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Why we love it: A beloved all-inclusive where colonial charm meets classic Caribbean warmth

The Highlights:
- Several suites with direct beach access from their back terraces
- A frequently changing menu to keep meals interesting
- A friendly, helpful staff that lends the hotel a familial atmosphere

The Review:
Located on Grenada’s main beach of Grand Anse, Spice Island Beach Resort is right in the middle of it all. This can mean a little less privacy, but also allows for suites with direct beach access and close proximity to the best of the island. Owned by the Hopkins family and staffed by an attentive team, the property is known for taking good care of its guests. All meals, drinks, non-motorized watersports, tennis reservations, bicycle rentals, and golf fees are included in your stay, as is the kids’ club, which offers supervised play in a brightly colored activity center. For adults, there’s also Janissa’s Spa, where the treatment menu includes such options as a Grenadian chocolate wrap, reiki sessions, and reflexology.

When it comes to accommodations, there are several options, from rooms with private plunge pools to spacious beachfront suites with four-poster beds looking out at the ocean. Whichever you choose, you can look forward to ample outdoor space as well as classic Caribbean design, complete with dark wood, neutral tones, and pops of bright teal, coral, and green.

A landmark property perched between the city and the ocean, the El San Juan blends Old World elegance with tropical vibes. The famed hotel reopened on December 14, 2018 after a full restoration following Hurricane Maria and now features updated guestrooms, public spaces, and landscaping. Thankfully, the original feel was left intact, and details like the iconic chandelier and hand-carved mahogany ceiling in the lobby remain. Guests can still sip Champagne under sparkling crystals at the Chandelier Bar or party the night away at BRAVA, but now they can also sample Puerto Rico’s national spirit at rum bar 1958, grab a glass of vino at Wine Bar, or refuel with locally roasted Alto Grande coffee at El Cafecito. Also new to the property is Caña, a locally minded restaurant from Puerto Rican chef Juliana Gonzales, and Chico Cabaret, a hotspot off the lobby featuring live entertainment.

Ranging from guestrooms in the grand tower to villas surrounding the pool and beach, the 388 rooms all feature floor-to-ceiling windows with city, ocean, or pool views, as well as modern conveniences like sensor-activated air-conditioning, large HDTVs, and complimentary Wi-Fi. When not lounging on their Lovell Plush mattresses made exclusively for the hotel, guests can take a dip in one of four pools, sunbathe on the two-mile-long Isla Verde Beach, or visit the brand-new, tri-level Well & Being center for balancing spa treatments and fitness classes on the open-air rooftop.

Place des Arts, the jewel of the Quartier des Spectacles in the center of town, is a cultural complex attached to the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal that unites five performance spaces, including the Maison Symphonique de Montréal. It has two main performance arts spaces: Théâtre Maisonneuve, a nearly 1,500-seat modern-day rendition of a classical Italian theatre where dance organizations including Grands Ballets Canadiens regularly perform; Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, which with just under 3,000 seats is better suited for big, boisterous Opéra de Montréal productions; and the smaller, 400-seat Cinquième Salle, home to series of shows by Danse Danse, among others. Photo: Susan Moss

Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is revered as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The temple is located on the grounds of the Grand Palace at the historic center of Bangkok, and it is a highly important site to the Thai national identity. The Emerald Buddha itself is a 26-inch-high statue hewn from a single piece of deep-green jade stone, and no one but the Thai King is allowed to touch it. Visit the shrine to understand an intimate piece of Thai culture, but be sure to exercise the utmost respect!

The location for the most charming scenes in the movie Amélie, this once-forgotten neighborhood is now a destination for the young and fun-loving. As soon as the weather turns warm, picnickers line the paths along this 19th-century waterway, watching bridges rise and turn to allow barges to pass. Shopping, food, drink, and diversions also abound here: Artazart (83 Quai de Valmy) is recognized as one of the best design bookstores in Europe, while Le Comptoir Général, just across the bridge, offers live music and cheap drinks. Chez Prune has one of the city’s most popular terraces for enjoying a glass of something refreshing and a chance to watch Paris go by.

On the west side of Arenal Volcano, this 900-acre tropical reserve was a labor of love for owner and architect Jaime Mikowski, who spent years planting acres of native plants and coaxing the land’s natural mineral springs into a river that now flows throughout the property, spilling over into dozens of waterfalls and pools that range from 72 to 105 degrees. Spacious rooms have marble floors and streamlined furnishings; splurge on a suite, which features a private terrace and a Jacuzzi tub—a little superfluous considering all the other options for soaking in warm water here, but who’s complaining? There are also five swimming pools, one with a swim-up bar and waterslide, and a spa comprising 12 bungalows with treatments that all include, you guessed it, a dip in a thermal spring-fed tub. While the property is also open to day trippers, guests of the resort have exclusive access to Shangri-La Gardens, an adults-only lounge area with pools, cabanas, and a folliage-filled bar.

