Search results for

What could an Alaska local ever discover on a voyage through the Inside Passage? Just the essence of the place he thought he knew.

Named for country music legend Townes Van Zandt and located on Rainey Street, just steps away from some of Austin’s most legendary live venues, the Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt strikes a mellifluous note from the moment you step through the doors. The chandeliers in the lobby are crafted from French horns, an installation in the lounge features birds made from vinyl records, and the cabana-lined pool deck pumps tunes underwater. The 319 guest rooms act as a soothing counterpoint to late-night jam sessions, with Frette linens and views of downtown and Lady Bird Lake. For the ultimate in relaxation, opt for one of the spa suites, which include oversized bathrooms and deep soaking tubs. When you’re not blissing out in your room or partying the night away, the hotel’s fleet of loaner bikes await to take you on a tour of the city.

With a bakery on every other corner in even the tiniest villages in Belgium, what makes one stand out more than another? The answer is threefold: hand selected organic ingredients; skills built on tradition, passed from generation to generation and, most of all, the passion to create the perfect loaf of bread. All three of these are present at the Boulangerie Legrand in Namur. Baker, Dominique Legrand, has been baking bread since he was 18, but the history of the Legrand Bakery runs much deeper. Six generations ago, in 1831, Dominique’s ancestors founded Boulangerie Legrand and little has changed since those days. Dominique and his wife, Angela, had a mission when they took over the Boulangerie Legrand and moved it to its current location in Namur. Their goal was simply to create the finest breads from the best ingredients they could find. This is the reason people drive all the way from Brussels and even as far as Northern France, just to buy their breads. Some of the grains come from as far away as Egypt and their natural fermentations take anywhere from 18 to 24 hours. These are live breads and we could taste the difference, as the flavours danced on our tongues. From deceptively simple baguettes to sweet brioches to rich loaves made of chestnut spelt, it was impossible to choose a favourite. More Information: http://cheeseweb.eu/2013/08/boulangerie-legrand-namur-belgiums-bakery/

The second location of the Sydell Group’s New York flagship, NoMad Los Angeles embraces its past as the Bank of Italy—imposing columns and all. In the lobby of the landmarked building, much of the original Neoclassical style, such as the Doric columns, coffered ceiling, and marble floors, was preserved, complemented by the addition of floral textiles in rich jewel tones. Even the original vault, which once housed 12,000 safety deposit boxes, and its 50-ton door were kept intact. The color palette across the 241 lavish rooms draws from the exquisitely maintained gold-and-blue Italianate lobby ceiling, with custom furniture, original artwork from design studio be-poles, and freestanding bathtubs in most rooms adding to the luxurious feel. Details like nightly turndown service, marble bathrooms, and custom linens by Bellino mean a five-star stay is all but guaranteed.

If you associate the phrase all-inclusive with the bracelet-wearing, tropical drink–swilling masses, then Marquis Los Cabos will make you do a double take. The adults-only resort offers unique amenities—open-air yoga classes, a 13,000-square-foot spa, tequila tastings, salsa-dancing lessons—plus an architecturally stunning property with nary a cheesy palm-tree motif in sight. The views begin in the alfresco lobby, where a stone arch draws your attention to the horizon, and continue through two curvaceous infinity pools overlooking the Sea of Cortez. The 235 rooms, outfitted with marble baths and works by Latin American artists, are just as inspiring thanks to private balconies that offer views of whales and dolphins in the distance.

Perfect for exploring the trendy 10^th arrondissement, Le Citizen Hotel overlooks the Canal Saint-Martin, footsteps from where Amélie skipped stones in the French movie of the same name. The location is convenient for walking or using public transportation to get to famous sites, but why leave this gentrifying neighborhood? The restaurants and shops have become a boho magnet, and the monuments, such as Henry IV’s early 17th-century Hospital St Louis (built to treat victims of the plague), offer much beauty and history without the tourists.

Narrow guestrooms have multiple windows and are laid out to take advantage of canal views. The design sensibility is Nordic, with bright colors, pale woods, and modular furniture. If you didn’t bring an iPad, the hotel offers loaners.

Why we love it: A historic property with style to spare

The Highlights:
- Historic details like the marble lobby
- Thoughtful amenities like microfiber bathrobes, complimentary newspapers, and Gilchrist & Soames bath products
- A sophisticated on-site restaurant

The Review:
Housed in a former bank building from the 1920s, the Ambassador Hotel in downtown Kansas City is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the neoclassical property is updated with thoroughly modern amenities, but still features historic details like a showstopping lobby with marble columns, soaring ceilings, and sparkling chandeliers. Guest rooms are equally stylish, with custom furnishings, private label linens, and marble bathrooms with oversize walk-in showers, but for the ultimate luxury, book the 753-square-foot Loft Suite, which features two floors, one-and-a-half bathrooms, a wet bar, a living area, and original windows that bring in loads of natural light. When hunger strikes, head to the on-site Reserve Restaurant, where executive chef Jeremiah Lyman serves contemporary American cuisine and top-notch cocktails.

Why we love it: A boutique hotel that puts guests in the heart of it all

The Highlights:
- Allergen-free Pure Wellness rooms
- A convenient location right downtown
- An award-winning steak house on site

The Review:

A boutique stay in the heart of downtown Boise, Hotel 43 seamlessly blends cozy charm with urban style. Works by local artist Amy Westover enliven the cathedral-like lobby (its ceiling soars to 60 feet), while vibrant drapery and bathrobe-clad teddy bears on each bed make the 112 guest rooms feel both chic and homey. If you need more than William Roam bath products and a jetted tub to feel pampered, book one of the Pure Wellness rooms, which offer purified, hypoallergenic accommodation for even the most sensitive of guests.

