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Amanzoe was one of the first ultra-luxury resorts by a global brand in Greece when it opened back in 2012 in pretty Porto Heli, on the east coast of the Peloponnese. Since then, it has become a much-loved retreat with monumental architecture, all soaring columns and vast expanses of marble that call to mind Greece’s ancient heritage sites.


The resort’s beach club has four pools, cabanas, a Japanese restaurant, and a seaside spa, and it’s from here that water sports and island-hopping cruises set sail. Lavish guest rooms are divided into either pavilion accommodations or larger villas, all with private pools. The most lavish of all is the Ed Tuttle- and Marios Angelopoulos-designed Villa 20, which doubled as Miles Bron’s island home in British murder mystery Glass Onion; it includes 9 bedrooms, 11 pools, a private spa, 2 barbecue areas, and its own Greek taverna.

There are wild times to be had at Val d’Isère’s most happening slope-side bar, where skiers can take advantage of buy-one-get-one-free beers at happy hour, or swing by at 6 p.m. when the live music and DJs really get the party rolling. Here, dancing and general exuberance are the order of the day, especially during special events like themed races or the annual closing party (when the bar sets up a waterslide for skiers). While Cocorico closes at 8 p.m., the party continues steps away at Doudoune, a club run by the same team that stays open until 5 a.m.

Located next to Les Praz’s par 72 golf course, La Cabane des Praz offers a charming, out-of-town dining experience, along with views of Mont Blanc and other majestic peaks. Golfers and couples alike come here to enjoy modern French cuisine by the crackling fire, or afternoon tea on the sunbaked terrace. The menu ranges from fillet of beef in Béarnaise sauce to arctic char with parsnips and mushrooms. During the week, diners can also opt for a $36 three-course lunch menu.

With its swooping glass panels that resemble a kind of space-age ship’s sails, Frank Gehry’s design for the Louis Vuitton art collection, which opened in fall 2014, is worth the Métro ride to the far-flung 16th arrondissement. The multiple terraces let you peek through and around the panels: One side overlooks the verdant Bois de Boulogne park, while the other offers a view of the Eiffel Tower, looking miniature in the distance. The innovative exhibitions of modern and contemporary art rotate twice yearly. Outside on the ground level is a can’t-miss piece by Olafur Eliasson: a dizzying row of yellow-glass and mirrored columns that are guaranteed to fill your Instagram feed.

The best time to hit the mineral-fed pools at Indian Springs is just before closing, right around 9:30 p.m. Grab a float noodle, place it behind your neck, float on your back in the 102-degree water, and look up at the stars. No matter how cold the air might be, you will immediately relax. The Calistoga resort has been offering guests a similar experience for more than 150 years, though recent renovations have modernized the offerings and brought a new level of luxury and sophistication. The main attractions are the pools: one for all ages and another only for adults. Elsewhere on the property, an expansive spa offers massages and mud treatments; a restaurant—dubbed Sam’s Social Club—serves healthy California cuisine along with house-brewed beer. Accommodations vary widely, ranging from two-room cabins and expansive one-bedroom suites to multi-room bungalows and full-scale houses. Once you’ve had your fill of shuffleboard and bocce, walk into downtown Calistoga to shop at the local boutiques, or take the short trail to the top of the hill for a stellar view of the north end of the Napa Valley. Don’t miss: Perhaps the most spiritual part of the Indian Springs experience is the Wishing Tree in front of the spa. Write your wish on a card and tie it to the tree with the hundreds of others already there.

Even in a city with picturesque scenes around every corner, the Petit Champlain area, located along the waterfront in the Lower Town, stands out as an especially charming corner of Old Québec. The heart of the neighborhood is the Place Royale while its spine is Rue du Petit-Champlain. While the area claims the distinction of being North America’s oldest commercial district, for most of its history its buildings housed the offices of fur traders and stevedores lodged in the tenement apartments. Today, while it’s still a bustling neighborhood, the boutiques and bistros are what draw visitors to the cobblestoned lanes. In the summer, café tables spill out into the streets; in the winter, the neighborhood exudes a Québecois sense of coziness, especially at night after a snowfall, when every restaurant offers a tempting shelter from the cold.

A brother-sister expat duo has opened this chic slice of Brooklyn in Colonia Juárez, the neighborhood currently angling to be Mexico City’s hippest. No complaints on that account at Cicatriz, whose open, industrial-styled storefront is a forum for several daily moods. No-compromise coffee and a variety of alternative baked goods form the morning agenda; lunch means a major emphasis on locally sourced greens in great salads and roasted iterations; the meatball and fried-chicken sandwich are both major crowd-pleasers as well. After five, it’s time to get your drink on; the bartenders deliver superior, crafted quaffs, but free from all the fuss you’ll see at other haute mixology spots. The earnest, healthful menu is enhanced by an overall vibe of do-it-yourself chic.

Located on Fleming Street in the heart of Old Town Key West, the Marquesa has everything you might expect from a romantic coastal-Florida retreat. Wide porches overlook lush gardens and a bijou pool at the center of the complex, and brick paths shaded by large palms and tropical foliage give the 1884 Greek Revival–style property a secret hideaway feel. It’s understandable if you want to hole up in the guest rooms, which reside in traditional clapboard conch houses and are furnished with an eclectic collection of wood pieces sourced from around the world. In 2018, Marquesa 4-1-4 opened across the street, featuring a new compound of three buildings around a central swimming pool and courtyard. After a day spent exploring nearby Duval Street, make your way back to Café Marquesa, which is perennially packed with locals and visitors enjoying fresh seafood and an inventive menu.

