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Pass through the iconic arched doorway at College Green and enter the elegant quads, handsome architecture and verdant lawns of Trinity College, one of Ireland‘s most prestigious universities. Among its many attributes is the atmospheric 18th-century Old Library, whose most precious tome is the 1,200-year-old Book of Kells, a priceless illuminated manuscript. Also worth a visit are the college’s Douglas Hyde Gallery, devoted to contemporary art, and the thought-provoking Science Gallery.

About 2 km outside of the town center of Sorrento, Italy is a natural pool set behind the bluffs that characterize the Amalfi coast. You can only reach it on foot (or Vespa) by turning right off of Via Capo at the sign on a red building that reads, “Ruderi della villa romana di Pollio.” At the very end of the cobblestone street, when you start to hear the rasp of waves on the rocks, you’ve gone far enough to see the pool and find the ruins above. Along the cliffs used to sit Pollio Felice’s villa, the abode of a Roman noble of centuries ago. The sea below feeds behinds the rocky shore through an arch and makes a circular pool with natural privacy. The water is a shocking cerulean blue, and calm—perfect for a dip. When I was there during a chilly weekend in April, there was no one to be found except two Italian women sitting on the cliffs, chatting in the sun and peeling oranges to eat. If you go when it’s warmer, you’ll encounter plenty of locals who come to swim. It’s a peaceful sojourn outside of Sorrento, and worth it to go swimming if the town’s thin beaches are too crowded or closed in the off season.

The site of the premier Academy Awards after-party in 1929, this historic Beaux Arts hotel on the edge of downtown was recently updated for the first time since the 1980s. Today, The Mayfair’s grand, monochromatic lobby features original stone columns, light marble accents, plenty of skylights amid lofty ceilings, and impressive arches and alcoves with gray-velvet seating scattered throughout. The chic M Bar at the back glows under a lit-up, seashell-like sculpture. Rooms and suites have panoramic views of the city skyline and feature patterned wallpaper, black-and-white photographs of the city, and striped canopies draped over the beds.

How often does a king’s car pick you up at the airport? Arrival at Heritage Suites begins with a vintage 1962 or 1968 Mercedes—one of which used to belong to the late King Norodom Sihanouk—before you’re promptly whisked off to a historic cream-colored building of soaring arches, mahogany columns, and wrought-iron balconies. With just 26 rooms (most of which are suites), the boutique hideaway is often so serene as to feel more like a royal’s private compound than a hotel—if a royal’s compound had its own high-end tour agency and one of the trendiest jazz bars in town. Rooms are spacious and surprisingly modern in style—all suites have a lush private garden, and top-tier rooms also have a private hot tub—and welcome drinks and canapés help guests immediately acclimate to the villa’s languid and decadent atmosphere. The sprawling saltwater pool and its umbrella-shaded sunbeds beckon at all hours (including for romantic candlelit dining), while the intimate spa offers yet another way to unwind in between temple excursions.

Best of all, the hotel gives back: It works closely with the Sala Baï Hotel and Restaurant School, training and hiring students from this school that works with underprivileged Cambodians, especially women, and offers guests opportunities to participate in activities with the school.

After the Grand Canyon, Arizona’s second-biggest sightseeing destination is...London Bridge. And unlike many ‘world landmarks’ from up the road in Las Vegas, this is actual Old World stonework, meticulously de-constructed, transported, and re-constructed over the waters of a dammed section of the Colorado River. To be honest, I wouldn’t call this a ‘destination,’ but if you happen to be passing through the area on a road-trip, or if you’re a die-hard anglophile driving through the Desert Southwest, then this curiosity is worth a stop. This early 19th-century bridge began sinking in the early 20th-century as automobile traffic (for which the bridge hadn’t been designed) increased over the Thames, and so in the 1960’s the bridge was literally put up for sale. Arizona entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch paid about two and a half million dollars for it, had it meticulously disassembled, shipped to California via the Panama Canal, and then trucked across to this spot on the the eastern banks of the Colorado River, a few hours south of Las Vegas. By 1971, the work was finished, and now you can kayak or jet-ski under these curious but venerable arches. (Note--Lake Havasu City has become a wildly popular college-crowd spring-break destination...and summers are brutally hot.)

