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Mexico City has no dearth of luxurious boutique hotels, but Las Alcobas is a special option. Designed by famed firm Yabu Pushelberg, the hotel is full of gorgeous details, from hand-stitched leather wall coverings to a spiral staircase that surges up from the lobby. Upon arrival, guests enjoy a welcome drink as a bellman leads them to their room; explains the technology that controls the light, sound and temperature; and offers them a selection of handmade soaps. Once settled in, they can lounge in plush robes on their goose-down comforters while sampling snacks from the minibar. For a heartier meal, Las Alcobas offers two excellent restaurants. Just outside the hotel’s front door, there’s also Presidente Masaryk, Polanco’s main avenue full of restaurants and high-end boutiques.

Coastal views, beaches, and hidden coves await you on the Camino Ronda, a 220 km hiking trail in Costa Brava Spain. It runs from Blanes to the northern city of Collioure near the border of France. This extensive and well marked trail goes by many names – Camino de Ronda, Costa Brava Way, and GR-92 (Grand Randonee). It is mainly a coastal hike which takes you to the little coves and hidden beaches of Costa Brava as well as fishing villages and inland landscapes. There is lodging along the way and it appears to be very well marked and supported with resources. I walked a very small portion of it one day to get a feel for the trail. I started in Calella de Palafrugell and walked up to the Llafranc light house and then turned around and came back down. This was enough to get it under my skin and start planning to come back and walk the entire 220k in the next few years. The views are stunning, and the terrain varied, plus at any moment you can cool off in the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean! This is not a heavily touristed trail, so there are few English resources on it. The Tourism board does offer a comprehensive trail book that is wonderful. More Information and resources listed here: http://www.ottsworld.com/blogs/camino-ronda-hiking-spain-costa-braval/

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.

Privacy and discretion reign supreme behind the iconic red door of this Jacques Garcia-styled hideaway between the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysées. The smallest of the capital’s Palace hotels, La Réserve Paris is set up in a former mansion that belonged to the Duc of Morny (Napoleon III’s half-brother). The hotel maintains the feel of a private home, thanks to a mix of Second Empire decorative touches, including parquet floors, crown moldings, cordovan leather paneling, and velvet drapery. It’s easy to linger in the public areas, including the library packed with 3,000 books reserved for guests during the day, the fumoir that looks out onto a leafy courtyard, and salons with plush banquettes and club chairs.

Formerly Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Napa Valley.

Located just a short walk from the downtown area of the charming small town of St. Helena, Alila Napa Valley blends old and new in totally indulgent ways. The center of the 64-room property is a Victorian-style mansion that dates back to 1905. The house has been renovated and is now home to Violetto, an intimate, fine dining restaurant led by award-winning Executive Chef Thomas Lents. The nightly tasting menu, inspired by Northern Italy and Southern France, highlights local ingredients from Napa with items like homemade pastas, fresh salads, and duck confit. Guests can also join for a la carte snacks in the lounge and bar or on the beautiful, wrap-around veranda (don’t miss the chickpea panisse).

Behind the old mansion is the spa, whose building was designed to replicate an old barn with clapboard walls and high ceilings. The vibe is distinctive yet without pretense. Angled around these buildings are stand-alone, three-story structures that house the majority of the guest rooms. Featuring a warm, minimalist aesthetic that highlights, rather than distracts from, the beautiful vineyards it overlooks, each of the spacious guest rooms are decked out in natural materials such as oak, jute, and Carrara marble. Rooms come with cozy bathrobes, well-stocked mini-bars, and inviting balconies with fire pits that will make you want to lounge and linger.

All of this is centered around a large, open-air bar, event reception area, and swimming pool. Though compact, the pool is nestled in an exquisite setting with vineyard views. If you can manage to peel yourself away from the hotel, the property also has bicycles that guests can use to get around town or pedal around the newly built Napa Vine Trail. Or, simply walk a few hundred feet to the winery next door, Beringer, for a sampling of their world-renowned wines. Whatever you choose to do—be it lounge with a glass of wine at the new poolside bar, or retreat for a massage in the on-site spa—you can’t go wrong at this beautiful Napa wine country resort.

The Homer Spit is home to, for the most part, summer-only businesses that cater to tourists, fishermen, and weekend adventurers aplenty. So there’s long been an emphasis on fried halibut and other related goodies. The Spit’s food cred took a serious bump up when La Baleine opened. Though the restaurant has a seriously casual beach-town vibe, the food is not your everyday sandy-feet fare. Emphasizing organic and local ingredients, chef Mandy Dixon—who grew up in the kitchens of her parents’ Alaska lodges (Within the Wild)—serves up elegant but generous dishes, including salmon bowls with brown rice and roasted root vegetables and miso-marinated sablefish. The breakfasts are hearty enough to take you through a full day of paddling the bay.

