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Why we love it: A business hotel offering upscale comfort and unconventional charm

The Highlights:
- Elegant guest rooms with dashes of whimsy
- A pet-friendly policy
- An on-site art gallery with original paintings and historic images

The Review:
A 10-minute drive from Buffalo Niagara International Airport, this swanky property is named for Frank and Dolly Reikart, a vaudevillian couple who became the nearby town of Amherst’s “first family of hospitality” in the 1900s. A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, it won “Hotel of the Year” from its parent company, JW Marriott, in 2018. The 92 guest rooms and 12 suites blend classic decor with distinctive style. While no two are alike, each one features some mix of wood and leather furnishings; a neutral palette of white, beige, and brown accented by bold blue; and 50-inch flat-screen TVs wired for streaming content. Guests can also expect complimentary bicycles and a warm welcome for pets, though a surcharge does apply if you want to bring your furry friend.

When not in your room, explore the lush, campus-style grounds; work up a sweat in the club-style fitness center; or browse the on-site gallery, which features original paintings by local artist Peter Fowler. There’s also the Main Lobby restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the Fireside Lounge for drinks. Should you be traveling for work, know that Reikart House especially excels as a conference host, thanks to its fully equipped executive boardroom and new Jazzboline Restaurant and event space, which includes a lounge, restaurant, and ballroom—and draws its name from the guitar-like instrument invented by the hotel’s namesake, Frank Reikart.

If Mandapa, “temple” in Sanskrit, feels more like a community than a hotel, that’s because it is. The resort occupies 24 green acres on a property previously owned by a group of neighboring families, who retain access to the land and its on-site temple. As a result, it maintains three acres of rice paddies and a traditional rice barn on stilts, and the villagers bring daily offerings to the temple, giving Mandapa a strong connection to local culture.




The hotel’s open-air lobby sits 300 feet above the Ayung River valley, overlooking 35 hillside suites with views of the jungle and rice paddies and 25 villas along the flowing river. The suites are furnished with traditional Balinese pieces and artwork and stand-alone soaking tubs, while the high-ceilinged villas, decorated with vividly colored botanical panels, have large pools and separate master suites.





Everywhere, local materials and design elements feature prominently, from the thatched roofs to the fringed umbrellas that shade the lounge chairs by the pool. The riverside spa is another place to discover Balinese products through deeply relaxing treatments and spiritual ones with a local healer, too. Five dining and drinking outlets include fine-dining restaurant Kubu, a spot for high tea, a cocktail and dinner venue called Ambar, and Sawah Terrace, where Sundays feature a Royal Brunch. Ubud’s center is only 10 minutes by car, but the guided vintage VW convertible tours on offer are arguably the best way to get around. From $1,250

There are nearly as many snorkeling options in Los Cabos as there are fish in the Sea of Cortés, and that’s saying a lot. If you’re somebody who prefers going it alone, pick up a snorkeling mask and fins and head to Chileno Bay for some undisturbed fish-seeing. But if you need a little more hands-on guidance, the outfit to dial is Pez Gato. Their twice-daily, four-hour tour includes everything you’ll need—snorkeling gear, drinks, fresh fruit, and sandwiches—plus a friendly and knowledgeable crew who will keep you entertained with facts about the region as you navigate the waters to Santa Maria, a horseshoe-shaped bay that’s home to a marine sanctuary and some of the clearest waters around.

You can find unique structures by famed architect John Lautner (an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright) all over Los Angeles, but none are as mind-boggling at his Chemosphere. Lautner was drafted to design the Hollywood Hills house for Leonard Malin, an aerospace engineer whose mountainside property presented a steep architectural challenge. Lautner’s answer to that challenge was the hovering, spaceship-like home that still sits on stilts above Torreyson Drive today. Panoramic windows allow lucky guests stunning views of the San Fernando Valley, and the only way to reach the inside of the building is by funicular. The home is still privately owned, so you’ll need an invite to see that view. Luckily, the exterior is worth a visit on its own (but maybe leave the jokes of alien abduction at home).

As the name suggests, this hotel’s personality is one part laid-back Californian, one part British aristocrat. Nowhere is that clearer than at the 10th-floor rooftop pool, where plantings inspired by formal English gardens stand out against a backdrop of palm trees and sunny views of the Hollywood Hills. Downstairs, the London Bar channels both influences, too, with an orangeries-style latticework frieze inspired by English conservatories along with a living wall of exotic plants and a menu that ranges from classic (Moscow Mules, Pimm’s Cups) to creative (the Winston Churchill made with Bulldog gin and Laphroig scotch is a favorite).

Feel instantly cool when you slip through the unmarked wooden doors and enter La Factoria. Garden lights hang from the graffiti-covered walls (designed to look artsy-shabby with a stylish restraint), seductive music plays, and the liquor bottles behind the bar are lit from beneath to add to the glow. The flattering amber light in this neighborhood bar invites whispered conversations and lingering glances. La Factoria, which introduced San Juan to the craft cocktail when it opened in 2013, encourages experimentation. Take your time enjoying your drink of choice, but be sure to wander a bit further into the sprawling building where you’ll come upon separate spaces with different moods: a wine bar, a speakeasy, a dance floor.

