Search results for

To dress like the gondoliers you’ll need to pick up a pair of genuine friulane slippers at Gianni Dittura, one of the few remaining purveyors of the original footwear in Venice. Friulanes (or furlanes) were born of frugality in the 19th century, when the women of poor families in the Friuli countryside began hand-stitching cast-off fabric scraps to old bicycle tires to make shoes for their families. The slippers eventually made their way to Venice, where gondoliers snapped them up because they were cheap, comfortable, and didn’t scratch the paint on their boats. But as the years passed, friulanes inevitably went from lowly upcycled footwear to cult object and luxury product coveted by tourists. Today Gianni Dittura has two Venice shops, and you’ll find every color and size of the original velvet and rubber shoes, as well as more chic and contemporary winter models by in-house designer Laura Biagiotti.

An understated, private landing stage for gondolas and water taxis on a side canal of the lagoon marks the entrance to the lovely Baglioni Hotel Luna in San Marco. Steeped in history, the palazzo, with lagoon-facing windows and charming Juliet balconettes, dates to the 12^th century and is said to have given refuge to the Crusade-era Knights Templar. Interiors are more in keeping with noble 18^th-century fashions. There’s a sleek marble lobby, sparkling crystal chandeliers, antique furnishings, and a healthy showing of brocade fabrics. The standout room is the pristinely preserved Salone Marco Polo, filled with18^th-century frescoes painted by pupils of influential Venetian painter and printmaker Giambattista Tiepolo.

Conveniently located just steps from bustling and culture-packed St. Mark’s Square, this hotel, with its award-winning restaurant, relaxed lounge, and rooms full of delightful period details, makes for an elegant home base in Venice.

The doorway of the Portrait Roma is one of a growing number of blink-and-you-miss-it boutique hotel entrances behind which contemporary luxuries await. Tucked behind an unassuming facade on a side street off the busy Via dei Condotti, the Portrait Roma is part of the Lungarno Collection, a small group of boutique hotels owned by the Ferragamo fashion house. Opened in 2006, the property prides itself on customized service, and each of the rooms comes with a Lifestyle Manager, or 24-hour concierge, who provides personalized holiday management throughout the stay based partly on the guest questionnaire completed before arrival.

All 14 rooms are suites, and each is classically decorated and designed to mirror the prestige of the Ferragamo brand. Rooms are accented with linen, leather, and cashmere, as well as artwork that evokes the beauty and spirit of Ferragamo. Weather permitting, the rooftop terrace hosts food and drink service and offers views of the historic center.

Whether you have time to kill while waiting for your train or you simply like architecture, Milan’s main train station, Stazione Centrale, is worth a walk through for its epic 20th-century architecture. Originally designed at the turn of the century, Stazione Centrale has beautiful, monumental Liberty and Art Deco ornament in its main hall and entrances, while the platform area is covered in a gorgeous rooftop of iron arches. If you have a few more minutes, the Stazione also has some great shops, a traditional Motta caffe, and one of the best newsstands in the city.

Glo Glo Bistro is a true hidden gem in Genoa - tucked way back into a slightly sketchy piazza off of the historic Vico Lavagna. Although it looks somewhat run-down from the outside, the inside is beautifully renovated, and they have an extensive wine list to choose from. You absolutely must come for apertivo, as they have one of the most delicious ‘snack’ plates in all of town - seriously, the platters brought to your table are heaped so full with delicious bites of focaccia and cheese and chips that you will not need to spend a penny on dinner.

The winding streets of ancient Genoa all lead in one direction—straight up. Lace up your tennis shoes and keep climbing. Eventually you will reach a small park at the edge of the city, the entrance to one of the many fortresses that speckled its 17th-century walls. From here you’ll be treated to one of the best views of both old and new Genoa. Come at dusk for a stunning sunset over the urban edge of the Ligurian Sea. (And if you are too tired to walk back down, catch the funicular for less than two euros!)

With its waterfront location across from the San Francisco Ferry Building on the edge of downtown, the 1 Hotel is an ideal launchpad to explore San Francisco. Rooms have expansive views of the Bay or the city, and travelers can step out onto the Embarcadero for a morning run, to browse at one of three weekly farmers’ markets at the Ferry Building.

The luxury hotel upholds a commitment to environmentalism, using local and reclaimed materials for the biophilic interior design, sustainability sourced bedding, and providing filtered water taps instead of single use water bottles. Rooms are equipped with soft cotton robes, slippers, and yoga mats to help turn a stay into a relaxing, wellness-minded retreat.

On the first floor, the bar and restaurant, Terrene is a lovely place to swing by for a drink or meal—whether you’re a guest or not. If the weather is nice, don’t miss the chance to enjoy a cocktail on their expansive outdoor patio (complete with space heaters) with great views of the Bay Bridge. If you’re looking for something more substantial, they have an excellent selection of fresh, Mediterranean-inspired dishes, like roasted carrots with a feta dip and refreshing tuna tartare.

Pets are welcome and there’s also a rooftop spa on site, complete with stone tubs and scenic views.

With its gold-hued, Egyptian pyramid-inspired exterior—topped by a glass peak that lights up like a beacon at night—it’s easy to recognize the 19-story Raffles hotel among Dubai’s glittering skyline. Inside, distinguishing features include the spacious rooms and suites—the 252 options are among the largest in town, and come with private terraces, Arabic design touches, tubs and walk-in showers, and service from a Raffles butler. The seven dining options draw a mix of in-house guests, expat locals, and business people. Choose from restaurants for Italian, Japanese, Arabic, and international buffet fare, a tea salon for refined sweet and savory creations, a cabana-ringed garden for shared plates and weekly barbecues, a bar and café adjacent to the well-sized pool, and a cocktail bar that pairs drinks with telecasts of the latest sports matches. Global influences can also be felt at the well-appointed spa, where the treatments are inspired by Asian, European, and Middle Eastern techniques.

