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In its newest incarnation, opened in 2012 and soaring 55 stories at the corner of Bay and Yorkville, the Four Seasons Toronto embodies founder Isadore Sharp’s vision to focus on the guest, which has positioned the brand as a leader in the luxury hotel market. This is the flagship property, arguably Toronto’s most elegant hotel and a blueprint for the brand’s subsequent hotels globally. It’s the first hotel in Canada ever to be awarded both the AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star ratings. The contemporary design aesthetic from Yabu Pushelberg brings sophisticated neutral tones throughout the spacious rooms. The sunlit, ninth-floor spa is a favorite among both visitors and locals.

There’s a lot that makes Shutters on the Beach special, starting with its location—it’s one of only two Santa Monica hotels right on the beach (the other is Mediterranean-inspired Casa del Mar, the sister property next door). Shutter’s waterfront spot gives it a palpable sense of place—especially when you’re sipping something sparkling in the hotel’s updated courtyard, listening to the waves or the Saturday brunch jazz ensemble. The design by White House decorator Michael S. Smith takes its cues from Cape Cod, with blue and white interiors and floor-to-ceiling shutters opening up to ocean views.


The 198 guest rooms and suites—many with balconies—and all feature sunken Jacuzzi tubs. In the summer, life revolves around the beach here, and an activity center is well-stocked with boogie boards, beach cruisers, and umbrellas. The pool is heated year-round, with curtained cabanas and superb guacamole served at the pool bar. Come winter, the main lounge is the beating heart of the resort. The fireplaces crackle as bartenders serve up drinks from a hearty whisky, wine, and cocktail menu; the couches are so comfy, the kiddos might curl up and fall asleep as the folksy duo on duty plays an acoustic nightcap. This is laid-back luxury at its best.



Don’t forget to spend some downtime at the serene ONE Spa, or dine on blue crab and hamachi crudo at the higher-end, coastal California restaurant, 1 Pico. Pro tip: You don’t need to step far from your room to soak in some culture. The hotel has a noteworthy art collection, with pieces by Ellsworth Kelly, John Baldessari, and William Wegman, among others, on display throughout the property.

We had the most amazing breakfast in their beautiful and quaint back garden. I’m voting this the best Bloody Mary I’ve ever had. The cinnamon coffee was smooth and easy, and everyone’s breakfast hit the spot. Spend a breakfast here and even a couple of room nights.

With its fourth U.S. location, the Hoxton brings its signature coolness to the old Los Angeles Railway Building in the center of downtown. The 1922 structure is now home to 174 hotel rooms, three bars and restaurants, and The Apartment—the Hoxton’s signature meeting and event space, complete with stylish conference rooms and a communal kitchen filled with tasty snacks. The F&B outlets come courtesy of the team behind New York’s popular Sunday in Brooklyn, and range from Sibling Rivalry (an all-day lobby spot with seasonal comfort food and its own soft-serve bar) and Pilot (a Mediterranean-inspired rooftop bar and restaurant by the pool) to an as-yet-unnamed bar set to open in early 2020.

Why we love it: An Arts and Crafts–style masterpiece with a friendly vibe and charm in spades

Highlights:
- Sedona’s only Arts and Crafts hotel, with real adobe walls
- Social spaces like a campfire and living room hearth
- A pet-friendly policy with no extra fees

The Review:
Within a block of Sedona’s art district, this luxury inn stands behind a veil of trees and grapevine trellises. Its pink adobe exterior complements the greenery so elegantly that the inn once appeared on the cover of The American Home magazine. Inside the Arts and Crafts–style hacienda, arches and reclaimed beams of juniper or burl wood soar overhead, while period doorknobs, light fixtures, and heater grilles transport guests back in time. Each of the 12 suites has a custom-made door and unique design, with decor ranging from early California to the Cowboy High Style made famous by Western furniture designer Thomas Molesworth. Pet-friendly rooms also include grace notes like corner fireplaces, stencil designs, French doors, and stained-glass ceiling panels.

When feeling social, guests can gather around the campfire in the courtyard or by the large hearth in the living room. El Portal also has a private garden, a fish pond, two swimming pools, and a full gym, and offers access to Sedona Spa, next door. While the inn only serves breakfast (pancakes, breakfast burritos, huevos rancheros), guests can snack on fruit, cheese, and chips and salsa during happy hour each day while also pouring themselves a glass of wine on the honor system.

