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IndexG B&B was an art gallery before the owners renovated the second floor into a four-bedroom bed and breakfast. Housed on a sleepier stretch of Gladstone Avenue but close to the action of both the West Queen West and Parkdale neighborhoods, this family-run B&B offers affordable rooms and minimal amenities. Art is displayed throughout the hotel, and it is all available for purchase. With much to do in the area, this is a well-located hub from which to discover the best of Toronto.

In a derelict empty lot in the trendy-but-scruffy neighborhood of Kerameikos, architect and sometime skateboarder Zarchos Varfis saw potential: In summer 2017 (after some serious crowdfunding, connecting, and fundraising) he opened Latraac, a curvy plywood skate bowl he designed for the lot, and a “skate café” to exist alongside it. The skate bowl is free for the public to use; it also serves as a performance and event space. Latraac has fast become a popular hangout and a symbol of the DIY culture cropping up amidst the city’s ongoing economic crisis.

In 1934, architect Luis Barragán won a contest put on by the city of Guadalajara to design a park on former prison land, creating a gateway to the city center. Together with his engineer brother, Barragán based his design on functionalist, Art Deco, and California modernist styles, incorporating elements of red and yellow as a nod to French 1930s design. Although the park (originally named Parque Revolución but now referred to as Parque Rio, or Red Park) has undergone significant changes over the years, certain elements—the red-and-yellow benches, the kiosk, the fountain, and the mashup of 1930s and ’40s architectural styles that would come to define Barragán’s later work—are still intact.

A four-kilometer seaside promenade is the perfect place for a stroll at Scheveningen, a beach resort in Den Haag’s wealthy northernmost district. In addition to a sandy beach, colorful esplanade, pier and the Scheveningen lighthouse, there’s a Sea Life aquarium, Pathé cinema, the Steigenberger Kurhaus music theater, Scheveningen Museum and a casino. Trendy clubs, restaurants, surf schools and other water sports options line the wide Noorderstrand (North Beach) boulevard. After a three-year metamorphoses completed in 2013, the beach-side stretch offers the best of sun, sand and surf on Holland’s western coastline. Giant sculptures by the sea add a whimsical touch, while numerous bars and eating establishments provide spots to grab a drink or a meal while watching the action in the harbor.

In the Napa Valley—and in Yountville, in particular—most hotels err on the side of sophisticated luxury. Which makes the North Block Hotel’s quirky style such a breath of fresh air. With the look of a Mediterranean town’s cobbled street, complete with lemon trees and hand-painted tiles, one of Napa’s few modern boutique hotels also displays quirky pieces like The Big Book of Boobs in its lobby. It’s hard to pass through the lobby without having a friendly concierge hand you a glass of bubbly, and the umbrella-shaded “sidewalk” tables seem like places you’d actually while away the hours over bottles of good wine with good friends. The trendy restaurant channels a midcentury Italian cool that’s more Fellini than Michelangelo, unlike most Napa wineries’ inclinations, and the fact that it doesn’t have a Michelin star is actually a vote in its favor in sometimes stuffy, star-saturated Yountville. Of course, the spa is still as luxuriously pampering as any in wine country, and the understated rooms are as decked out with designer amenities as they ought to be—and you might actually be having enough fun to enjoy them.

Quebec really knows how to throw a party. It may be cold, but the Quebecois absolutely love it. The Hotel de Glace is just one example. Covering 32,000 square feet, this glistening example of “ice engineering” is just too much fun to pass up. If you’re feeling adventurous, make a reservation and spend the night, all of the rooms are themed differently with unique ice carvings in each room. The hotel will provide you with arctic-style sleeping bags designed to keep you warm well below zero. If perhaps you would like a libation, there is a bar that serves signature drinks. I sampled a Hotel De Glace cocktail that consisted of vodka and ice cider served in a shot glass carved from ice. After dark, the hotel comes to life with beautiful colored lighting that really highlights the structure. For a bit more fun for you adrenaline junkies, you will find a climbing wall made of ice, the gauntlet is now thrown down. For more information visit the hotel’s web site at http://www.hoteldeglace-canada.com. Photograph by www.xdachez.com

