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As with most structures and sites in Mexico City, the Estadio Olímpico, or Olympic Stadium, located on the grounds of the university (UNAM), has played an important role in several historic episodes. First is its role in mid-20th-century Mexican architecture. Built in 1952, it is a marvel- designed to resemble a volcano in structure. It also has some important historic design elements, namely the decorative Mexican symbolism added by Diego Rivera. Second is its role in the 1968 Olympic Games. Even the spectators and viewers at home who had not paid much attention to the Games knew that the stadium was the site where American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave the Black Power salute during a medal ceremony. The image of the athletes standing next to Australian silver medalist Peter Norman (who wore a badge in support of Smith and Carlos), is an iconic image of the Games. Today the stadium is the home of the Pumas soccer team, and during home games, the stadium often fills to capacity.

Sitting pretty on seven acres below Canyons Resort, the Waldorf Astoria is one of Park City’s preferred stays thanks to its elegant suites, sleek spa, and signature service. Opened in 2009, the stone-and-log lodge projects alpine grandeur. Interiors mix natural elements with posh details like a Baccarat crystal chandelier, an Italian marble fireplace, Oriental rugs, and leather furnishings. Outside, the hotel’s private gondola whisks skiers to the slopes and back, after which they can take a soak in the heated outdoor pool or indulge in a massage at the sunny, 16,000-square-foot spa—one of the finest in the Wasatch Mountains. Come dinnertime, guests head to onsite restaurant Powder, an antler-lined spot offering locavore fare and stunning mountain views.

The 174 guestrooms and suites all feature gas fireplaces; many also have balconies. Available with one to four bedrooms, the Bi-Level Suites even include fireplaces and gourmet kitchens outfitted with Viking appliances.

After glowing stints at Fauchon and Le Bon Marché, pastry chef and author Sébastien Gaudard opened his own pâtisserie on rue des Martyrs, just south of Pigalle, 9 months ago; the speed of his ascent into the annals of traditional pastry-making left him and his team of 14 stunned. But it’s no surprise he achieved such wild success so quickly - he doesn’t just revisit pastry classics, he brings them back to life giving new vigor to everything from the Paris-Brest and Mont Blanc to Tarte au Citron, macarons and divine chocolates. His shop feels like an old school candy store with jars full of French bonbons and cases full of indulgent desserts. It’s a stunning pastry shop with stellar sweets well worth the detour for those staying (or living, like myself) on the other side of the city. In the summer, try a carton of their homemade ice cream. click on the link below for more photos!

Louise Loubatieres’ gorgeous light-filled little concept store on increasingly hip Hap Guan Street is one of those stores you can easily lose hours in. The fascinating shop is located in self-styled Kandal Village, a compact neighborhood of three parallel streets wedged between the French Quarter and Old Market area that has become an emerging shopping, eating and drinking district. The lovely Louise, who can often be found out the back of the shop baking or making a pot of tea, is of Cambodian, French, British, and Vietnamese heritage, and her ancestry is reflected in her impeccable taste and passion for arts, crafts, textiles and design objects from Southeast Asia, and her carefully curated selection of beautiful things. Unlike some of my favorite shops, Louise doesn’t limit herself to ‘made in Cambodia’ products, and won’t hesitate to source pretty things from places like Chiang Mai or the Mekong Delta if she discovers something special. Louise largely stocks homewares, from colorful lacquer bowls to textiles that can serve as table runners.

Opened in 1879, Mandarin Oriental was Thailand’s first hotel and is still among its best, offering a touch of romance from a bygone era. The high-rise buildings are modern and blocklike from the outside, but the interior shines with elegant details, from sweeping white staircases and filigree woodwork to towering tropical ferns and potted frangipani flowers. There are expansive river views from most rooms and public spaces, thanks to the riverside location. The world-class service has attracted personalities from Somerset Maugham and Audrey Hepburn to Mick Jagger. The New Wing consists of modern, brightly decorated rooms; the Garden and Authors’ Wings are a better choice for those looking for Old Asia. Each suite is unique. The restaurant, cooking school, and spa are some of the most sumptuous and highly regarded in the region.