Barranquilla’s famed pre-Lenten carnival is the supreme forum for residents’ festive spirits, but that same dance-till-you-drop energy can be found all year round at La Troja, now in its 52nd year. The barroom is a no-frills, open-air affair—weekend crowds regularly spill onto the streets in a veritable salsa-dancing tempest (definitely go elsewhere if you want quiet drinks and conversation). The music invites you to dance—with your honey, with the people at the next table, even the staff—so loosen up and enjoy.

Honolulu’s last great tiki bar is tucked behind a row of warehouses, six miles northwest of Waikiki. Set on the edge of Keehi Lagoon, it shelters under plumeria and coconut trees—and will be familiar to fans of Hawaii Five-0. La Mariana defies the kitsch label: All those shell chandeliers, puffer-fish lights, and fishing floats suspended in nets are the real deal, with most items dating back to 1957. Carved tikis abound, alongside high-gloss tables fashioned from koa, the rich-hued wood from endemic acacias and the source of weapons and voyaging canoes for ancient Hawaiians. Go for the ambience and strong mai tais; the menu is straight-up, old-school surf and turf, perfectly tasty but uninspiring.

Peru hotly contested a UNESCO recognition of Mexican food as cultural heritage, arguing its cuisine was equally worthy. While diners wait for that second designation to be made, they can drop in at San Miguel’s La Parada—literally “The Stop”—and enjoy a local taste of the Andean nation. Owner Juanito is best known for his ceviche—seafood cured in citrus juices—but also offers Los Fresquitos, coastal dishes served tapas-style; romantics should order the arroz afrodisiaco, accompanied by an artisanal Peruvian cocktail, such as the most authentic pisco sour in town. Visitors dining in large groups often go for the whole tapas menu.

Established in 1917, this cantina keeps tradition alive while not shying away from new, trendy touches. Swing through saloon doors to find live music, drinks served in mason jars, and lots of free regional nibbles in a lively barroom that extends to a large open-air patio. On weekends the space fills up with twenty- and thirtysomethings swinging to salsa beats and sipping cocktails or some ice-cold, locally brewed Montejo beer. The limonada eléctrica, a drink in the namesake shade of blue that’s charged with a powdered-chili rim, is a real crowd-pleaser.

At this Michelin-starred restaurant, food is a performance art and the results deserve a standing ovation. That said, this is Prague, so although the food and presentation are comparable to other first-class dining experiences in Europe, the vibe and the service isn’t stuffy at all. At La Degustation Boheme Bourgeoise, the ingredients sourced from local producers, are based on the recipes penned by the famous 19th-century cookbook writer, Marie B. Svobodová, author of Cookery School. The eight-course menu is punctuated by interstitial amuse bouches and paired with Central European, French, and Italian wines, as well as cucumber, sour cherry, and red currant juice; recent menu courses include beetroot with licorice goat kefir, kohlrabi with whey and nutmeg, and duck with pear and cinnamon.

What could make a spa with all the typical trappings of luxury even better? Wall-to-wall windows overlooking La Concha bay, that’s what. La Perla does not disappoint, and it’s a great way to spend those finicky winter days when visiting San Sebastián. They also offer massages, which I highly recommend.

Housed in a 17th-century town house at the heart of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, this boutique hotel offers superior service, luxurious rooms, a secret garden with a swimming pool, and an art gallery, where pieces by local artists and designers hang alongside souvenirs from the owners’ extensive travels. Past the hotel’s monumental entrance with its 300-year-old locks, a staircase lined with 17th-century stained glass leads to four spacious rooms, each uniquely decorated with fine furniture, carefully selected fabrics, and objects from around the world. Guests can also look forward to a cozy lounge with a fireplace, and a bright kitchen, where cool-as-can-be owners Frédéric and Marie-Claude serve a mind-blowing breakfast spread each morning.

La Pignasecca is renowned for its abundance of cheese, pastry, and fresh fish stalls. As you shop, don’t miss snacking on the biscuits (tarrale) from Panificio Vincenzo Coppola. Open daily, Via Pignasecca.

Housed inside the Westin near downtown Napa, this restaurant stands out among fine-dining experiences. The best time to taste Chef Ken Frank’s classic French fare is during truffle season, when he hosts the annual Napa Valley Truffle Festival. La Toque has been awarded a Michelin star for its cuisine, and the wine list is more than an afterthought, featuring nearly 2,000 selections from around the world. As one sommelier sums it up, “La Toque is a proper restaurant.”