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Why we love it: A boutique hotel that puts guests in the heart of it all

The Highlights:
- Allergen-free Pure Wellness rooms
- A convenient location right downtown
- An award-winning steak house on site

The Review:

A boutique stay in the heart of downtown Boise, Hotel 43 seamlessly blends cozy charm with urban style. Works by local artist Amy Westover enliven the cathedral-like lobby (its ceiling soars to 60 feet), while vibrant drapery and bathrobe-clad teddy bears on each bed make the 112 guest rooms feel both chic and homey. If you need more than William Roam bath products and a jetted tub to feel pampered, book one of the Pure Wellness rooms, which offer purified, hypoallergenic accommodation for even the most sensitive of guests.

Hotel 43 also provides travelers with a free pass to the Boise Art Museum, plus loaner bikes for cruising to the Shakespeare Festival or farmers’ market. Come dinnertime, however, you’ll want to stay put for a meal at on-site Chandlers Steakhouse, where Kobe-style beef and fresh seafood are accompanied by live jazz each evening. In the morning, head to Metro Café for Caffé D’arte coffee, freshly baked pastries, and house-made granola, or grab the complimentary airport shuttle to catch your flight home.

Why we love it: A faithful reimagining of a classic travelers’ hotel

The Highlights:
- Conveniently located right next to East Tennessee State University and near downtown
- Delightfully comfortable sleigh beds
- Historically accurate decor, including oil paintings and antique furniture

The Review:
While the original Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City was lost to a fire in the early 20th century, guests can get a taste of history at this faithful re-creation, which offers upscale accommodations for both business and leisure travelers. Today, the hotel combines historical grandeur with modern amenities, such as a state-of-the-art fitness room, a heated outdoor pool, and a full-service spa for massages and body treatments. In the 128 rooms and 11 suites, guests also find sleigh beds with mattresses so comfortable they’d be wise to set two alarms for the morning.

The on-site restaurant, Wellington’s, serves elevated Southern cuisine made with traditional Appalachian ingredients, while the bar offers craft cocktails and a wide selection of whiskey. After your meal, take a nightcap down the hall to the clubby Roosevelt Library lounge, where you can admire original oil paintings, dark wood accents, and antique furniture that recall the Carnegie Hotel of yore.

Why we love it: Epic views and high style on the South Island

The Highlights:
- Design that maximizes the views
- A small size that makes for an intimate, exclusive experience
- Access to a variety of outdoor adventures

The Review:
Set in the South Island’s Ahuriri Valley, on 6,000 pristine acres bordered on three sides by conservation parks, is your own slice of natural paradise. Opened in late 2018, The Lindis is a striking, contemporary lodge that blends into the landscape, with a sloping roof that mimics the mountain and river backdrop and, inside, floor-to-ceiling windows framing magnificent views.

There are just five rooms to choose from—two master options and three lodge suites, all with private indoor and outdoor lounge spaces, fluffy king beds, and gas fireplaces. (Master suites also have separate living rooms and oversized bathtubs.) Beyond the accommodations, there are endless activities to choose from, from horseback riding, fly fishing, and e-biking to eco- and buggy tours and spectacular stargazing. Fuel up for your adventures with the lodge’s refined, contemporary cuisine, crafted by house chefs using locally sourced ingredients—think South Island crayfish, foraged porcini mushrooms, and Wild Fiordland venison—and paired with fine New Zealand wines from the well-stocked cellar.

Why we love it: A city slicker–approved beach retreat with a vibrant art collection

The Highlights:
- The secret indoor pool up a staircase from the main pool area
- Fresh-baked breads by pastry chef Simone Colla served daily in the Filosofía restaurant
- An entryway featuring a rare sculpture by KAWS and vintage armchairs hung like swings from the ceiling

The Review:
The people watching is just as entertaining as the artwork at Casa Malca, a mansion once maintained by Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar but now owned by New York gallerist and art collector Leo Malca. Set on a Caribbean-facing swath of sand next to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve—and just a short bike ride from Tulum’s beachfront boutiques and restaurants—the hotel features 71 rooms, complete with polished concrete floors, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean, and bold artwork from Malca’s personal collection. A black-and-white print inspired by Keith Haring covers the lobby bar, while antique baby dolls adorn the walls in one of the hotel’s three restaurants. The pool and beach areas are more sedate, with cerulean daybeds and colorful hammocks studded like jewels among the leafy palms.