A little outside of town, the city of Lingang is the handiwork of German architects GMP and the only city of this scale to be founded in the last century. While the city itself is slightly Stepford-esque, the Maritime Museum has some real heart. A testament to China’s sea-faring vessels, the museum’s structure was designed to emulate a ship’s mast and the arched ceilings lend enough space for the museum to hold a true-to-life ship replica. The beginning of the exhibition halls starts with the humble canoe and as you work your way around the museum back to the gift store, you’ll find China’s maritime history complete with miniature replicas of all the sea faring ships the country has produced. Worth a trip if you have an extra day in Shanghai and hold any affection for water transport. While you’re out there, swing by the star shaped Crown Plaza Harbor City resort for a meal. China Maritime Museum: 197 Shengang Avenue, Lingang New City, Pudong New District Take Line 16 to Lingang Avenue and then taxi from there. Opening Hours: 9:30—16:00 Closed on Monday, Except on National Holidays Ticket Prices: Adult: 50 RMB, Student: 25 RMB, Seniors: 10 RMB

Eleven centuries into its existence, the elegant and sophisticated Alcázar is testament to the idea that good design transcends time. The palace, still the residence of the royal family when in Seville, invites wandering. You’ll find peaceful walled gardens enclosed by arches, rooms with intricately plastered and tiled walls and, beneath the gardens, the dramatically vaulted cistern, Baños de Doña María de Padilla. The palaces, pools, patios and gardens have been used as locations for Game of Thrones and Lawrence of Arabia.

Central Jordan is bisected by the King’s Highway, which runs south between the Dead Sea and the desert. The undoubted highlight of traveling this route is the massive Crusader castle of Karak, with its immense fortifications looming over the provincial town that bears its name. Built in 1140, it was one of the last outposts held by the Crusaders after Jerusalem was recaptured by Saladin in 1187. It fell to the Arab-Kurdish armies the following year after a long, drawn-out siege and continued to change hands—and shape—over time. The Mamelukes widened the moat and added more towers, while the Ottomans built a massive entry gate.

Today, Karak remains the largest, best-preserved castle in Jordan. Inside, there are tunnels, dark chambers and dungeons, and vast, arched-roof stables to explore. If you head east out of town, past the Cairwan Hotel, there’s a lookout point where you can get a spectacular view of the castle in its entirety.

Key West doesn’t have many swimmable beaches, but this elegant 1920 oceanfront resort sits on the largest private one in town—an 1,100-square-foot strand punctuated with tall palms. While the shoreline itself is on a rocky shelf, a long dock extends out to the shallows for laps and snorkeling. Just off the beach, two large pools are set into green lawns and lush landscaping in front of the Spanish-style main building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel’s wooden coffered ceilings, arched entryways, red-tile roofs, and other key architectural details recall the hotel’s glamorous heyday, while the clean, refreshed rooms are entirely modern, with sleek wood-framed beds, white linens and curtains, and ocean views. Children under 16 stay for free and babysitting is available for adults who want to take a break at the Spa al Mare, which has an open-air cabana right on the sand for al fresco massages and treatments.

After a day of exploring and shopping, it’s a pleasure to pass through the wooden doors of this Relais & Chateaux hotel (near the Koutoubia Mosque and souks) and into a world of fragrant orange trees, poolside loungers, and fresh mint tea served on shaded terraces. Housed in a 1930s-era riad with three swimming pools, Villa des Orangers features 27 elegant rooms and suites, complete with decor like hand-painted tiles, latticed woodwork, arched doorways, and carved mantles as well as modern conveniences like air-conditioning, Nespresso machines, and smart TVs. As at all Relais & Chateaux properties, food is a priority here. Days begin with a generous breakfast of local cheeses and homemade jams, and end with a refined Mediterranean-meets-Moroccan dinner, which can be enjoyed al fresco or by one of the indoor fireplaces. Guests can also look forward to a five-room spa, known for its traditional Moroccan hamman ritual perfumed with roses and orange blossoms.

