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The Verandah makes up the restaurant section of 40 North, a small food outlet in the unlikely location of North Bragar, on the west side of the Isle of Lewis. It’s less than 25 minutes from the town of Stornoway but feels much farther when driving the windswept coastline. Opened in 2017, the intimate eatery features just 20 seats for dinner service only. Reservations are essential to enjoy such delicious dishes as roast ginger sea bass with crab, and lamb loin in a sauce of mint, rosemary, currant, red wine, port, and brandy.

Madrid’s Prado Museum, home to Goya, Velazquez, Murillo, El Greco, and numerous other greats, has so much to see that just one visit isn’t enough! If you have a few days in Madrid, drop into the museum in the afternoons (after 5pm) when there is no charge, rather than attempting to see the entire collection in one visit. If you only have time for one trip to the museum, stop by the gift shop to pick up a mini guide, which serves as cheat cheat to the museum’s highlights. Photo by vanOrt/Flickr.

Though there are plenty of surf shops to be found around Laguna and Dana Point, none is more important to the community than Hobie. Way back in 1950, Hobie Alter started shaping surfboards in his family’s Laguna Beach summer home. In 1954, he opened Southern California’s first surf shop in Dana Point, where his brand became synonymous with innovation and craftsmanship. Some 70 years later, his surfboards remain a favorite of top athletes like Phil Edwards, Joey Cabell, and Corky Carroll and continue to inspire surfers all over the world. Stop into the shop, which now stands just two blocks from the original location, to pick up a board of your own, plus apparel, accessories, and everything else you need for hanging ten.

“She’s an original yet timeless Québec fashion designer—a rare combination. Marie Saint Pierre is known for using unusual fabrics with soft colors as well as black and white. Her designs feel really classic. I stop in when I need something chic and comfortable,” says Nathalie Bondil, head curator at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

With its world famous pier, bustling beaches, and chill, but lively nightlife scene that draw eight million visitors annually, Santa Monica can feel a bit crowded in the summer high season. But not at Oceana Santa Monica. Set within the posh neighborhood of Wilshire Montana, the hotel is located across the street from Palisades Park, a peaceful municipal outdoor area dotted with fig and palm trees that runs alongside the Pacific Ocean. Just stepping into the lobby feels like a world away from the hustle and bustle of the Santa Monica pier.


Formerly known as the Oceana Beach Club Hotel, the property debuted in 2019 after it was purchased by Hilton’s upscale LXR brand and underwent a $25 million transformation. The 70 apartment-style guest rooms—most of which feature ocean views—are situated around a heart-shaped pool. Each suite has a separate living room and bedroom, Loro Piana bedding, large bathrooms, and walk-in closets. For even more space, there are two-bedroom suites with ensuite kitchens and balconies.The interior design is by Anna Busta of Busta Studio; expect moody blue couches and gold and wood design accents throughou the space that echo the Pacific Ocean.



Though Santa Monica’s dynamic culinary scene sets a high bar, Oceana Santa Monica’s Sandpiper stands up. Seafood-forward menu items include chilled prawns served with summer melons, pan roasted sheepshead fish plated with littleneck clams, and chopped salads with asparagus, broccolini, and zucchini garnished with watermelon radish, corn, and red onions. Pair the meal with a house cocktail like the Stan Laurel (named after the actor of Laurel and Hardy fame who once called the Oceana home), composed of Empress gin, cointreau, lavender syrup, and lemon juice.

Why we love it: A lakeside retreat that blends indoor comforts with outdoor splendor

The Highlights:
- Singular amenities like a movie theater, aquarium, and marina
- A shuttle to downtown McCall and nearby Brundage Mountain
- Spacious suites with lake access, fireplaces, and more

The Review:
This lakeside resort combines luxurious amenities—like a 43-seat movie theater and a spa with outdoor heated saltwater pools—with the rustic ambience of a summer camp. In fact, kids (ages 4 to 13) can participate in the lodge’s Camp Sharlie lineup of daytime activities, while adults can rent boats to explore Payette Lake, mountain bike on nearby trails, or play a round of golf on the award-winning course. In the winter, there’s even skiing and snowshoeing close by, and no matter the season, nights typically end with s’mores around the fire pit.