Why we love it: A Mission Revival property that blends Hollywood history with hang-ten culture

The Highlights:
- A location just minutes from the secluded Cress Street Beach
- A rooftop lounge with sweeping ocean views
- Guest rooms designed by iconic surf brands

The Review:
Once the haunt of writers, filmmakers, and Hollywood celebrities, this historic hotel on the Pacific Coast Highway famously hosted a lobby backgammon game between J. Paul Getty and Howard Hughes in the 1930s. Today, the pet-friendly property maintains its original grace with Spanish-style stucco and domed arches, but 10 of its 41 suites have moved on to a decidedly different sort of California cool. Created in collaboration with iconic skate and surf brands like Etnies, Roxy, and Billabong, the Casa Surf rooms feature hand-painted surfboards, underwater photo murals, and George Nelson furniture, fully immersing guests in Laguna surf culture. For something more traditional, book one of the Spanish rooms, which include wrought-iron accents and ornately carved dark-wood furnishings.

La Casa sits just a stone’s throw from Cress Street Beach, where hotel guests enjoy access to chairs, umbrellas, and beach towels as part of their resort fee. Also included in the fee is daily breakfast, access to the nearby Art of Fitness gym and its juice bar, and reservations at the on-site Rooftop Lounge, where you can sip mojitos while watching the sun set over the Pacific. When you’re in the mood for something more substantial, head downstairs to K’ya Bistro, with offers small plates full of Mediterranean flavor.

If there’s one night to slide into a booth at this casual diner inside the hip Ace Hotel & Swim Club, make it a Monday. That’s when the place is transformed by the unmissable presence of 90-year-old ex-showgirl Shirley Claire, who sings and brings a healthy dose of razzle-dazzle as she hosts Fabulous Bingo. In fact, most nights of the week have a theme—see Tuesday karaoke at the adjacent Amigo Room bar, half-off wine bottles on Wednesday, and Taco Jueves—so making reservations is a good idea, but not a must. If you wind up waiting for a table, grab an Orange You Glad To See Me—made with gin, orange, Chareau, and lime—and pop into the photo booth. With its stone wall, leather booths, and globe pendant lights, the diner (a former Denny’s) embraces the spirit of the sixties, while the menu offers a distinctly Californian twist on Southwestern and Mexican fare. Must-orders: For breakfast (served until 2 p.m.), opt for the desert classic Date Shake and Huevos Rancheros, made with California- and Coachella Valley–sourced ingredients. For dinner, try the Grilled Mahi Mahi Tacos or Desert Highway Burgers, and request the pickled jalapeños for added kick.

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.

Opened in 1916, this Upcountry Maui icon draws hordes of locals and savvy tourists with its racks of sweets, including legendary cream puffs and amazing stick doughnuts. The menu here also features pies, rolls, bread, cookies, cupcakes, turnovers, and irresistible guava malasadas (Portuguese doughnuts), but the bakery is best known for its Long Johns—yeast-risen pastry bars coated with glaze or icing. Go early, as the crowds pick the trays bare by 10 a.m., and be sure to check out the memorabilia of bygone eras tucked among the postcards, pantry staples, and fishing gear for sale.

Still run by the descendants of its founder, Malcolm Mackay, this 114-year-old family-owned working cattle ranch in Roscoe, Montana, has been hosting guests—Roy Rogers and Robert Redford among them—since the 1980s. Lazy E-L Ranch is often booked a year in advance due to a capacity of just 14 guests who stay in three period cabins furnished with Western art, family pictures, and Navajo rugs. Instead of a formulaic schedule of staged chuckwagons, cowboy sing-alongs, roping practice, and nose-to-tail trail rides, guests have the option of a more authentic experience, joining ranch staff as they manage stock on 12,000 acres roamed by moose, deer, and bald eagles. The main draw here is integrating into ranch life, feeding chickens and horses, cleaning barns, and helping prepare family meals (though chores are optional). There are no guest cattle drives, but experienced riders can occasionally join or observe Lazy E-L professional cowboys moving 2,000 head of cattle. For guests preferring play to work, there’s horseback riding and hiking across pristine alpine pasture and barren plateaus; non-horse people can mountain bike down the terrifying Beartooth Highway, play soccer, baseball, and croquet, fish a private six-mile section of the West Rose Bud River, or raft the Class IV Stillwater River.

