Search results for

A popular hangout, Kits Beach—as the locals call it—faces English Bay, and in the summertime it buzzes with beach activities. Volleyball players and Frisbee tossers mingle with sun worshippers, windsurfers and skim boarders. For sand-free dips and swimming lessons, there’s a heated saltwater pool that’s open when weather permits. Also in the vicinity is the Boathouse Restaurant, which serves peel-and-eat shrimp, tasty chowders and fresh grilled fish on a patio with panoramic views.

A fairly new addition to the Waikiki waterfront, the seven-year-old Modern was a dream come true for those young urbanites who never quite felt at home in the more traditional Hawaiian resorts. It’s not directly on the beach—the closest is the lagoon and expansive beach in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village, a quick walk on the hotel’s ramp—and instead overlooks the picturesque Ala Wai Boat Harbor, where many of the island’s boating excursions depart. Designed by George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg, celebrities in the world of fashionable hotels, the look is warmly modern, all whites and creams and luxurious wood, and some striking art pieces, including a large surfboard installation in the lobby (titled “Wreck-tangles”). There’s a fun nightclub and some seriously good restaurants, though the real scene is out on the Instagram-worthy two-tiered teak pool deck, lined with lots of cushy chaises and shady corners to curl up. Upstairs is the adults-only pool—less a pool than a shallow water prop for frequent DJ-hosted dance parties. But for as much as the Modern is a hipster haven, the service is surprisingly good at making sure guests never feel like they’re crashing someone else’s party.

This tiny island is north of Isla Mujeres and Cancun and is only 26 miles long and offers visitors in search of a “Robinson Crusoe” experience the perfect escape. Long, sweeping beaches beckon with water sports, snorkeling, sport fishing, and total R&R. A shallow lagoon gives sanctuary to thousands of flamingos, pelicans and other exotic birds and creatures, allowing visitors the perfect spot in which to commune with nature. Several good restaurants and hotels are available and tours to area attractions can be arranged by ferry and small plane. Getting around the island is via bicycle or golf cart.

Dilli Haat is an open-air market with 62 stalls that features both permanent and transitional vendors, allowing original items to be introduced regularly. The space, designed to resemble a traditional village market, was created to showcase products from across India. There is an application process to determine the temporary vendors who generally stay for 15 days. Items include textiles, crafts, clothing, shoes, beads, gems, and art, as well as a food court with specialty items from across the country. The small entrance fee and gated exterior keep unwanted panhandlers at bay, allowing for a leisurely shopping experience. Though prices are reasonable, bargaining is still encouraged. Dilli Haat is a favorite jaunt for locals and tourists, adding to the diversity of the experience.

I arrived in Sorrento on a hot Summer day. The sun was shining and the Bay of Naples sparkled under the clear blue sky. In the distance, I could see and Mt. Vesuvius on my right and to my left I could make out the Isle of Capri. After I checked into my hotel which stood high atop a cliff, I decided to check out this charming little medieval town, the sites, and the marina. Sorrento used to be a little resort that was a favorite of princes and aristocrats. Since the mid- 20th century, the town has grown and now visitors enjoy its charm and beauty. Sorrento is best known for its yummy limoncello -there are lemon trees all over. Almost every home in town has even a small lemon tree, and the lemon theme is on pottery and tablecloths. Walnuts, olive oil, and ricotta cheese in traditional handmade baskets are very popular items. Sorrento specializes in wood inlay and marquetry items. Then there is the lacework of Sorrento - intricate and very beautiful. The Piazza Tasso is the main square of the town. Make sure to stop and visit the Duomo. While in Sorrento, a trip to the Isle of Capri by ferry or hydrofoil is recommended. Don’t forget the Amalfi Coast. The drive down the coast is awesome. The beauty is stunning -the view around each bend is more gorgeous than the last! Sorrento is so Italy of 50 years ago. Very different from say, Rome or Venice. I’m glad that I didn’t skip this town. Hopefully, I will return. A good guide to Italy will give you info and web sites.

This 101-year-old building in the Financial District spent its first 59 years as the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. In 2003, the Hong Kong–based Langham Hospitality Group reopened the landmark building as a well-appointed hotel. The building still has its original brass Federal Reserve seal embedded in the marble floor of the hotel’s Italian restaurant, Grana. In the lobby, the banker’s box drawers line one of the walls, while the custom-designed carpets are inspired by the leaf motif found on dollar bills.

