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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.

Affordable diffa (Moroccan-banquet-style) dinners can be frustratingly elusive in this town, so sweet little Darori is a breath of fresh air if you want to go all-out traditional without blowing the budget. It occupies a cozy courtyard dining area furnished with old French dressers and saffron-hued carpets—ignore the rather jarring tourist-board video projections, or ask to sit facing away from them, and focus instead on digging into Fassi favorites like pigeon pastilla, beef and prune tagine, and pastries like the old Moroccan standby of mille-feuille with lashings of crème anglaise and seasonal fruit, all for an affordable price.

Over the past two centuries, the covered market at Borough, not far from London Bridge, has become one of the country’s most famous foodie spots. From Wednesday to Saturday each week hundreds of traders gather to sell homemade breads, hand-reared pork, artisan chocolate and all manner of ingredients—plus excellent coffee, fresh juices and organic wine. Plentiful samples add to the convivial vibe, and restaurants around the market’s edge provide additional sustenance for longer stops.

This city is laid out in a grid system—seven streets by seven streets. Although established in 1751, Frederiksted was rebuilt in 1878 in a Victorian gingerbread style following a great fire due to a labor revolt. St. Patrick’s church, which was constructed in the 1840s, is an impressive sight. Other buildings of note include the Customs House and the eponymous fort. Steps from the pier, Frederiksted Beach has chair, umbrella and paddleboard rentals.

As a fan of all things artisanal, nothing excites me more than stepping into a place that looks the same as it did 100 years ago. When my eyes adjusted to the dim light, inside the Brasserie Caracole, I could see this Belgian brewery was just such a place. Dinant’s Brasserie Caracole brews artisanal and organic Belgian beer over an open fire, just as they have since the 18th century. In the centre of the front room stands one large vat for mixing the 850kg of malt with hot water. (Caracole is apparently the last beer to be brewed over an open fire in all of Europe.) Hops and spices are added to the mix as the beer gradually ferments. From there, the beer is piped into a holding tank, for 15 days, where it will become clearer as it cools. My favourite part of the Brasserie Caracole was tucked behind the brewing room. Here, the building opened into a large hall, filled with tables, and the prominent bar displaying Caracole’s Belgian beer varieties. The walls were decorated with posters of the colourful and quirky beer labels, each one sporting a ‘caracole’ or snail-shell. The Brasserie Caracole is well worth a visit. It’s open every day during July and August and Sunday afternoons the rest of the year. To organize a tour, be sure to contact them in advance. More Information: http://cheeseweb.eu/2013/10/artisanal-organic-belgian-beer-caracole-brewery-dinant/

The most famous remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall gets its name from its location on the east side of the Spree River, as well as from its collection of political and satirical murals. Originally painted just after the wall fell, the murals were repainted (or in some cases painted over) in 2009 as a way of cleaning up the increasingly decayed originals and in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall. Today, a fence partly protects the gallery to prevent vandalism of the murals, but people throng here nonetheless, especially in summer. A museum at the site tells the fascinating story of the structure through interactive displays, original newsreel footage, and filmed interviews with Berliners who lived on both sides.

The best fast food in Singapore‘s central business district can be found at Lau Pa Sat (Raffles Place MRT stop). This 150-year-old former fish, fruit, and veg market was converted into a collection of hawker food stalls in the 1970s. The market, which has recently undergone a facelift, is shaped like an octagon with eight alleys emanating from the center. There are about 75 different stalls to choose from, selling everything from curries and dosas to dumplings and pig organ soup. You are sure to find whatever it is you are craving. When in doubt, do what the Singaporeans do and join the longest queue! Here are my top picks: Shanghai deep-fried pork and spring onion buns from the stall in the center. These are to die for. Help yourself to a little plastic saucer of chili paste for dipping. Thunder Tea Rice - Stall 01-26/31 - A healthier option with brown rice, herbs and tofu thrown into delicious combinations. Try their signature dish. I prefer to add the cold green broth to the rice bowl before eating. Murtabak (stuffed roti prata) - get a plate to share from one of the Indian Muslim food stalls. Mamacita’s Costa Rican cuisine (near Thunder Tea Rice) - an unexpected but perennially popular stall. Fresh lime juice or iced kopi (coffee) from the beverage stand in the center of the market. Don’t forget to bring your own napkins/tissues/wet wipes. Stalls don’t give them out and they also come in handy to save your seat while you’re ordering your meal.

Even fun has a shelf life. This is what runs through my mind as I walk around Spreepark, the abandoned, dilapidated amusement park in Berlin. When East Germany and the GDR fell, so did many of the businesses operating under the rules of communism. They were never really able to make the transition to capitalism successfully. Spreepark, located in the East German part of Berlin, was one such casualty. Even though Spreepark is “dead,” it is now a present-day photographic amusement park. The park is closely guarded, and trespassing is typical but also dangerous, so an enthusiastic, enterprising young man has started running tours on the weekend, providing access to shoot away to your heart’s content. The rides and stands have all deteriorated in place over the years, which makes for an eerie photographic landscape. More Information: Tour information (only in German) – www.berliner-spreepark.de/ – Tours are given mainly on the weekends. If you want to go on a tour, contact him, as he does know a little English and you can at least book yourself into a tour and get access for photography—even if you don’t understand the stories.

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.

