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For several centuries, the tiny hamlet of Amma, set about 1640 feet above sea level in the Chianti hills, was renowned for its farming and winemaking practices, which were overseen by a group of prominent families. When the Hapsburg Grand Duke Peter Leopold visited in the 18th century, he wrote a detailed report extolling the beauty of the setting and the high quality of the town’s grain fields, olive groves, and vineyards. Some of his complimentary words now adorn a plaque set at the entrance of Castelo di Ama, a winery and estate founded in the 1970s by a group of families looking to revive the town’s glory days. The label has won many accolades over the last decade—from the current owner-winemaker being named Winemaker of the Year in 2003, to the wines consistently landing on best-of lists around the world. Visit to get a taste of what all the fuss is about, and you’ll not only get to experience world-class wine, but art, too: Since 1999, the estate has worked with galleries and curators to invite renowned artists to visit, get inspired, and create new works, over a dozen of which now live at the estate. On a guided winery tour, you’ll visit aging cellars, the working winery, some of the ancient village’s sites (including the chapel), and the estate’s historic villas and gardens—where you will spy pieces of art by names like Anish Kapoor and Louise Bourgeois. Tours last about 90 minutes and are followed by a tasting at the Villa Riucci Enoteca.

Why we love it: A historic property with style to spare

The Highlights:
- Historic details like the marble lobby
- Thoughtful amenities like microfiber bathrobes, complimentary newspapers, and Gilchrist & Soames bath products
- A sophisticated on-site restaurant

The Review:
Housed in a former bank building from the 1920s, the Ambassador Hotel in downtown Kansas City is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the neoclassical property is updated with thoroughly modern amenities, but still features historic details like a showstopping lobby with marble columns, soaring ceilings, and sparkling chandeliers. Guest rooms are equally stylish, with custom furnishings, private label linens, and marble bathrooms with oversize walk-in showers, but for the ultimate luxury, book the 753-square-foot Loft Suite, which features two floors, one-and-a-half bathrooms, a wet bar, a living area, and original windows that bring in loads of natural light. When hunger strikes, head to the on-site Reserve Restaurant, where executive chef Jeremiah Lyman serves contemporary American cuisine and top-notch cocktails.

When it opened in 1969, the Fairmont Dallas set the bar high for luxury hotels, dazzling visitors with opulent interiors, a Neiman Marcus outpost in the lobby, and 11 separate kitchens. Its legendary Venetian Room hosted acts like Ella Fitzgerald, Jerry Lewis, and Ike & Tina Turner. Now an integral part of the downtown skyline, the hotel remains a favorite for a whole new generation. The 545 rooms are bright and sophisticated, with city views, marble bathrooms, and minibars stocked with organic options. In a nod to its Arts District location, the hotel hosts a unique local artist-in-residence program, and the Four Diamond–rated Pyramid Restaurant and Bar pulls ingredients from a 3,000-square-foot rooftop vegetable and herb garden for its “terrace-to-table” modern American fare. There’s no spa, but wellness is represented with a 24-hour gym and a Junior Olympic–size pool, where guests can also enjoy family-friendly “dive-in movies” and evening DJ sets in the summer.

To stay at this three-story courtyard hotel in the historical heart of the Latin Quarter is to be surrounded by intellectual giants: the ghosts of figures such as René Descartes or James Joyce, who each lived nearby, and by present-day students and teachers at the most elite universities and high schools of Paris. The youngsters’ extracurriculars—café lounging, bar hopping, and vintage record, book, and clothes shopping—give the quarter a unique mix of history and life.

Hotel des Grandes Ecoles occupies three 19th-century houses along a private cobbled passageway leading to a courtyard garden. Old-fashioned in the best sense, one of the charms of the place is that the compound feels like an escape to a French granny’s country cottage. Small by American standards, rooms done in toile or floral fabrics exude classic Gallic charm; French cotton lace and matelasse drapes the sitting tables and beds. Bathrooms are immaculate but simple, with either shower or bathtub and toilet.

