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The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC)—new home for both the National Library and National Opera, designed by Renzo Piano and financed to the tune of €630 million—is a wonder to look at, walk through, and relax in. The library and opera are state of the art; the 42-acre grounds include a salt-water canal where you can learn to sail or kayak, fantastic playgrounds and fountains to keep kids entertained, and the Great Lawn where free concerts, open-air screenings and festivals are staged year-round. Take advantage of the center’s location and drink in the 360-degree views of the city and sea from the Lighthouse, a glass-walled lookout and terrace shaded by a vast solar panel that powers most of the sustainably minded complex. This neighborhood is, after all, called Kallithea, which means “wonderful view.”

Somewhere between private villa and luxury hotel room, the suites at Pietermaai are as close as you can get to a chic, European pied-a-terre in the Caribbean. Plus, they’re located just a stone’s throw from Curaçao’s liveliest restaurants in the up-and-coming Pietermaai district, the popular Punda shopping area, and the atmospheric Floating Market (which doesn’t really float). The loft-like suites are outfitted with kitchenettes, wooden floors and shutters, and an outdoor sitting area. Some have a plunge pool or duplex layout, and the two-bedroom penthouse apartment is oceanfront. When not relaxing in their rooms, guests can take a dip in one of the hotel’s small pools, surrounded by lush gardens, or set off in search of sand with beach towels provided by the hotel.

Who is Sir Albert? This issue might perplex the uninitiated because the hotel and its staff insist that the mysterious aristocrat transformed his private mansion into a collection of sleek and fashionable pieds-à-terre for the international cognoscenti who come to Amsterdam. In reality, the 19th-century red-brick building was once a diamond factory, built to be so sturdy that the trams wouldn’t shake it, and, while that rich history is reflected in some of the angular and clean-lined decor, it’s more fun to imagine that a wealthy eccentric has designed the stylish and spacious rooms and left you in the hands of a staff used to realizing whims before they’re even imagined.

The rooms themselves are indulgent in a minimalist way, with dashes of both Japanese modernism and midcentury Scandinavian design in the black wooden floors, oversized white soaking tubs, and all the latest technology; clearly, Sir Albert is well traveled. He also must have a taste for authentic Japanese cuisine, considering the house restaurant is inspired by traditional Japanese pubs and attracts discerning foodies and hip young locals alike. He clearly travels in trendy circles, considering his house’s location in lively De Pijp; his appreciation for art, too, is evident in the proximity to the Museumplein.

When you think of the word pub, chances are you picture something like this place. Housed in the old Cooperage of the Royal Navy Dockyard, this causal bar-slash-restaurant is all about cozy atmosphere; there’s even a fireplace that was originally a forge used to produce iron hoops for barrels. The menu showcases comfort food—fish-and-chips, savory pies, and brisket with Yorkshire puddings—not to mention some local touches like the pepper jam served with red-onion rings. Enjoy a pint or two of ale, pilsner, or porter from the onsite Dockyard Brewing Company (the most established of the breweries on the island). The hoppy offerings change regularly.

Durbuy, Belgium, claims the title of the “World’s Smallest Town,” (or sometimes city, depending which translation you use from the French). This dubious honor dates from 1331, when the town was elevated to the rank of city by John I, Count of Luxemburg, and King of Bohemia. Even though the population dropped to a few hundred residents, Durbuy kept its designation. However, the moniker doesn’t exactly hold true anymore. In 1977, Durbuy amalgamated with 40 surrounding villages. Either way, it’s a lovely place to visit in Wallonia, and a great way to pass an hour is by taking a stroll through the topiary garden. There are more than 250 topiaries in the garden, some of which are over 120 years old. And, being Belgium, the topiaries go beyond the typical animals and geometric shapes to include a dash of quirkiness. You can admire a green Manneken Pis (Belgium’s famous peeing boy), kayakers, and even an homage to Pamela Anderson at the beach. For more information on Durbuy: http://cheeseweb.eu/2013/06/7-reasons-great-visit-durbuy-belgium/