Seeing wild wolves in Yellowstone National Park is nearly impossible without a guide; amateur wolf watchers in any case need high-powered binoculars and tolerance for cold, as the best observation season is winter, when wolf fur stands out against the snow. But at Howlers Inn Bed & Breakfast & Wolf Sanctuary, just outside Bozeman, guests year-round can observe a captive-bred pack from their bedroom window, and even pet a wolf through the chain-link fence of the inn’s four-acre sanctuary. Owners Chris and Mary Martha Bahn originally opened the federally licensed shelter in 1993 for a single rescued wolf that was unable to return to the wild. Built to fund the shelter as it accommodated more animals to live as a pack, the cozy log B&B sits on 42 acres in Bridger Canyon amid boulder-strewn meadows backed by pine-covered hills. Two wolf enclosures, with a seasonal pond and creek, are currently home to five spayed or neutered timber and Alaskan tundra wolves, born in captivity, whose owners could no longer keep them. The Bahns do not breed or exhibit the animals for profit, but they’re happy to discuss wolf conservation as well as the controversial issues of game farm breeding and hunting. Guests are welcome to photograph the human-habituated animals during their stay.

Peggy Dulany, a New York philanthropist and daughter of David Rockefeller, bought J Bar L to protect the 620-square-mile Centennial Valley, a former Native American hunting ground settled by a few cattle-ranching families in the late 19th century—and which still has no towns, let alone paved roads, gas stations, shops, or subdivisions. To conserve the rangeland way of life, she hired locals to run a holistic grass-fed cattle business on the principles of rotational grazing and natural stockmanship. To share the landscape with nature-loving travelers and to keep the valley looking as it was, Dulany restored several abandoned 19th- and early 20th-century homesteads. These self-contained vacation rental homes range from a Sears Roebuck family house, now solar-powered, to isolated cabins on a bend of the Red Rock River. All come with fully-equipped kitchens and are tastefully filled with Western-themed furnishings and antiques; some have outdoor hot tubs.

J Bar L no longer offers working weeks for would-be cowboys but will match guests with geologists as well as with hiking, bird-watching, and fly-fishing guides. Horse lovers can hire ranch mounts for guided daily rides on rangeland that is home to pronghorn, elk, and Black Angus cattle, or up the slopes of the 10,000-foot Gravelly Mountains where wolves, grizzly bears, and bald eagles roam.

Philadelphia is an ideal destination for lovers of outdoor spaces and beautiful art. Combining the two is the city’s Mural Arts Program, which was originally developed in 1984 as an anti-graffiti initiative and which has blossomed into one of the nation’s largest public-art projects. Buildings and neighborhoods all around the city have been transformed and revived by the colorful works. The program collaborates on 50 to 100 new public-art pieces each year, providing opportunities for thousands of participants of all ages. There are more than 3,600 artworks covering structures in every district of the city. Tours sponsored by the Mural Arts Program are the best way to view the highlights of the citywide “collection” of outdoor canvases.

Seattle’s largest public park sits on a sea bluff that’s high enough to pierce the city’s infamous fog, revealing gorgeous views of the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges. Wander its 11 miles (18 km) of paths through forest groves, meadows fringing coastal cliffs, and active sand dunes on the protected tidal beaches. Once a military installation, the area now serves as an open space and wildlife sanctuary. Stop into the Daybreak Star Center, which celebrates American Indian culture and hosts the city’s powwow in mid-July. Around 25 drum groups and 500 dancers converge here for the event, along with close to 10,000 spectators.

The most rugged, sketchy roads always seem to lead to the best surf breaks. This photo captures the early morning drive over the hill to Cerritos beach in Baja Mexico. Down below I discovered perfect, glassy rights and only a few early risers in the water. In the distance at the point is Hacienda Cerritos, a boutique hotel from which you can stumble out of bed and down to the surf. Mario Beceril, a Baja native, runs a great surf school from the beach for anyone who needs a lesson. mariosurfschool.com