occur and our knowledge of Venetian Religious Art would be enhanced, I am not sure. However, as a non-religious person I really didn’t mind staying in a space dedicated to Christianity. The rooms were clean and the breakfast conversation was as interesting as the breakfast itself. But there is Wi-Fi, serene areas to write, relax and take in the sounds of the connecting church and the location is ideal for any traveler looking to explore a part of Venice that many tourists don’t see. The view from your room won’t disappoint either, and unlike hostels, for some reason I just felt like my stuff was safer with the prying eyes of Mother Mary, the crucifix adorned in every room and paintings of Don Orione looking over you.

Nothing’s more romantic than strolling across a bridge with a beloved, but this bridge means more than just amor—Széchenyi Chain Bridge was the first structure across the Danube in Hungary, built in the mid-1800s and, as a suspension bridge, a marvel of architecture and engineering at the time. Now one of seven bridges across the river, it was the first to connect Buda and Pest, shifting the flows and development of the city. Budapest natives see it like New Yorkers see the Brooklyn Bridge. Lion sculptures guard its entries, it’s lit up at night to dazzling effect, and of course it offers stunning views of the literally blue Danube.

Simple, skilled treatment of raw product is the hallmark of the cuisine at Narru. With a chef once named in the Wall Street Journal as a top young chef to watch in Europe, the food here is quite simply delicious. Stars are the tomato salad, the seafood rice dish of the day, the crema de queso for dessert, and the secreto ibérico, an incredibly juicy cut of pork.

H&M’s first stand-alone brand debuted in Europe in 2007, selling minimalist, architectural basics that evoke the aesthetic of luxury house Céline—albeit with a few zeroes knocked off the price tag. There are plans to bring the chain to the United States, but until then, Paris, with five shops sprinkled throughout town, is one of the best places to sample the goods. This appeared in the October 2013 issue.

Early this spring, I had an hour to kill in Manhattan, so I ducked into the Grolier Club, America’s oldest bibliophilic society, where I saw a fascinating exhibit devoted to Wunderkammer, the cabinets of curiosities that originated in 16th-century Europe. I am a big fan of visiting cities’ lesser-known museums and cultural institutions. This appeared in the August/September 2013 issue.

The indoor dining room and lounge and outdoor patios surrounded by greenery at this chic waterfront restaurant in Brickell are elegant, and pretty much every table has an paralleled view of downtown Miami and the bay. The menu is Italian-influenced and consistently good, and the service is always on point. Lighter dishes made with quinoa and vegetables are on offer, along with favorites such as fried chicken and beef short ribs.

Since opening in 1896, this Gothic Revival ode to Continental elegance has remained the place to see and be seen in glitzy St. Moritz. Caspar Badrutt almost single-handedly created the concept of “Alpine winter tourism” here in the late 19th century, drawing celebrities and moneyed guests like Greta Garbo, Aristotle Onassis, and Alfred Hitchcock (who honeymooned at the hotel). Today, all 157 rooms (37 of which are suites) come with butler service for the duration of your stay, free lift tickets, and the option to be picked up at the train station or airport in one of the property’s Rolls Royce limos. The hotel also boasts eight restaurants—including Nobu Matsuhisa’s Japanese-Peruvian eatery that occupies what was Europe’s first indoor tennis pavilion—as well as five bars, most notably the King’s Club, which is the oldest nightclub in Switzerland and one of the hottest tickets in town (although it’s only open during the winter). With this level of luxury, it’s no surprise that Palace Wellness, the hotel’s spa, was voted the best in Switzerland at the World SPA Awards in 2017.

Work your way from Excelsior’s top floors (slinky Chloé dresses, Balmain leather jackets) to the main floor (watches, speakers, a sea of colorful iPad cases), then down to the subterranean floors for the impressive wine shop and restaurants.

My friend Andy says you can’t go to Milan without having an evening in Brera, the tiny artsy area adjacent to Milan’s fashion center. Bar Brera is the hangout of choice for expensive liquor and people watching.

Milan invented the art of bel cafè, the pedicured bar for a delicious morning coffee or afternoon aperitivo. Passerini has a delicious selection of pastries for mornings and afternoons, and is the ideal hideaway for an aperitivo in the city center.

Artist Dan Flavin’s last installation is the Church of Santa Maria Annuciata in Chiesa Rossa, fondly known as simply Chiesa Rossa. Flavin’s light installation is a technicolor dream of electric hues across the main nave and central apse.

The modern minimalism of Le Méridien Chambers boutique hotel is accented by all things art. Graffiti-covered stairwells and hallways lead to rooms, each with their own original piece of art by the likes of Brits Damien Hirst and Gary Hume. Located in the vibrant Theatre District, entertainment from live music to stand-up comedy is just outside the door. As a guest, you’ll be granted free admission to the popular Walker Art Museum one mile away. Aside from the art, there are thoughtful amenities like the rain shower and heated floors, and fresh Italian cuisine at the hotel’s Marin Restaurant & Bar.

Immediately adjacent to Loews Regency, the Sant Ambroeus Coffee Bar is one of the latest outposts of this popular group of New York, by way of Milan, restaurants. The original Milan restaurant opened in 1936, and there are now three others in Manhattan, as well as one in Southampton. The Park Avenue coffee bar has an Italian art deco decor, bringing a little bit of Milan’s style to the neighborhood, and several outdoor tables. Choose from a panini or one of Sant Ambroeus’s famous pastries.