Staying at the elegant old Estancia Candelaria del Monte is like stepping back in time. The ranch dates from the 1830s, and it feels like it - it’s incredibly quiet here, seemingly disconnected from the modern world. Towering sycamore trees cast shade over the sprawling grounds and a picturesque swimming pool that looks like it belongs in an English period piece; inside the house, four-poster beds and afternoon tea call to mind gentler times. Hop up on one of the estancia’s rugged Criollo horses for a guided ride across the property - you can even help the ranchhands herd cows if you’re really in the mood. A beautiful park, from the 1830´s, jealousy guards the intimacy of the house and the swimming pool, with centenary Sycamores, Ginkgo Bilobas, Elms and a large variety of Pines that fragrance the air. And in the distance, rustic and timeless, it opens up the endless plain landscape of “The Pampas” where the green tone of the land and the deep blue of the sky combine with scattered sights of cows and native horses, together with the isolated flocks flying high up.

OK, there may be better cafes. You may have alternative preferences. But I absolutely adored the Dad Cafe in Miera Street. I came across it at just the right moment - a long morning of walking had left me desperate for an even longer sit, and this place is the kind where no one will mind if you nurse a hot drink for a couple of hours. Not only does it feel like an old-fashioned tearoom, but they actually serve Earl Grey tea, for which I could have kissed them. They also make a home made quiche so delicious that I ordered a second piece as soon as I had finished my first. Chintzy furniture, artfully distressed, lots of lovely women sitting around chatting intellectually (they looked intellectual anyway, I suppose they could have been talking about Jersey Shore). I started a conversation with a drama student who was writing an essay on site-specific performance and we ended up having the most fascinating chat about how theatre is currently the most popular art form among the young in Latvia. Couldn’t have asked for more.

In the middle of a private courtyard in Hyderabad lies a workshop where several women sit at traditional looms. The women, who are all widows, weave intricate cotton-and-silk floral patterns by hand as part of the Suraiya weaving center. Suraiya Hassan Bose, 83, started the center out of her home a little over 27 years ago to revive local and regional weaves which have nearly died out since they’re very time consuming and still not very lucrative. At the center, visitors can watch the weaving process from spooling to the rythmic loom work that takes two people (one to guide the pattern from above and the other to pedal the loom and weave the threads.) It takes about a month to make a three-meter piece of fabric, but luckily the women at Suraiya earn a fixed wage regardless of whether the fabrics sell. I arrived during a tea break, in which I got to meet with these lovely ladies before they got back to work. 1-86, Darga Hussain Shah Wali, Raidurg, Behind Traffic Police Station, O.u.colony Road, Mehdipatnam To Gachibowli Road., Hyderabad

Set along the sacred Ayung River, Four Seasons Resort at Sayan is a tropical paradise shrouded in giant palms and ferns. Designed by John Heah, the property was built and decorated using regional materials almost exclusively, from shells and coconuts to coveted ikat fabrics, giving guests an authentic Balinese experience just 15 minutes from Ubud. A serene lotus pond sits on the rooftop of the resort’s main building, and teakwood villas offer views of rice terraces and the longest river in Bali. Indonesian cooking classes, ancient wellness rituals, and plantings with local rice farmers are just some of the ways guests can connect with the local culture; the rest can be found in Ubud, where vibrant markets, temples, and museums counterbalance the hotel’s tranquil dining and wellness journeys.

The Torch, also known as the Aspire Tower, at 980 ft, is the tallest structure in Doha. It was built to house the 2006 Asian Games Flame and it holds the record for the tallest and highest-positioned games flame ever. The Tower, located 20 minutes away from the city centers, serves now as a luxury hotel, although calling The Torch Hotel luxurious is a serious understatement. It has 51 floors, 360 views from any of its lounges, the only revolving restaurant in the country, one of the quaintest places for high tea, and to top it all off, hotel guests have access to a cantilevered swimming pool on the 19th floor--not for those afraid of heights--and a red carpet private walkway access to Villaggio Mall and. As beautiful as it is, it’s worth keeping in mind that The Torch Hotel doesn’t serve alcohol.

