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This hotel is on our list of The 11 Best Hotels in Chicago.

Set directly across from the Art Institute of Chicago, this former members-only men’s gymnasium is now the Chicago Athletic Association, which is part of Hyatt’s Unbound Collection. Enter at street level off Michigan Avenue and walk toward the back to find a staircase that leads to the old swimming pool, now a venue for parties and pop-up concepts. Take the nearby elevator to the restaurant, Cindy’s, easily the best rooftop scene in the city, with highly Instagrammable terrace views overlooking Millennium Park, the swooping Frank Gehry–designed bandshell, and Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate (aka the Bean).

Park yourself in the second-floor lobby and hang with locals as they tap away on their laptops and sip lattes by the two oversize fireplaces. Walk through that expansive by Roman & Williams–designed room, where light beams in through ornate stained-glass windows, and you enter a warren of table games and darts, all festive and typically open to the public. There’s also the secret six-seat bar, the Milk Room, a relic of Prohibition, and the James Beard Award–winning Cherry Circle Room—a sexy, dark restaurant with a circulating martini cart and a meat-centric menu.

Upstairs in the 1893 landmark, 240 guest rooms reflect the building’s former life, with gym horses as foot beds, working fireplaces in some rooms, plasterwork ceilings, ornate carved wood wainscotting, and a clubby vibe. Some of the rooms are rather small, but the location is hard to beat, and the cozy, wintry ambiance makes it a popular (and fun) place to spend a weekend. And because the CAA keeps an eye on its water conservation, sources its food locally, and adheres to strict recycling standards, eco-conscious travelers can feel good sleeping here.

The resplendent Raffles Hotel reopened in late 2019 to great fanfare after two years of restoration. Originally built in 1887 as a 10-room hotel, it now features 115 suites with oriental carpets and teak floors to complement four-poster beds and colorful Peranakan-tiled bathrooms. An in-room tablet controls everything from the mood lighting to calling your butler for a glass of bubbly. All have a private veranda to enjoy balmy evenings outside.




The building was declared a national monument in 1987, so the façade has changed little, but the hotel’s food and drink concepts have been revamped with a focus on marquee restaurant collaborations with the likes of Jereme Leung (yi) and Hawaiian-born Jordan Keao (Butcher’s Block). Not forgetting Singapore’s rich food culture, the hotel offers a self-guided Raffles Singapore Hawker Food Trail video hosted by hawker champion and Makansutra founder KF Seetoh. Raffles also offers an exclusive private tour of the Intan, a home museum filled with more than 1,500 objects from Peranakan culture.





The famous Singapore Sling continues to be a draw at the evocative 1920s Malayan-style Long Bar and its peanut shell-covered floor. The iconic drink now has sustainable twist: the hotel plants one native tree in the Kalimantan or Sumatran rain forest for every 25 Singapore Slings ordered.

Visiting Beyt Design in Cambridge was inspirational. Their award winning social enterprise uses architectural salvage from conflict zones in the Near East destroyed by violence and up cycles them into one of a kind home decor. Tiles from 18th century mansions, reclaimed wrought iron gates, window frames & antique textiles make their way into tables, lamps and shades in this unique shop. In addition, the labor they employ is from diverse, disadvantaged backgrounds. When I visited, I spoke with a woman working on a lampshade, clearly proud of her project and the opportunity the owners had given her. Their mission to ‘Restore the Unseen Beauty of the Broken” resonates in each and every piece.

The village of Roslindale is filled with unlikely gems. Joanne Rossman Design is at the top of that list. Billed as a Purveyor of the Unnecessary & the Irresistible, it’s a destination filled with treasures you never knew you couldn’t live without. Charming artwork, wonderful cookbooks, scented natural soaps, divine fragrances and a collection of vintage accents for your home, each deserving of their own special place. Make sure not to miss the designers own handmade slippers, scarves and throws. Each is one of a kind, and created from the extensive selection of antique trims, fabrics and buttons that Joanne has culled over the years from all corners of the globe. The neighborhood has a slew of good restaurants, so it’s easy to spend an afternoon perusing the area.

In the heart of Texas Hill Country, on a serene section of the Colorado River, the famously luxurious Lake Austin Spa Resort might be just half an hour from Austin’s city center, but it feels miles away from anywhere, an oasis surrounded by ruggedly beautiful wilderness. And that’s intentional: the destination spa caters to every need and whim, offering a daily calendar of outdoor activities and educational talks and classes and serving healthy and locally-sourced cuisine. Spa treatments are not included in the rate—which, it’s worth noting, starts at a three-night minimum stay—but use of the spa’s three pools and other pampering facilities are, and it’d be a shame not to sample at least one of its more than 100 natural treatments.