I have eaten a lot of pizza in my time, but Kesté is different. It’s been been firing up serious, foodie-level delicious pizza on Bleecker Street since 2009. Owner Roberto Caporuscio was born and raised outside Naples, Italy, where he studied the art of pizza making with the masters. His pizzeria has won accolades from national food critics, as well as pizza lovers. The 950-degree oven turns out perfectly-cooked pizzas—with bubbling, chewy, slightly burned crusts—in less than two minutes. The wide-ranging menu covers traditional pizzas, gluten-free options, panini (lunch only), and creative pies, including: Pistacchio e Salsiccia (pistachio pesto, sausage, pecorino romano, homemade buffalo mozzarella, basil); Pizza del Papa (butternut squash cream, red and yellow peppers, zucchini, imported smoked buffalo mozzarella); and Sorrentina (imported smoked buffalo mozzarella, sliced lemons, basil). My favorite is Salciccia e Friarielli (broccoli rabe and sausage with imported smoked mozzarella). The slight bitterness of the greens, the hearty sausage, and the smoky, creamy cheese on their trademark crust smells, looks, and tastes heavenly.

Opened in 1890 as an unofficial state guesthouse, the country’s first Western-style property built for the aristocracy to welcome an increasing number of foreigners, the Imperial Hotel has had a momentous history. Ravaged by a fire in 1922, it was rebuilt in 1923 by Frank Lloyd Wright in Maya-Revival style, though it fell into disrepair over the decades and was demolished in 1967. The blocky current version comprises a main building and a tower that together house 931 rooms, but the interiors stick to the property’s past with leather headboards and velvet-covered furnishings. The hotel boasts the largest executive center in Japan, but more leisurely activities await in the 20th-floor swimming pool and sauna, in the fully equipped music room (complete with Steinway piano), and in 11 restaurants that range from upscale French and traditional Japanese cuisines to snack-worthy sushi and confections.

The Aubrey sits at the edge of Barrio Bellavista, a few steps from Santiago’s bottle-green 1925 funicular (which takes visitors up to Cerro San Cristóbal) and just below the zoo (sometimes guests can hear the animals when they’re lying by the pool). Open since 2010, this 15-bedroom boutique hotel is housed between two 1920s mansions built by the same architect. The larger of the two houses once belonged to famed Chilean railway magnate Domingo Durán. Today, the hotel is owned by a Brit and an Aussie who spent $3 million and several years transforming it into its current state.

The bedrooms are split between the two mansions, and there’s also an outside block housing a few pool suites. A cobbled terrace runs between the restaurant and piano bar. The interiors are inspired by the early 20th-century art deco movement and feature statement art deco furniture, printed fabrics, and elaborate wallpaper.

Wobbly floors, a crooked staircase, dusty books, an old piano, and a few hundred years of character mix together in the beating heart of old Dublin, the Temple Bar. I spend more than half of every year on the road, calling in at one hotel and the next, and I’ve been lucky to have spent time at some fabulous hotels and holiday homes. This joint at No. 25 Eustace St. is near the top of the list. From the Irish Landmark Trust website: “The Irish Landmark Trust saves heritage buildings throughout the island of Ireland that are at risk of being lost through neglect or inappropriate use; conserving and restoring these buildings so they can be let as holiday homes.” The next time you’re in Dublin with your family or a large group, forget about calling in on modern digs, and check out No. 25, or one of the other heritage properties managed by the trust. It was a beautiful experience, and I can’t wait to check in again. Next time I plan to visit an old lighthouse, fort, or country home.

This designer budget hotel, set in a former brothel, is the brainchild of Andre Saraiva, a graffiti artist and nightlife entrepreneur who worked with Parisian artists and designers to pull off an edgy balance of style and substance. Rooms, which are on the small side, are painted in unconventional palettes and decorated with graffiti, and curated flea market and auction finds, vary in their level of provocation, though each could double as a contemporary art gallery installation or soft-porn concept store. While traditional services are nonexistent, the hotel is perfectly located for exploring SoPi, the more upper-crust residential part of the 9^th arrondissement just south of the transvestite cabarets and tourist zones of Montmartre, where classical mansions and 19th-century buildings are being colonized by young Parisians and expats opening bars, restaurants, vintage shops, and fashion boutiques. The restaurant that occupies most of the lobby and garden is a perennial favorite among Parisians of all ages for dinner and Sunday brunch.