Sitting in Copenhagen’s prettiest café, you could almost think you’re on the Left Bank in Paris. However, the menu has many delicious Nordic dishes, from Icelandic yogurt with honey to dense Danish rye bread and oatmeal with lots of healthy extras. The only problem with Granola is that, because it’s so charming and inviting, it’s always packed. Try to avoid the weekend crush by coming midweek instead.

Opened in 1880 as Canada‘s first natural history museum, the Redpath Museum has a charmingly old-school Victorian quality to it. The collection of artifacts assembled by intrepid explorers ranges from taxidermy and Egyptian mummies to geological samples and—one of its most prized possessions—a handwritten letter from Charles Darwin. The museum is located at the heart of McGill University, long one of Canada‘s most important institutions of higher learning. Most of the buildings on campus, all in a handsome gray stone on a lovely bit of green in downtown Montréal at the base of Mount Royal, date from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

An intimate gem whose only shortcoming (in some eyes) is that it does not sit on Pink Sands Beach, the Rock House Hotel & Restaurant was a labor of love for the late Wallace Tutt, an interior designer to the stars who was best known for designing Gianni Versace’s Miami mansion. Ten individually decorated rooms in the 1940s private home turned boutique hotel echo that property’s grandeur with king size beds and seaside motifs, as well as sumptuous linens and stone lion heads mounted on the walls in the restaurant. But the real story here is the service: There is always a picnic basket on-hand in every room, a library of games and books is available for perusal on rainy days, and the concierge is happy to arrange in-room pampering treatments if the walk to the neighboring spa feels like too much trouble.

Reachable only by boat, Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa has incredible views of virgin forest, mountains, and water. The Aysén region is one of the least accessible, less touristy areas of Chile, and it’s really worth going the extra mile. The hotel was created by businessman Eberhard Kossmann, who in 1986 sailed with his family through the fjords south of Puerto Montt. He fell in love with this spot and by a stroke of luck was offered to buy the plot of land a few years later—and so began his first venture into tourism.

Built from local wood, Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa sits alongside the Termas de Puyuhuapi (Puyuhuapi Hot Springs), and all the hotel’s hot water and heating is sourced from the thermal waters. Guests spend days exploring this beautiful part of Chile on excursions that range from hiking and kayaking to bird-watching and trips to glaciers. Evenings are spent soaking in the hot springs and relaxing in this picture-perfect wooden lodge on the waterfront.

The Mursi tribe of Ethiopia lives within the boundaries of Mago National Park in one of the most remote regions of the country. As is true with other Ethiopian tribes, the Mursi live difficult and often dangerous lives. But as I learned, they also know how to enjoy themselves. Dueling or stick fighting is a popular past time and for the women, beautifying themselves. Men, women, and even children love to paint their faces and wear jewelry and elaborate headdresses. For the women, signs of beauty also include scarification and the wearing of large pottery discs or ‘plates’ (debhinya) in their lower lips. I have to admit that the Mursi sense of beauty is a not pleasant to my eyes and when I found out how they work the plate into their lower lip, it was even more disconcerting. But that’s just on the outside. Through my guide, I was able to exchange a few words with the women in the photo. Despite any hardships they have, they were very friendly and welcoming towards me – we were even able to share a few laughs. In the end, the beauty of the Mursi woman is truly on the inside – they’re not so scary after all.

O. Fournier is a modern architectural marvel located 80 miles (90 minutes) from downtown Mendoza in the district of San Carlos. It is one of Valle de Uco’s farthest wineries to visit, but it’s worth the drive to enjoy O. Fournier scenic views, distinctive design, and award-winning restaurant. José Manuel Ortega, a Spanish banker, bought the land in 2000 and contracted local architects to begin building O. Fournier in 2002. No expense was spared and no detail was overlooked to achieve Ortega’s vision. His talented wife, Nadia Harón, who delved into her passion for cooking when the pair moved to Mendoza, has become one of the country’s most notable chefs. Her restaurant, Urban at O. Fournier, blends Argentine and Mediterranean-Spanish flavors and traditions using fresh ingredients grown on the property’s 650-acre farm. If you find yourself falling in love with O. Fournier’s wine and landscape, you may just be tempted to purchase a small plot of land from Ortega to harvest your own wine and create your own signature blends. Reservations to visit the winery and restaurant must be made in advance.