Lahaina, with its many Victorian flourishes, may look picturesque today, but the port town teemed with sailors, gamblers, and prostitutes in the 19th century. The Pioneer Inn changed all that when it opened for business in 1901, foreshadowing the tourist industry that would ultimately replace whaling, sugar, and pineapples. Step through the swinging doors of this vintage bar, which now bizarrely anchors the courtyard of a Best Western, and you’ll be transported back in time. Oars, harpoons, and a ship’s figurehead still adorn the space, looking down on platters of coconut shrimp, Parmesan-crusted fish over coconut rice, and margaritas made with POG (a mix of passion fruit, orange, and guava juices). Come during happy hour, which runs daily from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., for discounted beers and cocktails.

At the base of Blackcomb Mountain, Four Seasons Resort and Residences complements its sylvan surroundings with a kind of chalet-luxe style accentuated with natural materials. Public areas feature wood beams, granite, and limestone, and guest rooms in earthy tones include gas fireplaces and mountain views. Groups might prefer the private residences in the property’s adjoining condo; the largest has four bedrooms and a den, offering homey comforts plus the benefits of the facilities next door. The hotel curates experiences you won’t find anywhere else, including private dining in a cave in Canada’s largest ice field or customized ski tours with an Olympic athlete. Guests who want to embrace the healthy West Coast lifestyle can sign up for complimentary weekend fitness and yoga classes upon check-in.

Shanghai’s arts and crafts enclave, Tianzifang, is a labyrinth of narrow lanes bursting with diminutive shops, restaurants, and bars. Most of the shops here are located inside shikumen, stone gatehouses dating to the early 1930s. Gear up for your shopping spree with a coffee alfresco at Kommune before checking out Xingmu Handicraft’s gorgeous handmade leather notebooks or Shanghai Code’s vintage Chinese glasses and watches. Pick up delicate stationery at Dongxi Workshop, Shanghai‘s very first boutique, and head to Sky Music Box for—you guessed it—music boxes from all over the world.

The Art is a worthy base for those looking to explore the galleries of the Denver Art Museum, the Clyfford Still Museum, and the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Arts, which are all within a few minutes’ walking distance. In fact, the glass-walled property feels a bit like an exhibition space in its own right: Upon arrival, guests are greeted by Leo Villareal’s dazzling 22,000 LED–bulb installation above the entrance, while hundreds of other works by the likes of Frank Gehry appear throughout the public spaces—see them on a guided tour of the hotel’s art collection, offered on Saturdays. Minimal guest rooms have light wood furnishings, luxury linens, and neutral walls—the better to serve as a blank canvas for more original artwork—as well as windows overlooking the mountains or city lights. If you’ve worked up an appetite with all that cultural appreciation, order the signature burger with spicy mayo at FIRE restaurant, or sip a Matisse martini with Colorado-made vodka on the fire pit–warmed terrace.

Surrounded by swaying palms, tropical flowers, pink sand, and sapphire waters, the 100-acre Fairmont Southampton is Bermuda’s ultimate luxury destination. The 593 rooms and suites are among the largest on the island, and feature marble baths stocked with Le Labo products and private balconies that look out onto the Atlantic Ocean, Great Sound Harbour, or the lush landscaping of the on-site Turtle Hill Golf Club. A pool, beach club, dive center, kid’s camp, and tennis courts—plus that 18-hole championship course—offer plenty to keep guests busy. If you prefer to kick back, opt for a lavender-oil massage at Willow Stream Spa, a sprawling space complete with a well-stocked health club, sauna, and steam rooms, or grab a sundowner at one of the resort’s 10 restaurants, bars, and lounges.

The Edgewater made its mark in Seattle history as the place The Beatles stayed when they came through on tour in 1964. Other rock stars (and those who like to travel like rock stars) have since stayed at the Edgewater, choosing it for its singular location on Pier 67 perched over the waters of Puget Sound. The public spaces make design references to the Pacific Northwest, with natural wood and stone everywhere. Waterfront rooms have sunset views that are nothing short of spectacular, and all the rooms are well-appointed, with gas fireplaces and spa-style bathrooms.

To get from point A to B on the river delta, you’ll need to board a water taxi. These polished wood boats cruise the canals day and night, dropping passengers off and picking them up at rental houses, cabin complexes and restaurants along the way. The ride, of course, is part of the fun. Board one at the harbor - and make sure you know where it’s going before you sit down, or it might be awhile before you find yourself back in civilization.

Despite its size (10 square miles) and population (fewer than 170 permanent residents), Little Cayman enjoys a worldwide reputation among serious divers. The island is renowned for its exceptional underwater visibility and vertigo-inducing walls, especially north-shore Bloody Bay. Dive boats flock to Three Fathom Wall, where bulbous coral heads teeming with fish rise to within 10 feet of the surface. Snorkelers are likely to encounter schools of blue tang and stoplight parrot fish, as well as hawksbill turtles and nurse sharks.

A colorful working-class neighborhood near downtown that had fallen on hard times, Woodstock has been revitalized with a mix of galleries, artists’ studios, boutiques, and restaurants. Much of the area’s original vibe remains, however, thanks to the long rows of colonnaded shops that edge Albert and Victoria roads. Among the nearby storefronts that are open throughout the week are Espresso Lab Microroasters and Luke Dale-Roberts’s award-winning restaurant, the Test Kitchen. Continuing down Albert Road, you’ll find spots like the Woodstock Co-op and the very trendy Woodstock Exchange, with a great array of places to eat and stores selling local goods. At the end of Albert Road, there’s a concentration of galleries, including the Stevenson, Goodman, and SMAC. On Saturdays, Woodstock draws crowds to the Neighbourgoods Market, a prepared foods extravaganza in the Old Biscuit Mill.