Hotel 43 also provides travelers with a free pass to the Boise Art Museum, plus loaner bikes for cruising to the Shakespeare Festival or farmers’ market. Come dinnertime, however, you’ll want to stay put for a meal at on-site Chandlers Steakhouse, where Kobe-style beef and fresh seafood are accompanied by live jazz each evening. In the morning, head to Metro Café for Caffé D’arte coffee, freshly baked pastries, and house-made granola, or grab the complimentary airport shuttle to catch your flight home.

This frilly, century-old mosque, with its interesting mix of Victorian and Arabian architecture, is straight out of a Disney fairy tale. Its Corinthian columns, Doric pilasters, cinquefoil arches, and painted-glass cupolas will mesmerize you. When the green-and-cream-colored mosque was built, the surrounding neighborhood was called Kampong Kapor, or “Limestone Village.” The mosque’s staff is very welcoming and friendly to visitors who want to have a look around, and they even loan out robes to wear, as it’s considered respectful to dress modestly inside.

If eating huge plates of pork, deciphering local slang, and snowshoeing through the woods of Québec can’t bring two siblings together, what can?

In the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it village of Volcano, on the slopes of Mauna Loa and just outside of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, are a handful of B&Bs and cottage rentals (see also Volcano Rainforest Retreat). Among the oldest—but no less charming for its 25 years—is Volcano Village Estate (previously known as Hale Ohia).


It’s a small cottage colony, with guest quarters scattered around a two-acre estate thickly carpeted in emerald-green moss and shaded by stands of soaring sugi (Japanese cedar) trees. The main house, a quirky Queen Anne style Victorian with a miniature turret and stone chimney that make it look like it was lifted right out of a children’s storybook, dates back to the 1930s when the manager of a sugar plantation built it as a summer holiday home. The gardens were planted by the same master landscape architects responsible for the Liliʻuokalani Gardens in Hilo (at one time the largest Edo style garden outside of Japan).


All guest quarters are sweetly decorated, in a largely Craftsman style with ceramic tiles and soft woods; some have pretty, stained-glass windows. But on a chilly Volcano night—and most of them are since the town sits at 4,000 feet—nothing is quite as romantic as curling up by the fireplace in one of the three stand-alone cottages, unless, of course, it’s sitting in the garden and watching the dazzling night sky, which is reason enough to stay on this side of the island.

Here at the très chic Boulangerie Fauchon, on the Place de la Madeleine in the heart of Paris, the loaves can look almost too good to eat. In French, the idiomatic equivalent for ‘window-shopping’ is “leche-vitrine,” which literally means ‘window-licking'—appropriate for staring in the storefront of a bakery on a cold February day!

Kimpton Hotels are known for their playful energy—think nightly social hours, colorful design schemes, and pet-friendly amenities. Located within easy reach of downtown’s museums and theaters, as well as restaurants and shopping in LoDo and Larimer Square, the Hotel Monaco Denver fits the mold. Renovated guest rooms blend cool neutrals and bright accent hues with rich leather headboards, designer wallpaper, and yoga mats with a dedicated channel for guided workouts; spa rooms have separate soaking tubs, and suites have their own sitting areas and sleeper sofas. A $10 per night fee covers speedy internet, loaner bicycles, discounts on drinks at Denver’s Family Jones distillery, and free coffee and evening wine. If you prefer imaginative cocktails, head to Panzano, a northern Italian restaurant with a surprising number of gluten-free items. But if a moment of bliss is all you need to revive you for another day of distillery hopping, the Aveda spa has a sauna and Vichy shower and provides five-minute chair massages during the evening social hour.

Why we love it: An art-filled property that could only exist in Boise

The Highlights:
- Themed guest rooms that look great on Instagram
- An award-winning Italian restaurant
- An impressive art collection that lends a local feel

The Review:
Some upscale hotels feel impersonal, but not the 110-room Inn at 500 Capitol, which approaches interior design with refreshing whimsy. Its 57 themed rooms highlight various hobbies and interests, from the “Flicks Room” with movie star portraits and velvet ropes, to the “Best Friend Room” with dog sculptures and wildlife art. Even the “Standard” rooms are anything but, thanks to gas fireplaces, private balconies, and daybeds built beneath picture windows overlooking the Boise skyline. Hotel staff restock each room’s complimentary snack bar as it’s depleted, and more goodies await in the lobby, including complimentary beer and wine.

Making the inn even more desirable is Richard’s, the on-site restaurant run by Boise icon and James Beard–nominated chef Richard Langston that serves masterful renditions of classic Italian pastas and meats paired with Idaho-grown produce. The hotel also doubles as an art gallery (owner Brian Obie is an avid collector and painter in his own right), with a rotating array of works on loan from the Boise Art Museum, plus permanent pieces by Boise artist JanyRae Seda in the lobby. The kaleidoscopic chandelier that hangs above the entryway and the colorful sconces that fill the hotel are the work of another local artist, Filip Vogelpohl, while the stand of sculpted trees outside—a collaboration between Boise artists Ken McCall, Mark Baltes, and Leslie Dixon—turns the hotel’s doorstep into a city landmark.

It’s hectic, crowded, hot, and loud. But Piraeus port is an unforgettable experience—all modes of humanity coming together on this intersection of land and sea. Luxury cruise ships, bigger and whiter than you ever imagined, slowly approach, dock as if in slow motion, and unload their thousands for the day. Greek ferry lines like Blue Star or Hellenic Seaways efficiently shuttle locals to their weekend island getaways. Fisherman, cargo loaders, captains, and all kinds of other workers get busy doing their jobs. And lately, refugees from less fortunate lands are visible, looking for work, connection, or escape. There’s not much glamour in Piraeus Port, but there’s nothing quite like taking a bit of time as you wait for a ferry and watching life pass by.