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This property will reopen from renovations in spring 2019.

The brainchild of miner James Thorpe, who bought the property in 1918 and also gave the property its name, Bishop’s Lodge lays claim to being New Mexico’s very first resort. And its history dates back even further, to the 1850s, when Jean Baptiste Lamy, a French missionary priest, became the bishop of the desert diocese—and made his home on a hill with views of the Jemez Mountains.

The property has changed significantly since Lamy built his tiny Villa Pintoresca and adjoining chapel: It now spans 450 acres, has a spa and stables, tennis courts and an outdoor pool. And its newest owners, HRV Hotel Partners, who purchased the resort in August 2014, have plans for further expansion.

Still, despite upgrades, this is definitely a Western-style ranch where you can hike, ride, and shoot—and cowboy boots are de rigueur.

This former railroad bridge, built across the Mississippi River in the 1880s, is now a pedestrian and bike path perfect for strolling between parks. With panoramic views of the downtown skyline, river, and St. Anthony Falls, Stone Arch Bridge is a favorite trail for locals.

At the summit of Montmartre, the highest point in the city, you’ll find the Basilica de Sacré-Cœur. Contrasting with the Gothic churches like Notre-Dame, the Romano-Byzantine architecture is both beautiful inside and out. While outside, take in the panorama of Paris and while inside, marvel at the Apse Mosaic—one of the largest mosaics in the world. The Sacré-Cœur website has instructions on how to download the free audio guide on your phone before your visit which is recommended. Also, research the well-known (and apparently tried-and-true) scams before traveling to Paris. Overall, the city seems pretty free of tourist scams, but around Sacré-Cœur especially, visitors should be on alert.

Scattered with Victorian mansions, St. Paul’s tree-lined Summit Ave. is one of the most beautiful residential streets in the Midwest, with famous former residents including author F. Scott Fitzgerald and early railroad entrepreneur James J. Hill. Guided tours are offered from the James J. Hill House Wed–Sun, but it is also a worthwhile independent stroll. Make sure to start or end at the gorgeous St. Paul Cathedral, overlooking downtown St. Paul.

Let the Urubamba River set your course during a thrilling rafting adventure along the Ollantaytambo rapids, available through the Belmond. The river helped form what is now the Sacred Valley, and along the way you’ll not only sense its power, but also get a feel for some less visited corners of the region it created. You’ll pass towering eucalyptus trees and the ruins of Inca terraces and more as you make your way down river, ending with a picnic lunch before returning to the hotel by car. Photo by Rod Waddington/Flickr.

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).

There’s a reason this hotel is named after the Spanish word for “charmed.” An oasis for old-Hollywood stars since the 1920s, this upscale resort offers guests an away-from-it-all feel, even though it’s just minutes from downtown. Sitting on a seven-acre hillside property overlooking the city, the central building and several craftsman-style and Spanish colonial bungalows were recently restored, offering elegant spaces to relax. At the two restaurants—called simply the Dining Room and Terrace—chefs showcase the region’s ingredients in coastal-inspired dishes, which can include herbs from the on-site garden and cheese from the milk of the property’s resident Holstein cow, Ellie. Indulge at the spa with massage therapies, facial and body treatments, oxygen treatments, and skin care products from Beverly Hills facialist Linda Ross. Use the fitness studio for a workout on the Technogym treadmills, exercise bikes, and ellipticals, or take a cardio class. Or just soak in the California lifestyle at the zero-edge swimming pool, with a drink and an unparalleled view of the Santa Barbara coast.

The tallest hotel in mainland China occupies floors 79 to 93 of the Shanghai World Financial Center, the 101-story skyscraper made by Mori Building, developer of Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills complex. As expected, any room or public area in the property likely has jaw-dropping views. Interiors mirror the aesthetics of a cultured modern Chinese residence, with sequences of gates, halls, and chambers as thoroughfares, and earth tones complementing natural materials. Monochromatic rooms have walls finished in linen, lacquer, and slatted-wood panels, with generous daybeds, 24-hour butler service, and plasma televisions embedded in the bathrooms’ vanity mirrors. But really, no amenity can top the incredible views.

Since its founding in 1893, the Hassler has been a pillar of luxury accommodation in Rome. This five-star hotel is perched theatrically atop Trinità dei Monti, the hill at the apex of the Spanish Steps, providing dazzling vistas over Rome’s rooftop terraces and church domes. More than a century after opening, the hotel remains privately owned. Generations dedicated to carefully cultivating a loyal clientele have made the Hassler the destination of choice for many royal and celebrity visitors to Rome. Accordingly, the staff is well-equipped to fulfill every imaginable whim and desire, regardless of how outlandish.

The formal service and decor hark back to the last days of the Grand Tour when European and American elite converged on Rome for its cultural—and couture—offerings, a tradition that still thrives in places like this. The Hassler oozes Old World charm, and its nearly 100 rooms are clad in marble, embellished with antiques, and accented with gilded furnishings, a reminder of the city’s late 19^th-century splendor. The common areas are similarly lavish and offer palatial settings for meetings, cocktails, and lounging.

Just across the Piazza Trinità dei Monti, the Hassler’s second property, Il Palazzetto, offers accommodations with a lot less gilding but no less class.