No visit to Ambergris Caye is complete without an afternoon at the Palapa Bar. Situated at the end of a dock surrounded by turquoise waters and cool breezes, Palapa Bar attracts a mix of locals, travelers, and some of the coolest bartenders on the island. On a warm day, eschew the barstools and opt instead to float in inner tubes beside the dock; you can even have cold buckets of Belize’s Belikin beers lowered down to you. In addition to beer and standard cocktails, fun creations like Scotty’s Palapa Punch (three different types of rum, triple sec, mango, pineapple, and a squeeze of lime) offer some island-inspired refreshment. Up in the palapa, recommended items from the menu include sausage dip, pulled pork sandwiches, and the immense half-pound burger. Palapa Bar is 1.5 miles north of town and easily reached by golf cart, taxi, bicycle, or water taxi, which drops you right off at the dock.

Brooklyn has become a dining destination in recent years, with dozens of restaurants preparing local, organic, and sustainable American dishes—and others serving everything from Korean bibimbap and Scandinavian specialties to Ethiopian stews and Mexican tacos. The borough has an overwhelming abundance to choose from, but Smorgasburg makes it easy to graze and sample a variety of Brooklyn’s dishes. From the beginning of April to the end of October, food trucks and stalls representing around 100 restaurants and other establishments set up at East River State Park, in the Williamsburg neighborhood, every Saturday; on Sundays, you’ll find them farther south, in Prospect Park. The largest weekly open-air food market in the country, it’s popular and draws thousands of visitors, but don’t be deterred by the crowds: Much of the fun is the people-watching and the general festival-like atmosphere. Even if you aren’t visiting New York in the summer, it’s worth checking out the Smorgasburg website as they sometimes have smaller off-season pop-ups, including the Winter Flea & Holiday Market.

A brief description of Skansen—a 75-acre open-air museum with historic buildings and a zoo—doesn’t convey just how much fun it is. You can easily spend a happy half-day here, looking at wolves, reindeer, moose, seals, and other Nordic creatures, then popping into old buildings that have been brought here from all over Scandinavia and reassembled. In some you can talk to people in costume who are playing the roles of the original inhabitants. Elsewhere you can watch glassblowers at work and visit old-fashioned stores. Open since 1891, it remains one of Sweden’s top tourist draws.

From a members-only beach club in the 1960s, The Dunmore has evolved into a 16-room boutique stay whose spirit and decor evoke that era. Local interior designer Amanda Lindroth oversaw a major renovation when the hotel’s current owners bought the property in 2010. Wicker and rattan furniture, patterned prints, and spaces that are as much outdoors as indoors create a look that is somewhere between late British colonial and timeless Bahamian. Although the landmark sits on Harbour Island’s Pink Sands Beach, a pool with an airy pavilion adds to The Dunmore’s reputation as a place of amiable gathering. After a day of sunfilled fun, head to the on-site restaurant, where chef Cindy Hutson, one of the region’s rising culinary stars, prepares modern twists on island delicacies—think grouper curry with lychee and grilled pineapple and banana fritters with rum caramel.

Shopping passages were built in the 19th century to give Parisians protection from muddy streets and horse-drawn vehicles. Galerie Vivienne is a beautiful restored 19th-century passage with entrances at the Rue des Petits-Champs, Rue de la Banque, and Rue Vivienne. Built in 1823 in a neoclassical Pompeian style that includes a gorgeous canopy and is decorated inside with mosaics, paintings, and sculptures, Galerie Vivienne’s most famous resident is the Jean-Paul Gaultier shop. Some passage entrances are easy to miss, so be on the lookout! A stroll through these fascinating galeries is a fun and free activity on a rainy day.

Why we love it: A classic St. Pete stay with a beachfront location and retro vibe

The Highlights:
- Cabana rooms with private patios by the pool
- The largest heated pool on St. Pete Beach
- A beach bar with frozen cocktails and live music

The Review:
Nicknamed “the Santorini of St. Pete Beach” for its white-and-blue color scheme, the Postcard Inn on the Beach strikes a balance between playful and sophisticated, attracting families and young couples alike. Set right on the beach, the property boasts a large heated pool, fitness center, and beachwear boutique, plus extras like a fire pit, beach cabanas, bicycles, and fun games like ping-pong and beach volleyball. The 196 bright, breezy guestrooms feature local artwork that pays homage to St. Pete’s surfers and sun worshippers of yesteryear, plus lime, teal, and sea foam accents for a funky vibe. Those looking for a little something extra should book one of the cabana options, which come with private patios right by the pool.