A former railway hotel that first opened in 1895, this 500-acre property on Kenmare Bay hosted Charles de Gaulle and Irish hero Eamon de Valera in its heyday. Those two would be surprised at Parknasilla Resort’s current iteration, which feels somewhat American, at least in a smattering of villas and lodges with open plans and oversize suburban-home-style furniture. The rooms in the main house are more traditionally Irish, with dark-wood beds, antique china and Waterford Crystal vases and lamps, and brocade-upholstered armchairs. They’re a bit old-fashioned, but there’s something comforting about that—as there is in the obliging staff, a group with the easy, effective air of seasoned experts. They’re particularly accommodating for families, and spacious villas make the hotel a good place for vacations with young kids or a bunch of cousins; there’s even a special spa menu for kids.

Willow trees surround the hotel and 12-hole golf course; the hotel’s name comes from the Irish phrase Pairc na Saileac, which means “field of willow trees.”

It is not unusual to find an Arizona resort that looks like a water park with rooms attached, and this big Scottsdale luxury property certainly fits the description: 10 pools, 20 fountains, 45 waterfalls, and a three-story, high-speed waterslide. But what makes the Hyatt Regency unique is that guests can glide along its desert waterways aboard authentic Italian gondolas while being serenaded by professional gondoliers, who are classically trained singers. Beyond the water’s edge, there are the expected activities, such as the 27 holes of golf at the Gainey Ranch Golf Club, open only to club members and resort guests. And there are the unexpected, such as the Native American Learning Center, created to give guests insight into native Southwest culture through art, food, entertainment, and personal interaction with some of the resort’s staff. For hikers, the 24-hour Canyon Market serves up not only performance foods and gear, but also directions to the best trails.

This pub, owned by the Piedmont-based Baladin brewing company and Lazio’s own Birra del Borgo, opened in September 2009 and was quickly canonized as the best place to drink Italian beers in Rome. There are over 120 labels to choose from, ranging from well-known Italian brewers like Baladin and Birra del Borgo to more obscure producers like Lover Beer and Troll; there is also a handful of American beers such as Sierra Nevada and Brooklyn Brewery. In addition to 100 bottled beers, there are anywhere from 20-30 beers on tap. The outgoing staff is happy to make recommendations. The food menu includes salads, sandwiches, potato croquettes, pasta and homemade potato chips.

The conservatory portion of the Como Park Zoo is worth a stop for its various gardens and exotic plants, especially on a cold winter day when you’re craving a pop of green. Start in the Sunken Garden, which hosts seasonal displays of everything from azaleas and tulips to roses and chrysanthemums, then explore the Tropical Encounters exhibition, which is home to an authentic South American rain forest filled with plants and animals. Also on-site is a palm dome, water lily pond, Japanese garden, orchid house, bonsai display, and Enchanted Garden, which attracts hundreds of butterflies every summer with its fragrant selection of plants, trees, and shrubs.

To begin to understand the true wilderness that occupies most of the southern tip of Florida, there is nothing like a visit the 734-square-mile wetland preserve of Everglades National Park. More than a national treasure, the park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, deemed important to the greater culture of all of humanity, and is the largest tropical wilderness in the USA. Among the many and diverse species that dwell here are manatees, Florida alligators, American crocodiles, Florida panthers, and the state’s elusive black bear, in addition to several unwanted invasive species including Burmese pythons. From Miami, the best access point is Shark Valley, where you can ride a 15-mile loop through the park aboard a tram, climb an observation tower for panoramic views, and walk out to viewing decks to spot alligators, birds, and more. For the more adventurous, there are several outfitters who can take you deeper into the Everglades on kayaking tours to visit a pristine wilderness few people on the planet get lucky enough to witness.

The area of gently rolling hills just to the northeast of Lucca is famous not only for its impressive villas, but also for olive oil and wine. A perfect gastronomic stop-off between visits to the magnificent Villa Mansi and Villa Torrigiani, the 30-hectare farm estate Colle di Bordocheo produces both, and offers tastings and tours for visitors. Estate wines such as the complex, spicy Picchio Rosso (a blend of sangiovese, merlot, and cabernet grapes) and the white Bianco dell’Oca (chardonnay, vermentino, sauvignon) marry well with the house extra virgin and platters of local cheeses and foccaccie. Book ahead and you can add lasagne and cold cuts to the basic €15 per head package, making a fine, rustic lunch. There are also apartments for rent on the estate, which lies in a strategic position for visits to the coast, the lush, mountainous Garfagnana region, Florence, and, of course, Lucca.