The 312 guest rooms, renovated in 2021, have a modern residential feel, with a blue and tan color scheme meant to evoke the shores of New England. Sprawling marble bathrooms have rain showers, while a wooden armoire hides a well-stocked mini bar. On the first floor of the hotel, visit the Fed, a moodily lit 1920s-style cocktail bar with a vault of rare spirits from around the world.

This property is closed due to damage sustained during Hurriance Maria.

The W Vieques Island is a luxury boutique waterfront hotel located on pristine Vieques Island, located eight miles off the southeast coast of mainland Puerto Rico. What’s interesting about the island is that despite being so close to the mainland, it still has a very raw, untouched feel, with tourism weaving itself into the landscape instead of taking it over. Guests of the hotel can explore ecotourism on the island through kayaking tours of the bioluminescent bay, beach trips, scuba diving, mountain biking, fishing, horseback riding, outdoor yoga, farm-to-bar social hours at sunset, and visits to the the local farm to see where the restaurant’s ingredients are sourced and even to create a meal for themselves. There’s also a sumptuous spa. Inspired by the holistic nature of the surroundings, the spa seems to blend into the landscape, with rivulets and canals flowing throughout the space, front-row views of the Atlantic Ocean, vine-covered treatment rooms, a reflection pool, and a spa pavilion surrounded by lush gardens.

Wine is an integral part of life on the Dalmatian Coast, a region with many indigenous varietals; a visit to Dubrovnik shouldn’t go by without a glass of local wine. Tucked away on Palmotićeva Street off the main Stradun, D’Vino offers cozy interiors as well as atmospheric seating at tables set on the narrow thoroughfare outside. Try a glass of something new from the impressive selection of local producers—the knowledgeable staff can help guide you in choosing one. D’Vino features several tasting experiences that highlight the region’s star wines: the Konavle Valley’s refreshing Malvazija, potent Plavac Mali reds from the Pelješac Peninsula, and Korčula Island’s fruity Pošip whites. Pair the wines with a platter of prosciutto and Croatian cheeses for a wonderful welcome to Dubrovnik and its wine region.

Haleakala, a huge and dormant shield volcano, forms more than 75 percent of Maui’s landmass. As such, it pretty much demands you ascend its slopes and peer into its crater—the island’s very soul. Legend claims the demigod Maui snared the sun here, freeing it only after it swore to inch more slowly across the sky.

The 38-mile, two-and-a-half-hour drive up Haleakala climbs from sea level to 10,023 feet through several different ecological zones. One of the most popular ways to experience the volcano remains cycling down from the summit at sunrise. Do it yourself if you’re confident, or join a guided tour (Skyline Eco-Adventures offers one that includes a zip-line ride). Once you’ve mastered the motion—and the 21 switchbacks along the road—effortless downhill freewheeling rewards you with unsurpassed views of the island. If you’d rather savor the vistas from a lofty perch, drive to the top for the sunset or book an overnight at one of the park’s wilderness cabins, accessible only by hiking trail.

You’ll have to pick your jaw up off the ground before you start your alfresco breakfast or dinner on Elk Island, in the middle of Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park. Just one mile from Elk Island (the largest island in Wyoming—not a hotly contested title), the hulking Mount Moran explodes up 7,000 feet from the lakeshore. It’s so close you might be able to spot crevasses on one of its glaciers. In this setting, standard fare—trout, steak, and chicken at dinner, and eggs, pancakes, and hash browns at breakfast—tastes almost sublime. The cruise to and from the island is a bonus.

To the sun-starved denizens of most of North America, the name Coconut Grove might immediately evoke a lazy day in the Florida sun, shaded by coconut trees. But Coconut Grove, a district in Miami on the shore of Biscayne Bay, offers so much more than sun and water. Long known for its legacy of attracting free-spirited artists, writers, and musicians, today Coconut Grove still maintains its eclectic vibe and welcomes all to come and experience this vibrant bayside oasis.

Stay
As a base for your exploration, there are various accommodation offerings. But a stand-out that recently underwent an extensive remodel, The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami, is worth your time. The entire hotel, including 115 guest rooms and suites has been redone, and the carefree “bohemian luxe” roots of Coconut Grove are certainly at play in the fresh design. In sleeping rooms and suites, natural materials like jute, canvas, and teak bring the beach feel inside but retain a sleek look while fabrics in a soft white and blue palette soften the sumptuous marble-clad baths and gold accents. And the public spaces? Well let’s leave some surprises for you. Go and see for yourself how the design concept embraces the artistic side of Coconut Grove. Me? I’ll either be at the hotel’s Spa or lounging by the pool. In fact I’m going to list a number of other things I might be doing in and around the hotel at “The Grove“ so that you can do them too.