You’ll never sleep anywhere closer to Machu Picchu than Belmond Sanctuary Lodge—it’s adjacent to the site entrance, and the only hotel on the mountain. In fact, the lodge is built on the former staging area for American explorer Hiram Bingham, who rediscovered the “Lost City of the Incas” in 1911. You’ll pay a pretty penny but consider the price a once-in-a-lifetime splurge. If you arrive the day before your visit to Macchu Picchu on the bus up from Aguas Calientes, you can be at the gates right when they open at 5 a.m. and get a head start on most of the crowds—and the sunrise. And if you’re coming off a days-long hike on the Inca Trail, the spacious showers and plush robes will be the best you’ve ever experienced.

There are only 31 rooms here, some with terraces and mountain views but all with exquisitely comfortable beds and marble bathrooms. The light-filled restaurant—only open to guests—serves both international and Peruvian dishes, and the bar is a great place to enjoy a pisco sour after a day of exploring the ruins. If you really want to stay in style, consider arriving by the elegantly restored Belmond Hiram Bingham train from Cuzco—the hotel offers packages.

Souq Waqif is one of the top tourist destinations in Doha and one of the most traditional markets in the region. A hundred years ago, this was the place where the Bedouins traded livestock, spices and general goods, but now, the old souq has been restored and the new one looks like a 19th-century Qatari market, with mud shops, exposed wooden beams, antique shops, modern art galleries, a wide variety of restaurants, and divan-like outdoor cafes to smoke shisha and drink chai-karak, the local tea. This is the perfect place to look for traditional Qatari clothing for men and women, spices, antiques, pearls, and oud--an incense as well as a perfume made from agarwood. The market is patrolled by the Heritage Police Officers who wear uniforms from the 1940s and ride regal Arabian horses. As any traditional market, bargaining is expected. Most of the shops in the souq close around 1pm and reopen at 4pm, but the many cafes and restaurants remain open all day.

With its gold-hued, Egyptian pyramid-inspired exterior—topped by a glass peak that lights up like a beacon at night—it’s easy to recognize the 19-story Raffles hotel among Dubai’s glittering skyline. Inside, distinguishing features include the spacious rooms and suites—the 252 options are among the largest in town, and come with private terraces, Arabic design touches, tubs and walk-in showers, and service from a Raffles butler. The seven dining options draw a mix of in-house guests, expat locals, and business people. Choose from restaurants for Italian, Japanese, Arabic, and international buffet fare, a tea salon for refined sweet and savory creations, a cabana-ringed garden for shared plates and weekly barbecues, a bar and café adjacent to the well-sized pool, and a cocktail bar that pairs drinks with telecasts of the latest sports matches. Global influences can also be felt at the well-appointed spa, where the treatments are inspired by Asian, European, and Middle Eastern techniques.

What do you get when you mix a little Don Draper, a bit of Andy Warhol, a smidge of The Jetsons, and a touch of PeeWee’s Playhouse? The vision of two local architects, the cheerful Vintage Design Hotel Sax is a paean to post-war optimism in the Malá Strana neighborhood, where each of the 23 affordable accommodations are individually decorated with restored vintage furniture and artwork, colorful geometric wallpapers, and retro pieces. Rooms aren’t particularly spacious but are comfortable nonetheless and include amenities like smart TVs, free WiFi, and air conditioning. There isn’t an on-site restaurant, but the lobby bar sells salads and sandwiches throughout the day, and a space off the lobby stocks free coffee and tea, as well as wines and soft drinks for purchase. The complimentary breakfast, however, is served buffet style (you can pay to order à la carte items) and can be enjoyed from the hotel’s fourth-floor terrace overlooking Prague Castle and the Petřín Lookout Tower.

Southern charm and Asian aesthetics meld seamlessly at the Mandarin Oriental, located on 15 floors of a high-rise building in the tony boutique-filled Buckhead neighborhood. Beyond a striking marble lobby, the 127 rooms feel like home—albeit a luxurious one—thanks to interiors by renowned architect Robert A.M. Stern. Plush carpets, large working desks, velvet-upholstered armchairs, and high definition LED televisions join bathrooms finished in black-and-white marble, with twin vanities, sunken tubs, and Atelier Cologne bath products. Whether you want to swim laps in the 60-foot swimming pool or simply unwind in the private English garden, the hotel is like a cocoon from the outside world; guests of the spa are welcomed with seasonal tea and an o-shibori, a Japanese steamed towel, before indulging in their massages and facials. But should you need to leave the bubble, the shops in Lenox Square are walking distance from the hotel, and free car service is available to take you within a two-mile radius.