But the best part about the resort is that, once you’re there, no one cares what you do. Take advantage of the packed schedule and spa offerings, or just claim a poolside lounger, take a walk along the lake, or read a book in the fragrant organic garden. Relaxation means something different to everyone, after all.

The Schiffbau, a renovated shipbuilding factory, is home to a popular theater, jazz club, bar and this glamorous restaurant, situated in a stunning glass cube. One of its signatures is a fillet of horse loaded with garlic, but for the less adventurous, the French- and Italian-leaning menu also includes classics like braised beef in red wine sauce.

L’Osteria is known for its lively atmosphere, mouth-watering pizzas and pastas served in modern and urban surroundings. It’s timeless classic Italian cuisine. Portions are a good size and the prices are reasonable. As a result it’s always full, so make a reservation before going. There are three locations in Munich.

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.

Interior designer and owner Denis Roy eschewed the palapa-inspired elegance employed by so many Costa Rican resorts in favor of a tropical take on European influences—Victorian architecture, French colonial touches, and Grecian columns among them—creating a resort like no other on the country’s west coast. Owing to its vantage point 1,100 feet above the entrance to the Gulf of Nicoya, the views of the rain forest, ocean, and sunsets are stunning, especially from the infinity pool. Rooms in the main building are fairly basic, but suites and villas offer more luxurious touches, such as Jacuzzis, private ocean-facing terraces, and plunge pools. The property has its own beach (with sun beds, showers, and a snack bar), but since it’s at the bottom of a steep hill, the resort provides hourly transfers. Retreat to the open-air yoga studio, then head to the bar atop the Greek amphitheater to linger over a martini at the nightly sunset happy hour.

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.

Why we love it: Atelier Ace’s first luxury property in New Orleans, with antiques and other unique design details to lust after

The Highlights:
- The guests-only library bar, hidden behind a bookcase at Bar Marilou
- Colorful marble floors in the bathrooms
- High-end service, but plenty of privacy when you want it

The Review:
Atelier Ace partnered with Pamela Shamshiri of L.A.-based Studio Shamshiri to design this 67-room property, which opened in April 2019 in an old City Hall annex in the Central Business District. Shamshiri decorated the distinctive guest house with a mix of antiques she collected from around the world, plus custom art and design elements like colorful marble floors, French wallpaper, and vintage-inspired glass light fixtures. Keep an eye out for a reoccurring snake motif throughout the hotel, from sculptural snake shower-door handles in the bathrooms to cobra lamps in the hallways and slithering ceramic elements in the fireplace of the lobby lounge. It’s a little bit Garden of Eden with a hint of the occult, making you feel as if you’ve checked into the private home of an elderly socialite—maybe Iris Apfel—that’s filled to the brim with fabulous souvenirs from her worldly travels over the years.

Maison de Luz is located just across the street from the Ace Hotel New Orleans and guests are encouraged to pop over to the sister property to enjoy the rooftop pool or grab a crawfish roll at Seaworthy. Back at Maison, however, the common areas—including a hidden library bar—are just for overnight guests, creating the feeling of a calm refuge within the city.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is more than a shopping center, it’s a place for coffee, drink and dessert. Even more, in the center of the shopping center, there is a mosaic art of bull, which is said that if you spin your heel on the ball three times, it will bring you good luck. Of course a lot of people were spinning on the ball, and there is a hole on the mosaic art.

Standing out in San Francisco‘s Marina District, this historic landmark is a leftover from the 1915 Pan-Pacific International Expo and was designed by Bernard R. Maybeck, a student of the École des Beaux-Arts. His vision was to give the impression of ancient Roman ruins. When the fair concluded, the Palace of Fine Arts proved too beautiful to raze. Maybeck had intended the Palace to fall into ruins (in keeping with his original vision), and it did for years. It was used as a storage depot after World War II and as a warehouse for the Parks Department. In the late 1950s, a local city official led an effort to face-lift the building. The Palace of Fine Arts was rebuilt and is now enjoyed by visitors who walk beneath the towering colonnade and the grand rotunda.

After strolling Storm King Art Center or DIA Beacon, Tarry Lodge is the perfect stop on your way back to New York City. Mario Batali opened it up as a neighborhood restaurant for the Port Chester crowd and a go-to for out-of-town Manhattanites who love his Italian comfort food. Don’t miss the clam, chili, and oregano or pistachio and goat cheese pizzas. Waits can be long so if you’re trying to beat traffic just get take out from their curbside service.