A Perfect Day at “The Grove”
Start with a scrumptious breakfast in bed at The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami, or brunch at Ariete.
Then plan to explore Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden or visit Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, or while away the hours at Books & Books, a charming, locally owned independent bookseller.
Take a leisurely walk to CocoWalk to shop, and then onto KROMA Art Space & Studios to check out the artists at work.
Enjoy lunch at The Spillover for the Lobster Reuben or the Grove Salad, or dine at Peacock Garden Bistro followed by pool time at The Ritz-Carlton (and then a massage is a must!).
Pop into Vicky’s House for the best milkshakes.
Late afternoon is best spent sailing on Biscayne Bay. Arrange through the hotel concierge.
For dinner, the lobster pappardelle at Isabelle’s is divine.
Top off your perfect day with craft cocktails and live music at The Commodore Cocktail Club.
Back in your room, snuggle up in your comfy bed and dream of tomorrow’s adventures here at Coconut Grove, Miami.

Why we love it: A grand resort with subtle style and top-notch amenities

The Highlights:
- Stylishly minimal guest rooms with balconies and deep-soaking tubs
- An infinity pool overlooking the Dead Sea
- Impeccable service from an expert staff

The Review:
There’s a tendency among high-end hotels in the Middle East to overwhelm guests with bling. The Kempinski Hotel Ishtar, the grandest of all the Dead Sea resorts, does things a little differently, impressing visitors with its architecture instead. The hotel’s Babylonian-style buildings loom large, but inside the decor is dialed back to the point of almost minimal. Walls disappear into expanses of glass, framing dramatic views over the sea, while shady balconies and sunken baths keep ostentatiousness at bay. There are plenty of pools, lagoons, and waterfalls of course, plus a private beach, a luxurious spa, and a handful of restaurants, but your first impression, as someone hands you a glass of cold hibiscus juice at check-in, is that this is a hotel that gets the details right.

The undisputed grande dame of Filipino hospitality, the Manila Hotel has so many tales to tell that even Hemingway was impressed. “If the story’s any good,” he’s reported to have said, “it’s like Manila Hotel.” The Nobel laureate was but one in a series of visiting dignitaries, from military brass (General MacArthur took up residence in 1935 and left shortly before Japanese troops occupied the property in the ’40s) to Hollywood A-listers (including Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Sammy Davis, Jr.) to rock stars (when the Beatles notoriously snubbed Imelda Marcos by accident in 1966, they stayed here). The hotel has had plenty of cosmetic work done as well, including a dramatic renovation for the 2012 centennial festivities. So while you can still stay in, say, MacArthur’s quarters (known as the MacArthur Suite), the bathrooms now come with Bulgari toiletries and the bedrooms with HDTV. There was little the hotel could do to improve upon the already amazing bay views, as you’ll see from the suite’s dining room windows.

Resting amid verdant gardens overlooking eastern Crete’s Mirabello Bay, the five-star Elounda Mare Hotel is a family-run Relais & Chateau property that feels like a stylish cocoon—no wonder it has entertained everyone from Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio to Kathleen Turner and Lady Gaga. Designed in the manner of Cretan mansions, the 92-unit resort makes generous use of stone and timber, with warm shades of white and red splashed throughout; balconies or terraces and full-length windows look out on the sapphire Aegean, and bungalows and suites include private pools and fireplaces. While the hotel itself has three restaurants and a bar on site, guests have access to five other restaurants and three additional bars spread among two sister properties, which are separated by olive groves but reachable via golf-cart shuttles. Chances are good that you’ll spend your days sunbathing on the private sandy beach or near the salt-water pool, but guests can also arrange to use shared facilities, like the spa and nine-hole golf course.

In the 1920s and 1930s, this heritage-listed property on tree-lined St. Kilda Road was an automobile showroom that sold the ultimate status symbol—the Rolls-Royce. Now it peddles another sort of luxury good: the boutique hotel stay. In the lobby, the Royce Hotel honors its Art Deco past with an arched ceiling in imitation hammered gold and lovingly restored wrought-iron chandeliers, but a zebra rug and curved mirrored walls anchor the design in the present. Some of the property’s 100 rooms and suites feature two levels and soaring bay windows, while others have kitchenettes, spa baths, and balconies with views of the city skyline, but you’ll want to venture out for the contemporary Australian specialties, including grilled steaks prepared from a selection of local grass-fed beef, at the hotel’s chic 100-seat restaurant Dish. Central though it is, there’s no lack of green space nearby: The hotel is situated between the sprawling Royal Botanic Gardens and Fawkner Park, while buzzy South Yarra is just a 15-minute walk away.