Hotelier powerhouse Ian Schrager is behind this Lower East Side concept, which is located near some of downtown Manhattan’s coolest shops, restaurants, and nightlife. The hotel itself is also home to some dining and drinking gems, however, including all-day café and market Louis, restaurant Public Kitchen, and The Roof, where the cocktails are as elevated as the surroundings. Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron is responsible for the property’s clean, utilitarian design across 367 rooms, each of which comes with all of the high-tech creature comforts of home (electronic blackout shades, 50-inch Samsung flat-screen smart TVs, intelligent in-room systems for lighting and temperature control, and Bose wireless Bluetooth speakers). After dinner at Public Kitchen (and at least one order of chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s popcorn-cheddar frico), guests can set a wake-up call for rooftop yoga the next morning—a series of sun salutations overlooking Manhattan.

There’s a touch of Old World glamour to the Cape Royale—the imposing facade, the dramatic lobby, the bellmen in top hats—but just when you start to wonder if the whole experience is going to be resolutely old-school, you’ll find yourself pleasantly surprised by the sleek rooms. They feature contemporary furniture, granite and porcelain bathrooms, and a soothing palette of mostly grays and whites with the occasional punch of lime green or aqua blue. It’s also the site of six restaurants, cafes, and bars, each with its own theme, from Italian cuisine to healthy eating to Thai or Middle Eastern fare.

The city’s best beaches and nightlife—not to mention Green Point’s dazzling Cape Town Stadium, erected for the 2010 World Cup and now the site of many a mega-concert and local soccer match—are minutes away.

Touting itself as the world’s first design hotel, the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel was designed by world-renowned Danish architect and designer Arne Jacobsen, in the 1960s, for Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS). A sleek, 20-story skyscraper, the building towers over central Copenhagen’s modest, historic buildings, an emblem of Denmark’s cutting-edge status in mid-century design. Thanks to its unusual height, too, most rooms have exceptional views of the city—a rarity in this short city.

Almost all of the rooms have been entirely updated, though the hotel still maintains the spirit of Jacobsen’s original design, with mid-century lines and colorful Egg and Swan chairs throughout. One original room (room 606) has been preserved, and it’s an attraction in itself, as is the rooftop restaurant Alberto K, open for breakfast for Business Class travelers, and the main restaurant Café Royal, which focuses on classic New Nordic cuisine.

The Huntington is a beautiful, cultural destination. The library exhibits are wonderful, and include famous titles like Audubon’s Birds of America. The art collection features well-known paintings, architectural pieces, and a sculpture garden. The Botanical Gardens boast extensive aloe and cacti collections, an assortment of fruit trees, a lovely rose garden, a bonsai collection, and cultural beauties such as the Japanese Garden and Chinese Garden. The Huntington also has a conservatory and a sweet children’s garden with ivy-covered pathways, miniature furniture, and fountains galore for playful kids. If you’re hungry, the High Tea by the rose garden is everything high tea should be; there is also a cafe, coffee shop, and a food pavilion on the property, as well as a gift shop. Don’t miss out on beautiful, historical, and cultural experiences at The Huntington!

During the day, the Piazza San Marco in Venice is an overwhelming flurry of activity, but once the sun sets, you’d be surprised at just how much a sense of ease and languor settles in. Life simply slows down as the crowds depart. Stop by Caffè Florian for a memorable evening. Opened in 1720, this is Italy‘s oldest cafe, and features ornate frescoed and gilded salons, as well as an outdoor seating area for great people-watching. Sip a drink and enjoy Caffè Florian’s live orchestra and singers as you sit under the beautiful night sky, with an illuminated St. Mark’s Basilica in the background. Looking around at my family, I could see total contentment reflected on each of their faces—the most magical and relaxing night of my trip. While not inexpensive, this evening was worth every Euro to me—a night that I will remember fondly for the rest of my life.

Let the wind blow through your hair as you take a 30-minute vaporetto ride to Burano, an island in the lagoons of Venice. Known for its brightly-colored fishermen’s homes, the island is largely free of the tourist crush of the rest of Venice. Spend the afternoon shopping for exquisite handmade lace and sampling gelato, then do as the locals do - gather in the town square at sunset to enjoy drinks and people-watching in one of the many cafes.

We settled in at Trattoria Da Primo, where the bartender recommended a typical Venetian drink, the “Spritz” (Prosecco, Aperol or Campari liqueur, and soda). Then get ready to feast at Trattoria da Romano, regular host to locals, tourists, and visiting artists. The restaurant is famous for Venetian specialities such as creamy Goh fish risotto and fresh seafood. Burano is definitely the place to go for a quiet, small-town feeling night out in Italy.

Just down the street from fashionable Omotesando is the Nezu Museum, with an exquisite Japanese garden. Architect Kengo Kuma’s touches include a warm welcome with a bamboo wall at the entrance and rooms with picturesque views of the garden. The museum’s renowned permanent collection comprises a vast selection of Japanese and Asian pieces, including lacquerware, calligraphy, sculptures, and paintings. The Nezu Café has three walls of windows to enjoy the garden over a light meal, coffee and cake, or matcha and traditional wagashi sweets.