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Marriott property, The Jay Hotel, was the most anticipated addition to the city’s hotel scene in 2023, transforming the brutalist building that formerly housed Le Méridien into a cozy and quiet retreat. Each of the 360 rooms and suites have warm, textured, and minimalist decor that evokes calm and serenity. Adding to the oasis vibes, are some seriously comfortable beds, blackout curtains, and mini bars stocked with local goodies, such as St. George in. If you can, book a room with a balcony (a rarity among the city’s hotels), and enjoy the impressive views of the Bay Bridge and nearby Transamerica Tower.

With its waterfront location across from the San Francisco Ferry Building on the edge of downtown, the 1 Hotel is an ideal launchpad to explore San Francisco. Rooms have expansive views of the Bay or the city, and travelers can step out onto the Embarcadero for a morning run, to browse at one of three weekly farmers’ markets at the Ferry Building.

The luxury hotel upholds a commitment to environmentalism, using local and reclaimed materials for the biophilic interior design, sustainability sourced bedding, and providing filtered water taps instead of single use water bottles. Rooms are equipped with soft cotton robes, slippers, and yoga mats to help turn a stay into a relaxing, wellness-minded retreat.

On the first floor, the bar and restaurant, Terrene is a lovely place to swing by for a drink or meal—whether you’re a guest or not. If the weather is nice, don’t miss the chance to enjoy a cocktail on their expansive outdoor patio (complete with space heaters) with great views of the Bay Bridge. If you’re looking for something more substantial, they have an excellent selection of fresh, Mediterranean-inspired dishes, like roasted carrots with a feta dip and refreshing tuna tartare.

Pets are welcome and there’s also a rooftop spa on site, complete with stone tubs and scenic views.

Built by Napoleon Lebrun & Sons in 1909, this clocktower landmark was the world’s tallest building until 1913. Its transformation from iconic structure to five-star hotel has brought with it only more reasons to visit, including, first and foremost, the on-site spa—a 39th-floor escape offering build-your-own treatments and a selection of enhancements. Other incentives are the restaurant Clocktower, where chef Jason Atherton delivers Michelin-starred dining by way of updated tavern classics and modern British fare, and the Lobby Bar, which serves signature libations alongside expansive views of Madison Square Park. Once room-bound, it’s easy to stay a while thanks to luxurious details like plush linen sofas, specially programmed iPads, and customized mini-bars.

With killer views of the waves crashing onto Ocean Beach, the Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant is one of the best places to grab a bite and watch the sunset in San Francisco. Before its current incarnation, the 1925 Spanish revival building served as a beach changing room, an Army outpost during WWII, and a VFW hall. The disused building was shuttered in 1970, but spared for its landmark WPA murals and mosaics. Come to see the murals, and stay for the food and Ocean Beach views. Upstairs, above the visitor center, the Beach Chalet Restaurant serves fresh fish and steaks. Downstairs, opening out to Golden Gate Park, the sunny and more casual Park Chalet offers burgers or fish and chips, and live music on weekends.

This centrally located 40-suite hotel is part of an ultramodern stone-clad residential complex on Lodhi Road, the main axis of the government bungalow quarter laid in the 1940s by the team of Edwin Lutyens, urban planner of the British Raj. No longer managed by the Aman chain, which opened the property in 2013, the hotel has become a bargain given the huge size of the rooms and unusually luxurious amenities such as gender-segregated Turkish hammams and a Pilates reformer studio. Each room has a balcony and private plunge pool, good for cooling off after a jog to the nearby Lodhi Gardens or a round of tennis on the hotel’s private grass courts. Sprawling across seven acres, the hotel offers serenity in spades and service equal to that of the far more bustling Delhi palace–style hotels. A library with rare books on India and a cigar lounge enhance the clublike atmosphere. The architecture recalls a modern art museum, and indeed the hotel is filled with contemporary works on loan from the Apparao Gallery in Chennai.

Prague is known for its baroque architecture, undamaged as it was in WWII, but the award-winning National Library of Technology, designed by Projektil Architects and completed in 2009, is a fine example of the city’s contemporary architecture. Look for the building’s measurements written on the outer façade of the rounded semi-transparent building. The ground floor has a bookstore, and space to relax, and an exhibition hall, and the library’s open atrium has walls are adorned with murals by Romanian artist Dan Perjovschi. The bright floors below are covered in a swirling pattern of bright reds, yellows, oranges, blues, and greens.

Copenhagen is one of the world’s most sophisticated cocktail cities. Bars as far afield as Tokyo and New York keep a close eye on what is shaking—and stirring—here. Ruby, among the more elegant of Copenhagen’s bars, opened in 2007 with a focus on classic cocktails. It can be hard to find, but look for the flag of Georgia to guide you there, as it’s in the same building as that country’s embassy.