This veteran hotel on Tibidabo’s Hill has a history that stretches back to 1924, with its heyday in the ‘50s as a hot spot for wealthy Catalan families and, later, for visiting stars like Ernest Hemingway, James Stewart, and Princess Fabiola. After closing in 1979, La Florida reopened in 2001 in a more postmodern incarnation that blends original features such as wrought iron and antique tapestries with bold stainless-steel and glass accents. Internationally acclaimed artists such as Dale Keller, Rebecca Horn, and Cristina Macaya designed the art nouveau-inspired guestrooms, and the hotel is dotted with contemporary art by a similarly impressive cast—sculptures by British artists Ben Jakober and Yannick Vu and paintings of flowers by Catalan artist Isabel Cruellas, for example.

All the rooms have oak floors, luxurious furniture and fittings, and generously sized marble bathrooms with in-floor heating and separate showers and bathtubs. Terrace rooms face the city and seaside, junior suites have separate living areas, and the presidential suite has an outdoor Jacuzzi and hammocks where you can take in views of the Mediterranean. The hotel features a wonderful restaurant, spa by L’Occitane, open-air swimming pool, and in-house café and bar with regular live music.

While the Liberty Hotel may have deep roots in Boston lore, it’s not for the reasons you think. For more than 100 years the hotel existed as the Charles Street Jail, an in-city penitentiary that housed (in)famous inmates like James Michael Curley, Malcolm X, and Sacco and Vanzetti. Its inspired transformation came in 2007, but the owners maintained some of the jail’s vestiges, from the exercise yard to several jail cells, while turning the building into a 298-room luxury hotel. Richly appointed rooms offer sweeping views of the city skyline and the Charles River.

The hotel houses five distinct restaurant and bar venues, all of which attract large swaths of locals, especially on the weekends. Located at the foot of Beacon Hill, the hotel is steps away from the boutique and antique stores along Charles Street and also sits next to the picturesque Charles River Esplanade.

Driving around the southern roads in the North Island often lulls you into believing that this pocket of New Zealand is mostly rural farmland with more sheep than you could ever imagine. Once leaving the comfort of the Wairarapa wine region, it doesn’t take long for the rolling green hills, budding vineyards and gentle mountains to fade into something a bit more wild. Reminiscent of the volatile South Island, the winding ocean road that leads to the famous Cape Palliser Lighthouse is anything but calm. Frequently washed out from behemoth waves, you’ll witness a few groups of houses on a narrow road that barely pass for towns before heading on towards the lighthouse. Normally there is a large seal colony that inhabits these rough waters that will give you a show if you get too close. But don’t worry, you will smell them long before seeing them. Perched high on the rocks overlooking the turquoise rough waters, the lighthouse monitors the cape offering unparalleled views that remind you that this southernmost point of the North Island truly feels like the end of the world.

Arrifana beach is located on the western coast of Algarve, Portugal. Since it faces the Atlantic and has many huge bouilders that surround it, the surf can be quite wild at times. While it can be wild, Arrifana is also serene.The beauty stops many tourists at the top of the hill before their march down to the sand. You park at the top of the road and walk down. The descent is not easy. The way is steep and paved with the slippery little stones found all over Portugal. The path zigs and zags. You are rewarded when you finally reach the sand. The clear, clean waters shimmer under the brilliant sky.You will see swimmers in the more shallow waters and then there are the surfers! This is a very popular surfers’ beach. The waves are very powerful at Arrifana and surfers love that. After the beach ( or if you are adventurous enough to climb back up and then return), you can climb up to the restaurant for lunch. I enjoyed some local Portuguese dishes and a cold drink. Before I drove away, I stood at the railing atop the roadway and drank in the beauty and tranquility of Arrifana Beach. I could go back there next time I travel to the Algarve. There is a hostel in town during the season if you care to stay in Arrifana.

For the time it takes most Angelenos to commute to work, you can be ferried into the alternate reality of Catalina Island, a romantic escape far from the daily traffic jams and urban sprawl. The evergreen-shrubbed hills spotted with an artists palette of summer homes and surrounded by bright hues of blue waters, coves and marinas feels more like the islands off the coast of Spain than the United States. It is rejuvenating to arrive at a place so close to the city yet feel so completely removed.

Many islands have laws with steep fines against wearing beach wear when not on the sandy shoreline and while you may have heard of folks going au-naturel on St. Martin, that’s certainly not the norm throughout the region. On St. John, however, things were a little different. About a mile walk from a parking lot on the edge of Cruz Bay along what’s called the Lind Point Trail, through typical island bush and over a hill and down through more bush past a fork (where either choice gets you to the same place) intrepid travelers are rewarded with a tiny strip of sand, only around 25 yards long, unofficially known as the island’s only nude beach: Salomon Beach. I’ve been to this secluded sandy alcove a number of times and without fail the maximum number of sun worshipers was never above four or five. In fact, most times, the beach was deserted. So, for years this is where those with a passion for enjoying nature to the fullest could go to let it all hang out in relative privacy… Until recently. Since my last trip to Salomon Beach back in 2007, there’s been a crackdown on this unofficial naturist haven. Suddenly being a free spirit isn’t so free due to the stiffness of fines—around $110 for those caught with their pants down (so to speak). But, hey, doesn’t mean you can’t press your luck!