Driving in any direction on the Hummingbird Highway, it would be hard to miss this white shack surrounded by cars, in a small clearing immediately next to the road under the shade of a very large tree. Ms. Bertha’s Tamales has little signage, but no signs are needed for locals. Everyone knows about Ms. Bertha Lisbey and her tamales. They are said to be the best in Belize. One of her spiced, gooey chicken-and-corn tamales is a perfect break. Pair it with a hot sauce she has been making almost as long as the tamales, and a cold soda in a glass bottle.


Since Ms. Bertha is now 75 years old, some days it is her daughter who’s the one serving loyal customers and first-time visitors, drawn by the stories that you’ll hear in every corner of the country. The small shack can serve hundreds of tamales a day during peak season yet each one is prepared with the same attention and love. Everyone sits on benches, patiently waiting their turn. There aren’t many places to stop along the Hummingbird Highway, but that’s not the only reason you shouldn’t pass by Bertha’s without turning in. Make sure you stop.

There is so much art to see in Santa Fe, it’s endless. Along with artisan markets, small galleries, the Georgia O’Keeffe museum and numerous small shops, we visited the MOCNA. It’s a museum that is connected to the Institute of American Indian Arts and is a very manageable space. There are all sorts and time periods of art and revolving shows. Definitely worth an hour or so if you are in Santa Fe. There is also a great gift/book shop as well. **The artist in the picture above is Keith Braveheart

Spending a day at a spa was something that never crossed my mind until I heard about the day spa at the Meritage Resort and Spa just outside Napa, California. I decided to give it a go and emerged a believer. Spa Terra is built in a cave under a vineyard behind the resort. The facilities are new, and everything seems perfectly tailored to make the guest feel comfortable. I loved hopping from the hot tub to the steam room and then back again. After relaxing with a cool glass of cucumber water, it was time for a massage, then a shower, and back into the hot tub, after which came wine-tasting in the adjacent Trinitas tasting room and time doing nothing at the outdoor pool. At the day spa, guests choose what they want to do when. Besides the massage appointment time, there is no schedule. I ended my day with a light meal from the resort’s cafe and an invigorating hike in the vineyards above the spa. As a busy writer, teacher, and mom, I felt like I could forget about my day-to-day concerns and just focus on being there in the moment.

Technically part of Tahaa in French Polynesia, Vahine Private Island Resort is an escape from reality. The hotel features three beach bungalows, three self-contained beach suites and three overwater bungalows, all with beach views and designed using only natural materials in such a way as to make you feel like you’re in a traditional Polynesian home. Moreover, the resort is set on a 23-acre private island lush with coconut trees and white sand beach.

Snorkel in their vibrant coral gardens, kayak to nearby motus or to natural sting-ray pools, take in a coconut show, learn how to tie a pareo or weave palm leaves, paddle a traditional Polynesian outrigger canoe or take an excursion to the nearby mainland of Tahaa (the “Vanilla Island”) or a private motu. Guests love their food and beverage program, with French dishes crafted using local cuisine and cocktails infused with local fruits and juices.

Tip: Don’t leave without having a traditional massage with scented Monoi oil on your deck, where you’ll hear nothing but the billowing palms and gentle crashing of waves.

Perhaps it’s more interested in diner loyalty than in snagging prizes, but chef Elena Reygadas’s original Mexico City restaurant is still beloved—and busier than ever. So while a few greatest hits linger season to season, there’s always something new to try, inspired by food of the Mediterranean (or the Middle East, or Paris) but supported by the just-picked ingredients only Mexico knows. It invites repeat visits where patrons count on impeccable breads and pastas, delicate greens, and sauces that never cloy or overwhelm, plus some of the freshest fish and tenderest viands to be had in the city. The setting—a venerable town-house patio and parlors, decorated in florid, provincial filigree and anchored by lovely vintage furnishings—is one of the city’s most romantic.