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Situated between two lakes at the bottom of the Jungfrau mountain in the Bernese Highlands of Switzerland, this venerable five-star hotel and spa, which dates back to 1865, offers scenery and comfort in equal measure. Subtly balancing tradition and modernity, the rooms are bright, spacious, and brimming with refined furnishings and fabrics. Plus, all come with picturesque views across the town of Interlaken or the Harder Kulm mountain. There are several higher-end suites to choose from; modernists might like the clean lines of the stylish Bel-Air suite, while hedonists will love the lavish Tower Suite, with its two terraces, kitchenette, bar, and dining room.

The hotel’s two restaurants serve Mediterranean-inspired dishes from the south of France and Italy, and there are two handsome bars and a gloriously expansive spa for further diversion.

Book lovers and bazaar hunters will revel in foraging through the Sahaflar Çarsısı (Beyazit Book Bazaar) for new titles, secondhand books, historical maps, the Quran (in various languages), ancient texts, and other rare finds. The bazaar, between Beyazit Mosque and the Grand Bazaar, was built in 1954, but the site is a historical literary landmark where the Chartoprateia—a Byzantium book and paper market—existed. During Ottoman times, the site became a center for printing and literary trade, drawing many intellectuals and writers to the Beyazit and Grand Bazaar area. Some historians will say Sahaflar Çarsısı is where the first book was printed in Turkey in 1729. Whether this is fact or fiction, the statue in the middle of the courtyard is that of Ibrahim Muteferrika, an Ottoman diplomat who, among many titles, was the publisher responsible for the first book—a two-volume Arabic-Turkish dictionary. The entrance to the bazaar is off Çadırcılar Caddesi (Road), just down from the Grand Bazaar’s Beyazit Gate (Gate Number 7).

Via Vittor Pisani, leading up to Milan‘s Stazione Centrale, is a long and open boulevard, lined with modern buildings. It’s quiet, and if you catch it in the right light, it has a vague Ayn Rand/The Fountainhead feel to it. The neighborhood surrounding the train station is less pedicured than other parts of the city and filled with more affordable hotels.

A large resort at the base of the Niseko Village gondola, the Hilton combines a central location, breathtaking views, and convenient amenities. This is the choice for travelers who plan to spend their day on the ski slopes or golf links from post-breakfast to pre-dinner, perhaps bookending the activities with a soak in the open-air onsen (or indoor on bad weather days). Rooms have panoramic mountain views and if you are lucky, you might get a room with a view of the unkai sea of clouds and Mount Yotei. Unwind with a steak dinner at Melt Bar & Grill before booking a private karaoke room at the hotel’s Ezo Pub. The Wakka Spa focuses on post-ski restorative treatments with a cedar soaking tub for couples.

Fanciful accommodations are the name of the game in Las Vegas, and especially during a weekend for two. Each property has its own brand of prime suites reserved for special occasions. Try the two-story Skylofts at MGM Grand, which boast dramatic views of the Strip, or Bellagio’s Cypress suites, which offer his- (bath with steam shower) and-hers (soaking tub) bath amenities. Some of the most famous are Cosmopolitan’s corner suites with Sub-Zero fridges, balconies, and setting-the-stage dining rooms, The Villas at Mirage, which feature a fireplace and backyard, and Aria’s Sky Suites, which are up to 7,000 square feet.

Ask anyone who lives from Central L.A. to Downtown where to go for steak, and we bet they’ll all say the same: Taylor’s. The steakhouse has been operating in the Koreatown area of Central L.A., just a few miles west of Downtown, since the ‘50s. It’s won all the awards: Best Steakhouse in L.A. from almost every L.A. based news outlet, as well as coveted spots on must-eat lists in Eater and Bon Appetit. The menu is classic and no frills, and the affordable prices reflect a time before celebrity chef-driven restaurant concepts. Your choice is clear: Order the Taylor’s Special Steak, a grilled filet mignon that comes loaded with grilled sweet onions, and the French onion soup.

This kind of shop has almost everything, and it’s where I go when I need something and don’t know where to look for it. Also, the service is quite personalized. They sell things like beauty items, cleaning products for the house, strong detergents, and the famous WD-40. Also you can find nice gifts for men; if they still shave in the old way, you can get a very nice shaving brush. For women, the wonderful Portuguese soaps are wrapped in pretty packages. Some of the soaps are less expensive here, as this is not a tourist shop. Speaking of soaps, I like one called Mariposa, it comes in a very nice package—a good gift. Don’t be surprised if you see soaps from donkey milk or sulphur!

