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With a fantastic location by Hoan Kiem Lake and some of the best-prepared Vietnamese food in the Old Quarter, this stylish venue is onto a winner. The dishes here are very much old-style Vietnamese. There are no bells and whistles or attempts at fusion, but down-home creations such as pork steamed in coconut, fried tofu with lemongrass, and shrimp in chili sauce are right on the money.

OK, America has plenty of beautiful little mountain towns. I just happened to catch this one on a quiet, low-season day and I was utterly charmed. The secondhand bookshop was a thing of joy - run by a woman who knew her Dorothy Parker from her Dorothy L Sayers - and the Dripolator coffee shop, above, had a great vibe, with its beaten up sofas and community notices pinned all over the walls. And then there’s the mountain views, and the clear air. If you’ve had a big night out in Asheville, I can’t think of a better place to deal with your hangover.

A hip hangout for conscientious locals, The Potting Shed provides a stylish setting for their sustainable dining and drinking. Simple, organic, local, fair trade and fresh. Does it get any better than this? Throw in live music on Thursday nights and it’s easily the best spot—for taste, ambiance and well-being—in town!

Why we love it: A hipster hotspot that’s as stylish as it is affordable

Highlights:
- A range of room types for all travelers
- Local hangouts like the on-site diner and pool bar
- A prime location in one of Austin’s coolest neighborhoods

The Review:
While locals are committed to keeping Austin weird, there’s nothing strange about the new East Austin Hotel, a soon-to-be hipster haunt where millennial pink accents and midcentury chic mix with details that embody the city’s independent spirit. Here, guests find a variety of accommodations to suit all types of travelers, from cabin rooms with shared bathrooms to poolside suites with private balconies, but all feature Scandi-inspired furnishings and quirky touches like turtle-shaped ottomans, Moroccan pillows, and retro Victrola radios.

Vintage pendants hang over the bar at on-site restaurant Sixth & Waller, a self-described “global diner” that serves international comfort food like family-style latkes, chicken-fried steak, and mango cream pie. Equally stylish is The Upside, a rooftop bar with cocktails inspired by the Caribbean and Central and South America, and Pool Bar, which welcomes both guests and locals with frozen drinks and Instagram-friendly dishes like gochujang queso and jackfruit bánh mi. The hotel also boasts a stylish gift shop with local gifts like handcrafted ceramics and leather goods, but if you’d rather venture out, stop by the concierge desk and grab a curated map that highlights neighborhood hotspots with live music, authentic food, and more.

This unassuming two-story plaza has become a popular Friday- and Saturday-night hangout for 20- and 30-something locals. In addition to its shops, Plaza Paseo Cobá is home to several restaurants and bars with a trendy, bohemian vibe that’s far removed from the beach area’s bump and grind. Feast on artisanal Italian at indoor-outdoor Casa Sofia, or dance to live music at the Public Place.

Isola has become Milan‘s hipster hangout, so you are going to want spend a lot of time here. Best way is sleeping over, and the Isola Apartments are key. Lots of light, minimal decor and all the trappings of home, the loft apartments are great for couples with kids or other kids of third wheels.

The Rose Garden at Emmarentia Dam is a favourite spot for locals to hangout and relax under the shade of a tree and have a picnic. Did you know: There are approximately 4500 rose bushes in the garden! The best time to go is in Spring or Summer when everything is green and there’s a good amount of foliage on the trees for shade.

The coffee in Oaxaca is better than it is in Mexico City but still not Blue Bottle standard. We found this relatively new place near the 20 November market. The espresso is great. They roast their own beans and also serve food. Plus free Wi-Fi—it’s a bit of an expat hangout. Lots of communist propaganda on the walls for a nice revolutionary touch.

This Spring Street café’s name is deceiving—yes, two in-house sommeliers assure there’s a focus on excellent wines, but this isn’t a pecorino-and-prosciutto wine bar—it’s a full-service neighborhood restaurant serving hearty entrees like a cast iron-seared hanger steak, and squid ink pasta alla chitarra with zucchini, chilis, and local shrimp. That’s not to say there isn’t cheese; it’s a fine place for a snack and a glass of wine (over a dozen are offered by the pour). But likewise, don’t let the name steer you away from house cocktails like the namesake Josephine, with its balance of grapefruit juice, yellow chartreuse, and Lillet. House sodas like a passionfruit limeaid with jalapeño syrup appeal to non-drinkers in search of inspired mocktails. Picture-worthy, white-and-gold décor lends elegance to the space, whether you’re sipping in the late afternoon natural light or out on a dinner date after dark.