Why we love it: A grande dame of the Gulf Coast with a glamorous history and luxurious amenities to match

The Highlights:
- A spot on the National Register of Historic Places
- Family-friendly amenities like watersport rentals and a kids’ club
- A stunning spa with a rooftop terrace overlooking the beach

The Review:
Known to many as the Pink Palace, The Don CeSar is a beachfront icon. Real estate scion Thomas Rowe built the hotel in 1928 as a tribute to his lost love, turning it into a popular destination for such acclaimed Gatsby era figures as Clarence Darrow and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Following his death in 1940, the U.S. Army purchased the hotel to be used as a hospital and convalescent center for airmen returning from World War II, but let it fall into disrepair after the war. Thanks to locals, The Don was saved from the wrecking ball in 1971, reopened as a full-service resort in 1973, and added to the National Register of Historic Places just a year later.

Today, the hotel continues to preside over the windswept dunes of St. Pete Beach, drawing guests with promises of ocean views and epic sunsets. The setting is so iconic, in fact, that movies like Once Upon a Time in America feature scenes with The Don in the background. The 241 contemporary rooms and 36 suites boast coastal charm, with crisp white linens and louvered windows accented by pops of turquoise and peacock blue. Two outdoor heated pools, a private beach, a game room, and complimentary bicycle rentals keep families entertained, while an 11,000-square-foot spa caters to couples seeking romance. When hunger strikes, guests have their pick of everything from a casual cafe, traditional beach bar, and nostalgia-inducing ice cream parlor, to a poolside grill and award-winning restaurant serving local produce and seafood.

Everyone who visits Santa Fe walks along the famed Canyon Road. Originating as an old footpath that once accessed water, it now primarily showcases an expansive range of shops and galleries with Native American art and landscape paintings. A stroll is not complete without a stop at one of the award-winning restaurants, a la Geronimo and the Compound.

You’ll want to block off at least three hours of your day for a meal at n/naka, Los Angeles’s temple to the elaborate, multi-course traditional Japanese feast known as kaiseki. Chef-owner Niki Nakayama—one of the world’s few female kaiseki masters and a James Beard semifinalist—has created an intimate, authentically Japanese space for up to 26 guests to savor one of two 13-course tasting menus. In a serene setting of minimalist, hand-built furniture, the Japanese American chef serves up a parade of vibrantly colored, elaborately plated dishes, each made with hyper-local ingredients. A typical menu begins with a modern take on sashimi and then proceeds through a series of innovative vegetarian, fish, meat, and dessert courses. One stop-you-in-your-tracks favorite: the Shiizakana (which translates to “not bound by tradition, chef’s choice”), in which spaghettini is twirled with abalone, pickled cod roe, and Burgundy truffles. At the end of the meal, chef Nakayama and sous chef Carole Iida-Nakayama emerge from the kitchen to greet each diner. Pro tip: Plan ahead. A two- to three-month waiting list means you need to be flexible with early or late dinner times.

After crawling through a few of the tunnels that have been somewhat expanded for tourists and seeing the displays of recovered bombs, people who were not involved in the Vietnam War (called the American War there) can get a feeling of the horror that occurred during those years. A system of 125 miles of tunnels became almost a complete underground city. The picture offered above is the delivery bomb of cluster bombs from the U.S. The Vietcong recovered many of these and other unexploded bombs and used them against South Vietnam and the U.S. It is a sad place but worth going for a better understanding of why the U.S. lost this war.

Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park is what remains of the first settlement in Sacramento. John Sutter was given a land grant from the Mexican government in 1839 (when California was still part of Mexico). He used this land to develop agriculture and set up the first non-Native American settlement in the Central Valley of California. Now Sutter’s Fort sits right in the center of Sacramento, surrounded by Midtown apartment buildings and restaurants, but offers a place to see a bit of California history. The large white fort has been restored to look as it did in the 1840s. Original rooms include a kitchen, stables, store, carpenter’s shop, mill, doctor’s office, and other places that served the small local community at that time. A free audio tour is available. The grounds of the park include the California State Indian Museum and a small but nice area to walk with ponds, fountains, and heritage trees. Sutter’s Fort is open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Entrance fees are $5 for adults and $3 for kids over five. Street parking is available, and free street parking can be found one to two blocks south on 27th Street.