The 177 guest rooms evoke the surrounding forests with bark-inspired wallpaper and carpets patterned with graceful tree branches; suites also include perks like lake access, outdoor patios, large soaking tubs, and fireplaces. In addition to a private beach on the lake, the lodge is home to a heated pool and hot tubs, all of which are serviced by an outdoor bar in the summer. There’s also a play zone bordered by a 2,000-gallon aquarium filled with colorful coral and reef fish, and an analog game room with classic board games, a foosball table, and a giant Connect 4. While the lodge shuttle delivers guests to downtown McCall for dining and more, you’ll want to plan at least a few meals on-site. The Narrows restaurant specializes in steaks and wines to match, while The Cutwater serves casual meals, including a Sunday brunch with signature huckleberry pancakes.

Situated along the bustling, tree-lined avenues of Gangnam, Hotel La Casa is a concept hotel created by one of Korea’s most popular lifestyle and furniture stores, Casa Mia. Known for clean lines and modern touches, the brand is the South Korean equivalent of Ikea. The welcoming lobby is decorated like a cozy study with book-lined walls, plush couches, and picture windows. The 61 rooms of Casa Mia’s flagship design hotel, which opened in 2011, look like pages of a catalog come to life. Rich wood, ample white space with pops of color, and kitschy decor items are meant to make guests feel right at home. Love your pillowcase, the bath towels, or the cute alarm clock next to your bed? The first three levels of the hotel are a massive Casa Mia retail store where guests can purchase items found in their rooms.

Ace Hotels—whose growing brand epitomizes a cool, unfussy, überhip hotel stay—debuted at this site in 1999, and it has become a kind of template for the company’s trademark style. While offering the essentials (including serious coffee by Stumptown), the Seattle Ace Hotel is very much a budget property and doesn’t provide fancy amenities (in fact, standard rooms share a bathroom). But the minimalist guestrooms, with their vintage furnishings and original, Pop Art-esque artwork hanging on walls, are spotless and cozy, and the hotel does offer a comfortable, convivial stay in the supremely walkable neighborhood of Belltown. The brick building has high ceilings and hardwood floors, and a few of the rooms have partial water views. Common areas aren’t large, but they’re the kind of spaces that invite conversation with fellow travelers.

On August 25, 1988, tragedy fell upon Lisbon: A huge fire turned Chiado to ruins, destroying 18 secular buildings. However, Chiado has come back to become the most elegant and trendy neighborhood in Lisbon. Fortunately, some buildings from the 18th century, a few of them renovated after the fire, still stand, remodeled by the Portuguese architect Siza Vieira. With a location on one of Lisbon’s seven hills, the neighborhood is full of old bookshops, theaters, international brands, and local fashion designers. Also, it’s a popular meeting spot for a dinner or a drink in Bairro Alto. Chiado’s streets are a symbol of the liberty of the revolution, since it was on the 25th of April, in 1974, that the Carnation Revolution would leave Largo do Carmo. Also it’s a neighborhood of intellectual life. The writers Fernando Pessoa and Eça de Queirós were habitués of the cafés.

This hotel is on our list of The 10 Best Hotels in Canada.

First opened for business in 1912, the iconic Ritz-Carlton Montreal—known as “the grande dame of Sherbrooke Street"—began a $200 million facelift in 2008, opening its doors again in 2012. Quebec’s most luxurious and historic hotel could tell endless celebrity secrets but is, of course, far too discreet to utter a word. It’s no secret, though, that Elizabeth Taylor married Richard Burton here, that the Rolling Stones rented the entire sixth floor in 1972, and that a who’s who of world leaders, movie stars, and royalty are still regular guests. Situated in the downtown culture and shopping hub that is the Golden Square Mile, the hotel oozes money-is-no-object luxury from every pore: from the ornate duck pond and immaculately manicured garden and terrace to the 100-year-old chandeliers, the sweeping staircases, and the belle époque golden glow of the lobby and palm court. Rooms have a white-and-gray minimalist palette with splashes of signature purple. Antiques and original features blend with ultra high-tech design such as Japanese Toto toilets in all bathrooms, heated floors, and motion-sensor lighting.