In the morning, guests can fuel up with locally roasted Kahwa coffee and freshly baked donuts at on-site cafe, P.S. Grind. Later in the day, head to the Beach Bar & Snack Shack for sandwiches, frozen cocktails, and live music, or Stamps Lobby Bar and Restaurant for blackened mahi tacos, barbecue dry-rubbed burgers, and other classic American dishes.

My daughter came up with the idea for Yotel. " Mom, lets try this cool place in NYC for our trip” she says. We were doing one of our once-every-few- years mom and daughter trips and this time it was NYC. As you are aware a trip to NYC must be planned carefully and if you are on a budget the ticket item is the lodging. Yotel is a concept hotel that started in London‘s Heathrow Airport. In NYC slender bunk beds and fold out motorized queen bed/ futons in tiny cabins much like some Tokyo hotel rooms are offered. In London this proved a way more popular space to sleep for weary travelers than the dirty airport floor. But here in NYC it is much more than the airport floor alternative; the building in NYC is in midtown a couple avenues over from the cacophony of Broadway and Time’s Square, it has it’s own restaurant and a great seasonal roof deck. Our room was a queen with a bunk bed overhead and private bath with view to the river. We found it fun, if tiny (you have to plan how much luggage you are bringing very carefully- no closet). But younger travelers will love it here ( check out the robot that stores your luggage) and the rates and friendly staff are very cool for NYC.

From its new location on the Singel, Supperclub maintains the old traditions of one of Amsterdam’s most innovative nightclubs. In few other upscale restaurants can you take off your shoes, get in an oversize bed with friends, and savor an unconventional five-course meal over the course of an evening. But supperclub is not for everyone. Part culinary journey, burlesque/vaudeville club, cocktail bar and experimental free state, it’s a unique if somewhat pricey venue for a fun, quirky evening with friends or business colleagues. When not wintering in India, flamboyant Howie may greet you, ushering your posse to La Salon Neige, where you’ll scoop courses from hospital bowls, ash trays and sensual models dressed in slices of Carpaccio, brandishing salad dressing in syringes and deep-fried cricket tidbits—crunchy croutons! Opt for the upper level lounge and you can watch from above as dykes, belly dancers and aerial artists perform. Don’t worry about crumbs in bed; get into the act while the drag queens vamp and the dancers swirl. Between courses, enjoy a Lavender Love or Leap of Faith cocktail in the Chapter 21 bar. Or venture to the downstairs smoking room that doubles as a gay toilet. While puffing on a joint, don’t be surprised if spontaneous music erupts or locals engage you in conversation. There are supperclubs in Istanbul, London, Los Angeles and San Francisco, but this is the original. And there’s nothing conventional about it!

If you are looking for a fun, buzzing eating scene in the Wall Street area, this is it. Stone Street is a narrow, cobblestone street lined with restaurants and bars and filled with outdoor, communal tables. During lunch on nice days, an energetic crowd of casual business types from the Wall Street area fill the alley with loud laughter and clinking glasses. And after work—especially on Wednesday and Thursday nights—it’s a busy social scene. Stone Street was the first paved street in NYC. It starts at Hanover Square (off William Street 2 blocks south of Wall Street). Look for the imposing brownstone India House with the famous Harry’s Bar in the basement and walk around the building. Directions may sound complicated, but once you get in the area, follow the buzz of the crowd or ask one of the locals. About ten years ago, this historic corridor had a $2 million restoration of its cobblestone streets and vintage lamp posts, which helped usher in the new restaurants and the young crowds. Popular eateries include Adrienne’s Pizza Bar, Vintry Wine & Whisky and Ulysses Pub. Also on this street is Harry’s; opened in 2006, it is a new generation offshoot of the historic Harry’s at Hanover, a high-profile eatery in the financial district from 1972 to 2003. Food festivals also attract a hungry crowd. Look for Stone Street Fest in May and the Oyster Festival in September.