Two blocks from Union Square, Hotel Adagio is a stylish retreat from the frenetic energy of downtown San Francisco. Built in 1927, the Spanish colonial revival building has a stunning cream facade with intricately carved arches that surround the entrance and windows. The interior also retains many of its original features, including rope crown molding and the top floor’s hand-painted ceilings. Conference-goers and event attendees will be impressed with the hotel venues’ city views, elaborate woodwork, and high ceilings.

Hotel Adagio is part of the Marriott’s Autograph Collection, and the recently renovated rooms are appropriately named Audition, Act One, Encore, Applause, and Actor’s Studio. The decor uses a contemporary palette that mixes warm burgundy and chocolate hues with lime green and white. Get ready for a night out as you jam to your own music, thanks to each room’s iHome docking station. Then, head down to the hotel bar, the Mortimer, to start the evening with a craft cocktail.

Chiseled from a sandstone-and-brick wool factory on the site of Sydney’s first hospital, the Harbour Rocks Hotel is one of the most historic accommodations in the Rocks—and maybe the most haunted. Hotel staff say part of the building, named Scarlett’s Cottages after a well-known lady of the night, is watched over by Eric, a man who once lived here and who still searches for Scarlett in the labyrinthine corridors after she swore her love to him and then disappeared. Ghosts aside, the hotel’s 59 rooms are peaceful, with high ceilings, Georgian arched windows, brick walls painted dark gray, Old West–style textiles, and wool carpeting that recalls the building’s former life. The place is filled with fun artifacts, too, from the ancient luggage lift to old maps and letters framed on the walls. The early-20th-century history that pervades the building is also found in every direction outside its doors.

Originally the Union National Bank Building—built in 1911—the 12-floor landmark in downtown Houston debuted as Hotel Icon in 2004 after a $35 million makeover. The historic structure beautifully maintains its neoclassical architecture with period details like grand arched windows and stately columns and nods to its roots with rich interior design details that make guests feel like they’re stepping back in time. All of this is juxtaposed with contemporary luxuries—from plush linens and velvet seating to Jacuzzi bathtubs and walk-in rain showers. Charmingly (and appropriately), some rooms have antique claw-foot tubs.

Hotel Icon is one of two Marriott Autograph Collection properties in Texas, and its Main Street location sits along the 7.5-mile Metro LightRail line that runs through downtown. That means easy access to Houston’s Central Business District, George R. Brown Convention Center, Texas Medical Center, Hermann Park, and the Museum District.

After the Grand Ole Opry left the Ryman Auditorium, country legend Roy Acuff said the redbrick building with its Gothic arches and stained glass windows might as well be torn down. The Ryman had been home to performances and broadcasts since the 1940s, but it was in poor condition and lacked air-conditioning and proper dressing rooms. Fortunately, its legacy as “The Mother Church of Country Music” prevailed and, after years of sitting practically empty, the auditorium was renovated and began hosting shows once again. Originally built as a church, the grand hall has spectacular acoustics and a lingering magic in its pews from all those years spent witnessing country music history. A trip here is practically obligatory when visiting the Music City.

Renowned Costa Rican architect Ronald Zürcher looked to his country’s colonial past when designing this hacienda-style property—witness its central courtyard, arched doorways, and terra-cotta roofs. Set amid a 30-acre coffee plantation just outside the capital city of San Jose, the hotel’s 308 traditional accommodations follow suit with dark wood furnishings, but a modern aesthetic pervades renovated guest rooms with streamlined furniture, intricately patterned bathroom tiles, and expansive views that extend from green lawns to forested mountains and urban skyline; some include small balconies that overlook the hotel’s two pools. On-site dining options include gourmet takes on Costa Rican fare at Hacienda Kitchen, Peruvian specialties at La Isabela, and fresh-made sushi at La Castilla, as well as a sports bar and café. The open-air great room invites reading and quiet conversations, but if you’re up for something a little more energetic, there are tennis courts, a driving range, a fitness center, and invigorating coffee scrubs at the spa.