One of Florence’s grand cafés since its founding in 1733, Caffè Gilli is easily recognized by the Swiss clock hanging outside above its entrance and by the glass display case of multicolored confections inside. Enjoy your morning cappuccino or evening prosecco while standing at the marble-topped bar, or experience the café’s formal service by sitting at a polished wooden table under elegant chandeliers in the tearoom. For more-casual warm-weather meals, there is a large shaded patio with comfortable seating and a fantastic view of the carousel in Piazza della Repubblica.

The five-star Riffelalp Resort, which opened in 1884 and subsequently became a playground for the rich and famous, enjoys an enviable location in the heart of Switzerland’s Gornergrat skiing and hiking district. The setting borders a stone pine forest and is nothing short of enchanting. The hotel itself remains the epitome of luxury. The 65 rooms, five suites, and two apartments are decorated in a rustic-luxe style with wooden walls, elegant sofas and armchairs, and traditional rugs. They also brim with a host of modern conveniences including smart TVs and free Wi-Fi. Most importantly, given the views, most rooms also come with balconies and terraces. Entertainment options are abundant too, with billiards and bowling rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, and a dedicated spa and fitness area.

In a country with so many castles, Schloss Greinburg doesn’t rank as one of the most awe-inspiring. It is, however, particularly notable for two things. Greinburg is considered Austria’s oldest residential castle (origins dating back to 1488) and it has been owned by the House of Sachsen-Coburg & Gotha, arguably the most influential European royal family, since 1823. The castle was even briefly owned by Queen Victoria of England. Highlights of a guided tour include the rich stucco ceiling, grand chandeliers and ruby red walls of the Dining Room, and splendid courtyard, and numerous portraits showcasing their royal connections throughout the castle. Views from the castle overlook the small town of Grein and the Danube.

Bodega Los Toneles is a meticulously restored winery located in downtown Mendoza, just three minutes from the city center. The restoration was so faithful to its original 1920s architecture that it has been declared a Cultural Heritage site of Mendoza. A stunning blend of traditional and modern, Bodega Los Toneles offers walking tours through the winery (the event space is breathtaking) with the opportunity to learn about winemaking. Wine tastings are offered Monday thru Saturday from 9am to 6pm. The restaurant, Abrasado, offers gourmet cuisine in one of the private rooms or grand halls overlooking the wine cellars. Lateral Acceso Este 1360, Guaymallén, Mendoza; +54 261 431-0403

While the tourist hordes in beautiful Sintra, Portugal, are flocking to Pena Palace, head instead to Monserrate. The gardens here are massive and have been recently restored. We wandered here for hours without hardly seeing another person. The palace itself, although not as large as Pena, is just as grand, if not more so. Every inch of the architecture is covered in delicate carving. The Moorish and Indian influences work together to create a cohesive and beautiful design.

The Samaria Gorge is considered the “Grand Canyon” of Europe. This 16km trek is best started in the mid-morning to allow enough time to hike and to avoid the crowds that start the trek early. The gorge became a park in 1962, and is famous for the “Iron Gates” - a narrow spot where the walls of the gorge tower to over 1,000 feet, with a width of only 13 feet! You may even spot a kri-kri (a wild and rare Cretan goat)! This photograph was taken in October (late in the season) when I led a kayaking expedition in Crete.

While “haughty” may be be a little extreme, this imposing building, Paris‘s City Hall, stands very proudly, indeed, in the heart of the 4th arrondissement’s Marais district. Not only does Hotel de Ville serve as seat of Paris‘s government, but, its grand front square is often the site of a sundry list of community and commercial events.

For 20 years now, the Spring Mountain corridor north of the Las Vegas Strip has been a hotbed of hot pots—and every other Asian dish under the desert sun. When celebs such as Anthony Bourdain and Penn Jillette raved about the real-deal northern Thai cuisine at Lotus of Siam, chowhounds followed. Tell your friends you’re finally making the trip out to the strip mall and they’ll tell you to avoid the items you can order from the takeout joint at home: no pad thai, no chicken satay. They’re right. Dive into the last page of the menu, the one about dishes from Northern Thailand, then entrust your tastebuds to the award-winning hands of Chef Saipin Chutima and try her larb or the jackfruit curry, anything with ground pork sausage, the khao soi (egg noodles and meat in a coconut curry sauce), the nam prik ong (a chunky mix of pork, tomato, and red chili, served with lettuce and raw vegetables), or the whole fish with chilis. The food is spicy, yes, and the afterburn is serious, but the depth of flavor is sublime enough to make you weep with regret the next time you have to call your local takeout place for delivery.

Surprisingly enough, you can round the point at Point Dume and discover your own hidden nooks to spend the day. With cliffs at your back and a private beach with decent size waves in front of you, it’s not a bad place for a picnic.