The first new hotel in decades to open on Lake Como’s glittering shores made its appearance in mid-summer 2016 on a sun-dappled promontory near the village of Torno. As the new kid on the block, Il Sereno brings a modern sensibility to a region where luxury typically takes on a gilded, Old World aesthetic. Envisioned by Milan-based designer Patricia Urquiola, this lakeside hotel takes cues from the history of the area, but skews contemporary and relaxed, with a design that highlights natural materials such as stone, wood, and wool, and a color palette of greens and blues inspired by the surroundings. The 30 sprawling suites feature lake-view terraces and amenities such as Ex Voto Paris bath products and Bluetooth sound systems. The sleek Berton Al Lago serves modern Italian fare crafted with fresh local ingredients, while the Il Sereno Bar & Lounge and the Pool Bar offer light bites in a casual setting. The spa is set in what was once the boathouse of the original property, and features treatments with Valmont products made just across the border in Switzerland. Wander the shaded passageways around the lush garden, check out the two vertical gardens and green sculptures by famed botanist Patrick Blanc, and don’t miss the 60-foot, heated, freshwater infinity pool, located in a secluded spot that overlooks the lake. Guests can take one of the hotel’s stylish Riva boats—accessible from a private dock—to explore the charming towns that line the lake.

Banff and Jasper are top of mind when it comes to Alberta‘s Great Outdoors. Travelers flock to Moraine Lake by the busload for postcard-perfect snaps and zip through the province’s northern parks on the trail of grizzlies, elk, and moose. Waterton Lakes manages to fly just far enough under the radar that it never feels crowded or bustling, even on a wild Canada Day long weekend, which makes it a wonderful alternative for the “been there, done that” crowd. For an iconic view of Waterton Village and Upper Waterton Lake, test your mettle against the Bear’s Hump, a mile-long trek that begins at the Waterton Visitor Resource Center. The trail opens to a grand rocky plateau atop what was once called Bear Mountain by the Blackfoot people. Begin your trek early in the morning or late in the afternoon to have the mountain to yourself, but be warned that the wind atop the Hump can be ferocious. Knock your hat off and dump you off the mountain ferocious. Still, the views of Waterton Valley and Mount Cleveland are worth the challenge. [Flash traveled to Alberta courtesy of Travel Alberta.]

Once the home of Teddy Roosevelt, this two-story lounge has featured local and world-renowned DJs spinning house, electronic, and trip-hop since 1995, as well as live bands playing jazz, hip-hop, reggae, funk, samba, and Latin. Along with the beats, enjoy the chill, living-room-like ambience, stylish crowd, and strong drinks in a variety of spaces—the Deck Bar is a favorite summertime hangout.

Spanning three city blocks in downtown Salt Lake City, the $1.5 billion commercial area opened in 2012 and blends high-end shopping with business offices, residential units, and tree-lined walkways centered on a simulated creek complete with fountains. The open-air architecture fills the walkways with natural light during the day and is well illuminated at night. A 15,000-square-foot retractable roof provides part of the area with some protection from precipitation. The mall includes more than 500,000 square feet of retail space anchored by a Nordstrom and Macy’s, and surrounded by more than 100 specialty shops.

If you’ve been to Fès, chances are you’ll be familiar with the original Clock. This is the second in owner Mike Richardson’s growing empire, this time housed in a converted schoolhouse in the Kasbah. Like all of his projects, a keen eye for line, color, and detail has turned the space from utilitarian into eye-popping as Richardson invites local street artists to bring life and color to the walls; junkyard finds and vintage Berber cushions provide the decor. It’s a popular hangout for both young Moroccans and those traveling through, with regular cultural events, including its famous storytelling nights that spotlight the best raconteurs from the Djemaa el Fna, translated by youngsters learning the craft, to traditional cooking schools to Gnawa musicians giving it their all in tribal trance for Sunday sunsets. But, of course, no visit would be complete without sampling Cafe Clock’s signature, legendary camel burger.

Cheese connoisseurs, welcome to heaven. Casa Gonzalez has been serving up the widest selection of queso (cheese) with an authentic flair for years. The wine list does not disappoint and somehow the service is always smiling, even when the bar is packed. If you’re not a cheese lover, fret not, there is an assortment of Iberico meats on offer, tapas, and even their olive oil toast is delicious. Expect it to be busy on weekends, as the central location makes it a prime hangout for many Madrileños.