Founded in 1955, the owner of La Tarte Tropézienne, Alexandre Micka, invented the eponymous cream-filled brioche that was discovered and named by Brigitte Bardot while shooting And God Created Woman. The Place des Lices location of this storied pâtisserie-boulangerie is the flagship branch (though not its original). This is a pastry lover’s wonderland, with a bewildering and mouthwatering array of breads, croissants, tarts, macarons, and flans on offer. Buy anything, buy everything, just make sure you buy at least one Tarte Tropézienne—whether a slice or whole pie, traditional or containing fruit. You can even purchase multipacks of baby-size pies—you know, as a “gift.”

Inspired by the famous Fox Theatre—the Moorish-style movie palace turned performance venue is just across the street—Hotel Indigo Atlanta Midtown strikes a musical note at every turn. The experience begins at reception, where the desk resembles a drum set and a collage of show tickets from the past 30 years decorates the wall behind it. Guest rooms riff on the theme with accent wall murals that make it look like you’re either attending a concert or starring on stage, but the overall vibe is playful comfort, with pops of green on the quilts, spa-like baths with Aveda products, flat-screen TVs, and free WiFi. If you find yourself hankering for soul food, the chicken and waffles at the on-site restaurant should do the trick, but don’t pass up a drink at the black-and-white bar counter, which looks like the keys of a piano and is backed by a wine display that evokes the inner workings of a jukebox.

From the royal ambience of the lobby (bedecked with Murano glass chandeliers and a grand piano) to the classical elegance of the rooms, the Grand Hotel Oslo pulls out all the stops in making guests feel like visiting dignitaries—which should come as no surprise since the hotel has played host to countless actual visiting dignitaries. Nobel Peace Prize winners including the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela give interviews and greet crowds from the balcony of the eponymous Nobel Suite, but junior suites offer the best views overlooking buzzing Karl Johans Gate. Be sure to make time for a visit to the hotel’s Artesia Spa, where birch tree trunks separate the chromatherapy pool from a rooftop sun terrace.

In a pastel villa that presides over pine-covered slopes and the deep blue waters of the Ligurian Sea, Belmond Hotel Splendido was a 16th-century monastery before it became a cliff-side luxury hotel at the turn of the 20th century. Today, it is one of Portofino’s most iconic resorts, with 70 sunlit rooms (think herringbone hardwood floors, marble baths, and wrought iron terraces) that have hosted the Duke of Windsor, Ava Gardner, and Catherine Deneuve. You’ll get the VIP treatment while sipping champagne on a sunset cruise aboard the hotel’s Chris-Craft Corsair 36, dining on seabream ceviche at La Terrazza, or indulging in a chamomile footbath at the spa. A shuttle can run you down to intimate sister property Splendido Mare, which overlooks the central Piazzetta and is a dressed-up version of a fishing village pied-à-terre, with 16 whitewashed rooms and its own buzzy restaurant.

A 1920s townhouse in Brussels’ well-heeled Châtelain neighborhood, the intimate, Fellini-inspired Odette en Ville might as well be your fashionable Belgian friends’ pied-à-terre in the European capital. Its older sibling, Chez Odette, a landmark restaurant and inn, is hidden away in the tiny village of Williers, on the French-Belgian border, and when the Brussels iteration opened, it dressed up with all the panache of a newer arrival: a little bit flashier, a little bit sleeker, a little bit more urbane. Its marble bathrooms, dark walls, and chrome accents all feel very grown-up, but roll-top tubs, fireplaces, and vintage decor reveal those homey country roots, as does the fresh, unpretentious cuisine, including the homemade jam at breakfast. With just eight rooms, the hotel feels intimate and private, an atmosphere only enhanced by the private library, a cozy lounge (notably, adjacent to the bar) with overstuffed leather Chesterfields, vintage chess sets, shelves of art books, and a working fireplace.