Colombian fashion designer Silvia Tcherassi took the design world by storm when she transformed a 250-year-old mansion in the center of Old Town Cartagena into a contemporary refuge that honors both past and present. Mansion Tcherassi’s seven rooms blend fashion-forward decor (think sparkly gold throw blankets) and original features such as restored stone walls and private balconies, but the vibe is much more understated, with ethereal fabrics, soft colors, and natural wood, in the 42 neutral-hued rooms at sister property Tcherassi Hotel & Spa. You can order fresh-caught seafood and icy raspaos (traditional drinks made with fruit and condensed milk) at the restaurant, while carpaccios, pizzas, and ceviches are on the menu on the rooftop lounge; the Italian restaurant at the mansion extends to a cozy patio facing a plunge pool and vertical garden made with thousands of local plants. After a day spent exploring Old Town’s historic buildings, relax with a Chinese medicine–inspired treatment in the spa, or take a dip in one of the property’s four pools.

On a tree-studded peninsula between Monaco and Nice, this whitewashed luxury boutique hotel features 28 rooms and suites with a serenely chic vibe (think crisp white linens and richly patterned textiles, contemporary art and modern streamlined furnishings). A third of the units reside in the hotel’s main building, a mansion that dates back to 1889 but was fully restored and updated in 2003, and three additional rooms designed to resemble ship cabins are built into a wall with direct views onto the sea; the rest of the accommodations are housed in a quiet Italianate structure and a separate edifice at the edge of the property. Cap Estel’s Michelin-starred restaurant highlights seasonal ingredients, many of which are sourced from the on-site gardens. Guests who come to disconnect from the jet-set scene can relax in the hammam or waterside sauna, or with a massage and dip in the saltwater pool, though many guests would just as soon head straight into the azure waves of the Mediterranean, accessed through the hotel’s private beach.

It is not unusual to find an Arizona resort that looks like a water park with rooms attached, and this big Scottsdale luxury property certainly fits the description: 10 pools, 20 fountains, 45 waterfalls, and a three-story, high-speed waterslide. But what makes the Hyatt Regency unique is that guests can glide along its desert waterways aboard authentic Italian gondolas while being serenaded by professional gondoliers, who are classically trained singers. Beyond the water’s edge, there are the expected activities, such as the 27 holes of golf at the Gainey Ranch Golf Club, open only to club members and resort guests. And there are the unexpected, such as the Native American Learning Center, created to give guests insight into native Southwest culture through art, food, entertainment, and personal interaction with some of the resort’s staff. For hikers, the 24-hour Canyon Market serves up not only performance foods and gear, but also directions to the best trails.

One of Cape Town’s most picturesque corners, this small fishing harbor sees boats sail in daily with their catches (often trailed by hungry seals waiting for tidbits). Recently, however, the area has also become known for its antique stores, restaurants, and shops—one of the best collections of African curios, materials, and artwork for sale can be found at Artvark, on the edge of town. Expect to see everyone from hipsters to surfers to an old couple who’s lived here for 50 years. A seaside promenade connects Kalk Bay to the colorful beach cottages of St. James and to Surfers Corner in Muizenberg, another gem of an old-world suburb that is becoming a second Kalk Bay. Don’t miss Cucina Labia, a restaurant housed in a mansion built by an Italian who wanted to create a little Venice here.

Feast on fresh-caught fish and seafood and wash it down with Italian wine during a leisurely summer lunch at Alla Maddalena on Mazzorbo Island. A 45-minute ferry ride from Venice and far removed from the crowds, this charming, less touristy and altogether tiny island in the Venice lagoon is wonderful place to escape for an afternoon. And Alla Maddalena serves amazing fried fish as well as top-notch mussels and clams, all of which can be eaten al fresco either in the back garden or by the canal. The trattoria is also known for handmade pastas and seasonal ingredients from fruits to locally hunted game like wild duck. (Mazzorbo is a short walk across footbridge from Burano Island, so if you’re planning a trip to Burano, you can add a stop here for dinner.)

Just as Rome has the Colosseum and Paris the Eiffel Tower, so Switzerland has the Matterhorn. Located above Zermatt, this 48,195-foot wonder attracts hordes of visitors, eager to see the morning sunlight beam off its four faces, ski its neighboring mountains, or even attempt to climb the beast itself. The Matterhorn, however, is not for the faint-hearted and has claimed the lives of more than 500 people since it was first scaled in 1865—an average of 12 per year. It’s also been replicated at Disneyland in California as a rollercoaster.

This small little wonder of a shop is located at 87 Rua do Carmo, the most fashionable street in Lisbon after the superseding Rua Garret. It is the last shop in the whole of Portugal, which is exclusively dedicated to the bespoke hand manufacture of leather gloves. The cream of the Lisbon society has been its avid clientele since 1925, procuring high quality leather tailor made gloves for those days when the sunshine is not enough to warm the hands. At about 50€ per pair, depending on the model and leather, you do not have to go to Italy to get a product of this tremendous quality. A woman from Chicago once told me that she had visited Lisbon ten years ago, where she had the opportunity to purchase a single pair. She was so impressed and the gloves had left such a good memory that she was here to get three or four more pairs in case she did not have the opportunity to come back to Lisbon for another ten years.