If you’ve been pacing up and down the passages of the Grand Bazaar contemplating that perfect purchase, chances are you’ll need refueling eventually. Hidden on a backstreet just outside gate 16 of the Grand Bazaar is the cozy and charming Keyf-i Mekan Cafe and Restaurant. “Keyfi” means “merriment,” but in Turkey keyfi is also a way of life, one that’s full of pleasure. So expect the small menu featuring delicious Turkish-style home-cooked food to fulfill both these meanings. The food will surely fill the belly and energize you to take those bazaar vendors head on! Choose from the menu of mezes, or meat dishes or peek at the mouthwatering “specials of the day” on the counter. The cafe is open every day, except Sunday when the rest of the bazaar is closed too.

Covering nearly two thirds of Basse-Terre island, Guadeloupe National Park is an astounding 54,000 acres of lush rain forest, plus offshore mangrove and coral reefs. Some of the island’s best-known sights are inside the park, including active La Grande Soufrière volcano at its center, 4,800 feet above sea level. The park also contains famous waterfalls like Carbet Falls and the Cascade aux Ecrevisses, and Les Bains Jaunes thermal pool is a refreshing swim after conquering one the park’s many hiking trails. Nature lovers will swoon over the 800-plus species of flora and fauna here, ranging from orchids to bats to the endangered agouti (a type of small rodent). You can explore Guadeloupe National Park on your own or go with an outfitter like Vert Intense, an eco-friendly operation that knows every inch of this vast green escape, and also offers canyoning.

The Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme opened in 2002 at the heyday of Asian minimalism, with American architect Ed Tuttle employing dark woods, taupe silks, and clean-lined furniture to transform the grand, 19th-century former headquarters of the Paquin fashion house into one of the city’s most luxurious business hotels. It’s accented with modern French touches such as bespoke sculpted bronze door and cabinet fittings, underfloor heating, French limestone soaking tubs, and rain showers with Blaise Mautin toiletries. Amid other services, airport pick-ups in a Bentley Continental or Rolls Royce Phantom helped win over tourism officials who granted the hotel its current palace status, a grade above a mere five-star rating. Still steadily occupied, but often as hushed as a bank vault, the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme is a calm, elegant counterpoint to the nearby Palais Garnier Opera House and blingy Place Vendôme, epicenter of the city’s jewelry district. It’s been a home away from home for many celebrities and it’s a haven for regular business travelers of all industries.

So where are we now? Could this be Vienna in central Europe in the early 20th century? Or maybe Paris in the same era? No, this is a small Gothenburg hotel, restaurant, and bar that fulfills the dreams of owner Thomas Peterson. Coming from a well-renowned family in the restaurant business, Peterson wanted to create his personal vision of an extraordinary restaurant and hotel that paid homage to childhood memories of his grandfather hosting celebrities and artists at home and in his restaurant. Try the afternoon tea, or have a drink on the roof terrace. No matter what you eat or drink, the ambiance is a large part of the experience.

Artist Dan Flavin’s last installation is the Church of Santa Maria Annuciata in Chiesa Rossa, fondly known as simply Chiesa Rossa. Flavin’s light installation is a technicolor dream of electric hues across the main nave and central apse.

Spread out over 45 acres of palm-lined grounds that wind down to Arossim Beach, this luxurious South Goa resort is an ideal base for every kind of traveler. Bon vivants will appreciate the 248 rooms and suites for their high ceilings, marble bathrooms, and views overlooking the pool or adjacent lagoon. Wellness seekers will love the Ayurvedic treatments and yoga and meditation classes. And epicures will delight in on-site cooking lessons that serve as a deep dive into Goan cuisine. For those who’d rather leave their culinary adventures to the experts, the resort offers five restaurants dishing out everything from grilled catch-of-the-day to wood-fired pizzas, plus a few fine-dining takes on classic North Indian and Goan specialties. In late autumn, voyeurs who arrive at the hotel, a popular venue for big fat Indian destination weddings, are rewarded with a parade of hundreds of chic Delhi and Mumbai twentysomethings dressed in their finest attire—definitely something to write home about.

A pleasant way to spend an evening in Milan is to stroll along the Naviglio Grande, a 12th century canal in the south of town. The warehouses along the towpath are now home to lively restaurants and bars. I recommend El Brellin. The second floor restaurant offers refined modern Italian fare with ambiance to match and the bar below gets busy on the weekends.

In other cities, Schloss Belvedere would be the grand attraction: The baroque palace turned museum is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its French-style gardens, enormous pools, and upper and lower pavilions are stunning. But in Vienna, a city that’s chockablock with majestic palaces and marvelous art institutions, the Belvedere winds up being underappreciated by visitors. Formerly the summer palace of the French-born military commander Prince Eugene of Savoy, the early-18th-century palace was designed by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt, one of the most celebrated architects of his day. Works in the building’s collection range from baroque masterpieces to 20th-century treasures such as Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss as well as pieces by Oskar Kokoschka and Egon Schiele.