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Charleston’s four-block City Market is a historic landmark (one of the oldest in the country, rivaled only by Baltimore’s Lexington Market) and an essential stop for locally made souvenirs and snacks. Pack up your sweetgrass basket (a traditional Gullah handicraft) and check in for the night across the street at the Market Pavilion Hotel. The hotel has all the plush trappings—Italian marble bathrooms, Hermes toiletries, treats at turndown—one could ask for in the French Quarter, topped off by a rooftop bar and pool with enviable views of the harbor and bustling East Bay street. On a particularly hot Southern night, you might cool off with a nitrogen-infused cocktail before sitting down to a steak dinner at Grill 225, which serves only aged, USDA-Prime meat. The hotel is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World and the restaurant is one of a dozen Great Steakhouses of North America.

Housed in a 19th-century French hospital, the Covent Garden Hotel is the oldest and most historic of Tim and Kit Kemp’s celebrated Firmdale hotels portfolio. Opened in 1996 by the husband-and-wife team, it bears a staid style that reflects its early position in the cannon of hotels, which have since become far more exuberant and quirky. The hotel’s muted, pared-back look will undoubtedly appeal to those who crave discretion. It’s not unusual to spot venerable British actors tucked away in a corner, quietly conducting a meeting. This is, after all, the heart of Theatreland—or London’s West End—where a recognizable clientele comes with the territory. However, the Covent Garden Hotel is by no means the see-and-be-seen spot of its media-magnet sister properties, including Charlotte Street Hotel, The Soho Hotel, and Ham Yard. Instead, go here to sequester yourself with a book in the upstairs drawing room, which, with its crackling stone fireplace and wood-paneled walls, resembles the traditional lounge of an English country house.

One of Budapest’s best known and most ornately decorated coffeehouses—as well as one of Europe’s oldest—Café Gerbeaud has been satisfying the city’s sweets cravings since it opened in 1858. The decor in the cafe’s various rooms is pure decadence, with chandeliers, stucco, original exotic-wood panelling, and antique furniture; the traditional cake selection comes with slices of the café’s three most iconic cakes, including the both the Esterházy cake (buttercream and cognac) and the Gerbeaud, a cake layered with ground walnuts and apricot jam invented by Emil Gerbeaud, a Swiss national who took over the patisserie in the 1880.

Formerly Blue Sydney.

Carefully constructed around support beams and pipes from a 100-year-old wheat and wool wharf, this hotel offers a beautiful mix of old and new that juts out into the Woolloomooloo harbor. The Heritage Level is where you’ll find original wooden pier pilings, metal wheels, and conveyor belts that date to 1910, but classic touches such as early-20th-century photographs of Sydney are scattered throughout the property. Goose down bedding, plush furnishings, walk-in showers, and in-room iPads make modern travelers feel right at home, and the bar that runs the length of the central atrium—hanging Swarovski crystals shine pink and purple in the evening candlelight—often hosts fashion shows and cocktail events. Most rooms have sliding glass doors that take advantage of the hotel’s over-water location between the Royal Botanic Gardens and Rushcutters Bay; they open to either the city skyline or the Potts Point naval base. Maritime history buffs should book the latter and check out the site on the wharf from which sailors boarded ships for Gallipoli.

A former 18th-century bishop’s palace in Korčula Old Town, this Relais & Châteaux property has been meticulously restored into an all-suite luxury hotel. Each of the five rooms is decorated along a different theme inspired by the Silk Road and the explorer Marco Polo, who is rumored to have been born on Korčula. The two-bedroom China Suite features low-slung furniture, red pillows, and a scene-stealer of a terrace with views across the town and coastline, while the one-bedroom Arabia Suite includes an all-white color scheme and intricately carved wood screens.

The hotel’s LD Spa specializes in Thai and Ayurvedic treatments, and the restaurant serves fresh, local seafood on a long terrace above the Old Town wall. The restaurant also produces three different olive oils from the groves around Korčula, and works with local partners to serve wines made from indigenous grapes like grk and pošip.

Situated in the suburbs just outside Copenhagen, Charlottenlund Beach Park is a small oasis in one of Denmark’s wealthiest areas. The old fortress retains several naval artillery batteries in a space that has been converted to a park and overlooks a small, but beautiful, Danish beach. Just behind the park you can head into the park itself, which is a richly forested area that is absolutely stunning in fall. Head to the nearby Charlottenlund Palace, built by Christian the VI in 1733, as part of your stroll through the park. There’s also a lovely cafe down by the beach which is open to visitors and offers a view over the water.

It’s not done idly when they eschew the term “distillery” in favor of “rum factory and heritage park” in the case of Foursquare. As a “rum factory” they produce tremendous amounts of some of the most loved rums from Barbados. Naturally, you can find the exquisite Foursquare Rum here, but they also produce an exceptional line under the Doorly’s label, plus another hard-drinking favorite named Old Brigand, among others. And when it comes to the “heritage park” part, the grounds boast a kind of museum in the form of a field littered with antique rum manufacturing equipment, plus a rum educational pavilion, and most uniquely, an amphitheater for local musical and theatrical performances. When you stop in, ask for a corn ‘n oil!

One of Frankfurt’s most important landmarks, the medieval Römer building is a significant part of the Römerplatz (Römer Square) in the Altstadt (Old Town). Located opposite Old St. Nicholas Church, it’s served as Frankfurt’s city hall for more than 600 years, though it’s naturally undergone some modifications in that time. Comprising several houses and six courtyards from different eras, the three-story complex currently spans some 107,639 square feet. While it once functioned as a trading hub and venue for Frankfurt’s famous book fairs, it’s now more typically used for weddings and official functions. The various rooms, which include a restored Kaisersaal (Emperor Hall), are not normally open to the public, but the building is worth a visit if only to snap a photo of the iconic three-peaked neo-Gothic facade.