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 serenity of the Meiji Jingu Shrine is a notable contrast to the crowds of Harajuku hipsters just beyond the giant torii gates. The Shinto shrine complex, which was dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken in 1920, is inside a forest that shuts out the noise and energy of the city. This temple is a popular site for celebratory events such as weddings and children’s festivals, so chances are good that visitors will happen upon families dressed up in traditional kimonos.

Give your senses a jolt at Sky Costanera Observatory, on the 61st and 62nd floors of the Costanera Center. A 50-second elevator ride takes you almost 1,000 feet into the sky for a thrilling 360-degree view of the city, population over five million, with the snowcapped Andes as a backdrop. Guides are on hand to point out cityscape highlights. Not for scaredy-cats. Note: In case of rain, return first thing the following day, the best time to visit for the clearest view.

Within an hour, travelers can transport themselves from the lights and sounds of Central, Hong Kong, to the green hills and deserted beaches of Lantau Island. Opened in 2012, the Tai O Heritage Hotel encourages guests to immerse themselves in the natural beauty and history of Tai O, a colorful fishing village where stilted houses line the waterways of western Lantau Island. A collaboration between the government and the Hong Kong Heritage Conservation Foundation, Tai O Heritage Hotel was built in the former Tai O marine police station, from which officers defended Hong Kong from pirates for more than 100 years. Three buildings were transformed into nine guest rooms, an interpretation center, and a glass-roofed restaurant, earning the project a UNESCO award for cultural heritage conservation. Historic features such as cannons, guard towers, searchlights, and holding cells, as well as original architectural details like French windows, Victorian granite steps, a Chinese-tiled roof, and century-old fireplaces, were all restored in the process. The hotel also serves regional foods, employs villagers, and gives back to the Tai O community, demonstrating its commitment to celebrating the local culture. Beyond the historic walls of the hotel is a mystical landscape with dozens of butterfly species, Chinese white dolphins, and Hong Kong’s best sunsets.

Intramuros plays an important part to our country’s history and it is one of the popular destinations for a visitor to our hometown. It is the oldest district and is called the Walled City. Historically, it is the seat of the Spanish government when they colonized the Philippines. You will still see the original wall structure and gates. If you wondered why our local language and other local dialects include words that sound like Spanish, you will understand it after getting a short overview of our history. Visit the Walled City, and find the popular old churches, Manila Cathedral and San Agustin. The other area in Intramuros to visit is Fort Santiago where you will find the old fort and Rizal Shrine, a small museum which features the life and works of Jose Rizal, our national hero. Along the way, you’ll find a lot more smaller attractions like museums, plazas, and old buildings. In fact, walking along the streets of Intramuros, you’ll feel like you are back in time, as you find yourself in the midst of old historical structures which are still in place.

A few minutes north of Tulum, Xcacel (pronounced “ish-kah-sel”) is one of the region’s more unspoiled coastal areas. The beach has long been a local favorite, especially on Sundays, and in-the-know tourists are showing up now, too. Natural vegetation lines the shore and while there are no restaurants or beach clubs, there is a building with restrooms and showers. The best snorkeling is along the coral reef at the north end, and a small, swimmable cenote lies nearby. Sea turtles lay eggs here, in spring and summer, so take care not to trample nests; local conservation projects collect modest entrance fees to support their efforts.

Located among several other hotel behemoths in Nob Hill—such as the neighboring Fairmont—the Ritz Carlton San Francisco makes a strong impression right from the outset. It’s housed within a neoclassical building that was originally designed as the Pacific Coast headquarters of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. The entrance’s large columns and ornate stonework befit its 1909 birth year, a style that continues on into the chandelier-and-marble decorated lobby.


Though historic, the hotel is not stuck in time. A 2015 revamp brought the hotel’s 336 guest rooms and suites squarely into the present day, with effortlessly elegant decor, luxurious Frette linens, and comfortable, lounge-worthy spaces. And despite the culinary temptations that await just beyond the top-hatted valets, be sure to enjoy at least one cocktail at the in-house bar and lounge (our favorite: a martini shaken with a novel, yet effective, turn-of-the-century contraption) or a glass of champagne in the sunny outdoor courtyard.

Conquistador Pedro de Valdivia founded Santiago here on February 12, 1541. Eventually two Spanish fortresses were erected on the hill, alongside early hermitages and Chile’s first astronomical observatory. You’ll also find one of the capital’s oldest public promenades, originally from the Spanish-colonial period—lined by the statuary, fountains, and gardens of subsequent centuries—twisting uphill through gardens and past trees that have been preserved over the centuries. These days, couples and students favor the park for long afternoons spent beneath the boughs. Don’t miss the monumental entrance, as well as a Spanish escutcheon in stone, the park’s castle, and the 360˚ city views. For those who like traditions, a blast from an 1824 cannon announces the stroke of noon to Santiago residents each day.