Built by Kaiser Wilhelm I in the late 19th century as a gesture to parliamentarians, Berlin’s famed Reichstag came into its own during the Weimar era—Germany’s first attempt at democracy. The parliament building burned under mysterious circumstances in 1933, leading to the suspension of civil rights and Hitler’s ensuing dictatorship. Seized and shot to pieces by Soviet troops in 1945, then abandoned during the city’s division, the traumatized building reentered public life when the German government returned to Berlin following reunification. Today the Reichstag stands proud, topped by a glass dome designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster as a symbol of political transparency. Going inside the dome is very popular; you can look down on plenary sessions as well as admire sweeping city views.

In 2013, Jason Boso, the founder of the popular Twisted Root burger joints, felt the city was lacking a bar where he could feel equally comfortable taking his dad for a beer, hanging out with his buddies at night, and treating his wife to brunch—so he created one. Granted, this is no ordinary bar: Truck Yard draws inspiration from traditional beer gardens, old-school honky-tonks, and a treehouse Boso had as a child, all ringed by colorfully painted and graffiti-adorned trailers. Enjoy cocktails in the treehouse bar and craft beers in the outdoor seating areas as you wait for eats from the rotating collection of food trucks; depending on the schedule, you might find BBQ, Greek favorites, gourmet sliders, authentic tacos, and more, as well as the house signature Philly cheesesteak. The casual vibe and national praise mean there’s always a lively crowd.

Why we love it: A historic hotel where Old Florida elegance meets contemporary style

The Highlights:
- Unique amenities like a tennis complex, golf course, and private marina
- A wide range of dining options to suit everyone’s tastes
- A prime location near Tropicana Field and The Dalí Museum

The Review:
A member of Historic Hotels of America, the Vinoy Park Hotel opened in 1923—a Mediterranean Revival property overlooking Tampa Bay, designed for America’s elite. It served as a training facility for the Army Air Corps for a brief time in the early 1940s, but reopened as a hotel in 1945 and continued operations until 1974, when it closed in disrepair. Following a $93 million restoration and expansion in 1992, the hotel reopened once again as the Vinoy Renaissance, complete with a new guest tower and an 18-hole golf course designed by Ron Garl.

Today, the Vinoy also features 360 guest rooms and suites, complete with well-lit workspaces, pillowtop mattresses, and Aveda bath products, as well as two swimming pools (one heated), a spacious tennis complex, a 5,000-square-foot fitness center with complimentary workout classes, and an elegant spa offering massages in poolside cabanas. Thanks to the hotel’s waterfront location and private marina, guests can even charter a boat for the day and explore the bay. Dining options range from sushi on the Veranda Patio to farm-to-table fare at Marchand’s Bar & Grill. The culinary standout, however, is Paul’s Landing, named for a Navy carpenter who once fished, farmed orchards, and cured meats and seafood along the St. Pete waterfront. Don’t miss the citrus-glazed shrimp and grits, or the crispy Brussels sprouts with key lime.

The world’s seventh-largest public square is best known in the West for the 1989 student protests, but this is also where, on October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong founded the People’s Republic of China. The square was named for Tiananmen (which translates as “Gate of Heavenly Peace”), one of the gates of the former imperial city. It was built in 1651, then expanded in 1958 to four times its original size, and enlarged even further in 1976 with the construction of Mao’s mausoleum. Arrive at sunrise to watch the solemn flag-raising ceremony, performed with pride, precision, and a touch of flair.

Much like when it picked then-up-and-coming Shoreditch for its first London hotel, The Hoxton brand put its Paris outpost in the heart of the 2nd Arrondissement, a booming neighborhood thanks to the arrival of several millennial-focused start-ups and tech firms. The 18th-century building’s position is also convenient for exploring the city, as attractions like the Louvre, the Marais, and Notre-Dame are a pleasant walk away. Back at home base, you’ll find eclectic interiors courtesy of the Soho House team, with original architectural details like spiral staircases and mosaic floors sharing space with vibrant floral wallpaper, mid-century-inspired furnishings, and hand-picked contemporary artwork. It’s all in keeping with The Hoxton’s emphasis on shared social spaces, so along with the comfy lobby lounges, you’ll find guests hanging out in the Rivié brasserie (which serves all-day menus of French fare and comfort food classics in both indoor and courtyard areas) and the cozy Jacques Bar (where Moroccan influences show up in the décor and the drinks list).

Set amid lush, expansive grounds on the banks of the churning Urubambo River, this spa hotel is a luxurious base for exploring the Sacred Valley—or just relaxing in nature. For those heading to Machu Picchu, Tambo del Inka offers something that no other hotel can: a private train station on the Cuzco-to-Machu Picchu line. If you’re not sightseeing, there’s still plenty to do on the property, including watching hundreds of white butterflies dance against the backdrop of the Andes from the indoor-outdoor pool, or enjoying a farm-to-table meal next to the river. The highly regarded Hawa restaurant is a must for dinner and also serves a comprehensive breakfast spread with “detox” options, while the Kiri bar offers signature pisco cocktails and a full gin-and-tonic menu.

The resort captures the drama of the surrounding mountains with soaring ceilings and Incan-style stonework through the public spaces. In the large, airy rooms, guests also enjoy balconies or terraces with river or mountain views, as well as elegant marble bathrooms with both tubs and standing showers. For even more space, spring for one of the suites, which include separate living rooms and butler service.