Wang Wei and her husband, Liu Yiqian, are voracious collectors of Chinese art, both contemporary and traditional. The first Long Museum opened on the Pudong side of the river, in the suburban neighborhood of Jinqiao; the second is located on West Bund, a mere 15 minutes’ walk from the Yuz Museum. The building, done by lauded Shanghai architects Atelier Deshaus, might just stun you, with its enormous ceilings and open rooms that flow one into the other. Most exhibitions are of Chinese artwork—past shows include a retrospective of the work of cartoonist Zhang Guangyu and a selection of Qing Dynasty paintings. But big-name Western artists also show here, among them James Turrell and Olafur Eliasson.

The Ottoman Bank Museum is in the basement of SALT Galata, an arts center located in the former Ottoman Bank. It’s a destination that will appeal mostly to those interested in the history of the Ottoman Empire in its decline at the end of the 19th century. But doesn’t everyone find the late Ottoman period fascinating? The struggles that characterized the era, with a country torn between its Ottoman past and a desire to both modernize and Westernize, played out at the bank. The institution that would become the state bank of the Ottoman Empire was founded in 1856 as a joint venture of British and French banks and the Ottoman government and was managed by a committee of British and French financiers until it was effectively dissolved during World War I. The museum includes many surprisingly engaging displays and documents tracing the bank’s history—its commercial ventures, demographic information on investors and employees, charts detailing the economic turmoil of the period. Architectural plans of the headquarters illustrate its unusual design that featured a neo-classical entrance facing the European quarter and an Ottoman-inspired rear elevation, facing Istanbul’s Old City across the Golden Horn. Deposit slips, photos of employees, and old bank notes in the original vault are on display in almost exhausting, encyclopedic comprehensiveness. If your interest wanes, you don’t need to feel any pressure to linger—entrance is free.

In the heart of old town Kapaa, the Olympic overlooks Main Street with laid-back Hawaiian style. Upstairs in an old building that’s been converted into a collection of ragtag shops, the cafe has a commanding presence. Park and wander along the street to make your way to the stairs leading up to the bar and cafe. No pretense upon arrival. The tables lining the open windows in front are choice for people watching and catching the breeze from the prevailing trades. Late afternoon sun streams in and heats things up but is a welcomed delight. There’s always something cold close by to help with the temperature regulation. The bar is a mix of locals and tourists. Happy hour is a draw from four to six with discounts on drinks and select appetizers. I’m a big fish fan when near the source and the fish tacos at the Olympic take the gold. Dressed with a mango salsa and sides of beans and rice, they use two kinds of fish to keep your tastebuds guessing. There is a good selection of island beers and all the fruity umbrella drinks you can imagine. It’s right on the Kapaa multi-use path, so you can cruise in on your beach bomber for a refreshing break. Staff are friendly and service is casually good. Worth a stop when trolling around Kauai for someplace to take a break from vacation.

Everyone seems to be traveling to the Jersey Shore to help it get back on its feet. I have a suggestion that you will enjoy and savor - Day’s Ice Cream in Ocean Grove, Ocean Grove is a unique Victorian jewel of a town located just south of Asbury Park in Monmouth County. There is the huge wooden Auditorium surrounded by the tiny tents. Many programs and events are offered for your entertainment. There are beautiful beaches. Ocean Grove offers a large choice of hotels and B&B’s. The serene Main Street has its little boutiques making it fun to shop there. There are a great many cafes and eateries. One of my favorite eateries is Day’s Ice Cream - an old fashioned Victorian ice cream parlor that has been in business since 1876. Day’s is open from May until October and I love to sit on the big, old fashioned porch and enjoy a dish of their ice cream. I’m not alone in finding this famous ice cream parlor to be #1. The ice cream is delicious and the atmosphere is wonderful. Day’s has just opened at a second location. They are now on the boardwalk in near-by Asbury Park. Want excellent ice cream? Don’t mind the long lines on summer nights. The line moves fairly quickly and the short wait IS worth it. Get to Day’s Ice Cream. Day’s : 732-988-1007

One of Portugal’s oldest cosmetics companies, Claus Porto cemented a major comeback after Lisbon’s coolest store, A Vida Portuguesa, began carrying its products. In 2016, the company opened its own boutique in the trendy Chiado district, offering even more access to its eye-catching inventory. Packaged in art deco– and Belle Époque–style cases, the signature products look supremely cool as bed-and-bath decor. Of course, you could also buy the soaps, lotions, and shave creams for actual use. As an extra incentive, on Saturdays, men who spend more than €50 (around $60) receive an old-school hot shave in the barbershop at the store.

The origin of the name of Zurich‘s Hotel zum Storchen is unclear, but at least one legend ascribes it to a pair of black storks that once nested here. In any case, there is a record dating back to 1357 of a house by that name. Today the 67-room hotel—easily spotted thanks to the stork on its facade—has one of the most enviable locations in Zurich, overlooking the Limmat river in the city’s Old Town. The genuinely warm service makes this hotel stand out from some other options in Zurich.

New York has Ellis Island; Buenos Aires has the Hotel de Inmigrantes. The huge waterfront building, located near the old port docks in what’s today known as Puerto Madero, served as the temporary home for waves of European immigrants arriving to Argentina between 1911-53. Today, the Hotel de Inmigrantes is an intriguing (and free) museum that few tourists see: come to see photos and memorabilia representing the many immigrant groups who came through the port of Buenos Aires, plus colorful advertisements for trans-Atlantic passages and model boats.