Visiting at least one of the five museums that make up Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a must for any serious culture-seeker in Berlin. A pioneering concept, this ensemble of public institutions brimming with exquisite artworks and historical artifacts traces its origin back to 1810 and King Friedrich Wilhelm III’s decision to open a museum for his personal collection of royal treasures. Today, the original Altes Museum—located opposite the former Royal Palace—is joined by the Pergamon Museum, with its jaw-dropping Middle Eastern antiquities; the Neues Museum and its treasures from ancient Egypt; the Alte Nationalgalerie’s collection of 19th-century European masters; and the Bode Museum, which hosts one of Europe’s most important sculpture collections.

After the great national and international success of the Ameal wines, a new project was born in Quinta do Ameal, the brand new Ameal Wine & Tourism Terroir. The renovation of several old houses of the property was completed in May 2014. These houses and suites are fully equipped and decorated so guests can enjoy of all comfort without leaving the Quinta. Quinta do Ameal has a total of 30 hectares within its granite walls where a little less than half, 12 hectares, is planted with a totally organic vineyard that produces exceptional grapes for the production of wine: The Ameal “Clássico ", Ameal “Escolha”, Ameal “Sparkling” and “Special Harvest”. The remaining area consists of a fantastic and unique forest of 8 hectares consisting of a huge variety of trees including stone pines and oaks aged more than 200 year’s old. Beautiful gardens and over 800 meters besides the river Lima complete this magnificent set.

Build in the XV century, Convento do Espinheiro was since early fascinating because its history, charm and rare beauty. Through centuries was one spot of election by the royal family whenever they moved to Évora. Luxuriously redecorated, the Convento do Espinheiro is today considered a national monument, that works with renown brand Luxury Collection of companyStarwood Hotels & Resorts. This Hotel is inserted in a sumptuous garden of 8 hectares and its interior was brilliantly decor, keeping its character. By booking accommodation in Convento do Espinheiro you begin a collection of unique experiences with a guided tour to the history of this place, as well, a tasting of its magnificent wines from Alentejo that can be found in the Gothic Cellar, escorted by the sommelier.

Bellagio’s newest restaurant, LAGO by celebrity chef Julian Serrano, overlooks the resort’s popular fountains. It’s a view to be remembered, especially when paired with one or many of the small plates on the menu. A lot of thought has been put into the cocktail menu at LAGO (down to the restaurant-branded ice cubes), and the bellini is one of the best in Las Vegas. LAGO’s menu features a variety of seafood and Italian-inspired items perfect for sharing, but dinner here certainly isn’t complete without ordering something off the dessert menu. Try to get a seat on the patio for the perfect Las Vegas backdrop to complement your meal.

Opened in 2009, this light-filled megamall draws a staggering 25 million annual visitors to its shops and attractions. It can be overwhelming, so it helps to consult the online directory in advance and approach this city-within-a-city with a game plan. Shops include familiar international brands (Adidas to Marks & Spencer to Zara) and Turkish ones, such as Atasay Jewelry, Bilik Deri leather goods, and Van Hatemoğlu for menswear. Forum Istanbul also offers plenty for the kids to enjoy. At the Turkuazoo Aquarium, you can view 10,000 sea creatures and even dive with the sharks, if you’re game. (There are discounts on entry fees to some attractions with the Museum Pass.) You also have your pick of old-school family activities like 10-pin bowling, mini golf, a mirror maze, and movie showings. To reach Forum Istanbul, you can take the Metro from Aksaray station to Kocatepe/Kartaltepe; the train stops right outside.