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The centerpiece of the city’s emerging Vulkan neighborhood, Oslo’s very first food hall is a culinary utopia. Let your nose guide you to one (or five!) of 27 eateries peddling everything from cupcakes to tapas to bento boxes. Can’t decide? Stop at the Torget stall and order the Taste of Mathallen menu to sample mind-altering dishes from the hall’s best restaurants. The communal wooden benches in the center of the hall encourage sharing, so you and your friends can divide and conquer. Finish your visit with a craft beer in the basement pub Smelteverket, which features Norway’s longest bar.

We weren’t quite lucky to see the snowcapped covered mountains in the lovely lakeside village of Pokhara since we visited during monsoon season. But it was a perfect way to start our introduction to the area and cross over to the trail leading up to the Peace Pagoda. Pay a few ruppees, pack a picnic lunch and guide yourself around the serene Lake Phewa.

Manhattan is full of boutique and luxury hotels, but Kimpton hotels are known for bringing both experiences together. Ink48, a hotel in Hell’s Kitchen, is no exception. Set in a former printing house, the hotel is close to everything without being too close. It’s accessible by both bus and subway and within walking distance of area restaurants, Times Square and the Javits Convention Center. Rooms are sleek and modern with flat screen televisions, animal print bathrobes and, of course, windows with views of the city. The hotel offers WiFi for loyalty program members and rents out bicycles to guests. The in-house gym and spa also help to keep you fit during your stay. The lobby has tea and coffee in the morning, flavored water in the afternoon, and wine at night. Print. Restaurant and The Press Lounge are the hotel’s highly acclaimed restaurant and bar that are both worth your time.

A key component to the mastery of a skill is knowing when to break the rules. As its name implies, Jovanina’s Broken Italian breaks away from the traditional rules and expectations of Italian cuisine with the measured confidence of a master. Owners Jennifer and Jake Linzinmeir bring years of restaurant experience, both in the kitchen and in management, to Jovanina’s, which allows them to find an approachable balance of new flavors and classic dishes to the menu. The airy ground-floor space feels festive, with whitewashed brick walls along one side and a bar running the length of the other; a downstairs wine-bar dining area has a quieter, more intimate vibe. Try any of the handmade pasta specials or go with the favorite: a brick-oven pizza topped with fennel sausage, smoked mozzarella, and caramelized onions.

Housed in a converted elementary school dating back to 1915, this sprawling hotel complex has long drawn out-of-towners and local Portlanders alike with its bars, restaurants, miniature movie theater, and even a heated soaking pool that’s open to the public for a small fee. While these amenities—along with the hotel’s sprawling school grounds and proximity to the popular Alberta Arts District—are enough to make it one of the most attractive spots to stay in town, its real cred shines through in the 57 guest rooms, many of which are actually converted classrooms (and still have some of the original scholastic features, such as chalkboards, integrated into the room design). Don’t leave without sampling some of the McMenamins signature brews in the Boiler Room Bar, housed in what was once the school’s boiler room.

Situated between two lakes at the bottom of the Jungfrau mountain in the Bernese Highlands of Switzerland, this venerable five-star hotel and spa, which dates back to 1865, offers scenery and comfort in equal measure. Subtly balancing tradition and modernity, the rooms are bright, spacious, and brimming with refined furnishings and fabrics. Plus, all come with picturesque views across the town of Interlaken or the Harder Kulm mountain. There are several higher-end suites to choose from; modernists might like the clean lines of the stylish Bel-Air suite, while hedonists will love the lavish Tower Suite, with its two terraces, kitchenette, bar, and dining room.

The hotel’s two restaurants serve Mediterranean-inspired dishes from the south of France and Italy, and there are two handsome bars and a gloriously expansive spa for further diversion.

Hotel Zelos brims with understated luxury. Rooms are kitted out with on-demand movies and music, in-room spa services upon request, and a complimentary honor bar stocked with organic treats. The hotel’s 4th and Market Street location puts it within walking distance of Union Square, AT&T Park and the Moscone Center. For further distances, guests can borrow free bikes. The hotel’s crowning jewel, though, is Dirty Habit, it’s rooftop restaurant and bar. A favorite among locals as well as tourists, Dirty Habit’s film-noir-inspired dining room offers guests a chance to play the part of old Hollywood glamour while nibbling on seasonally inspired dishes like seared king salmon and sipping inventive craft cocktails (try the Bonzai, a mix of whiskey, orgeat, grapefruit, lemon, and matcha green tea).

When Chef Richard Reddington was tasked with concepting a new, casual restaurant in Yountville to compliment his Michelin-starred Redd, he brought in a wood-burning oven from Italy and Liza Shaw from A16 to work her magic with yeast and flour and fire. Success. Shaw has since moved on, but the eatery maintains its stellar reputation for Italian fare and a relaxed atmosphere. The best seats at Redd Wood are at the bar, where you can see into the open kitchen and the charcuterie cooler, enjoy a respectable Manhattan, and avoid the tourist hordes.

If you have a gorgeously sunny afternoon, walk the Corso Italia to the small fishing village of Boccadasse, still considered to be part of Genoa. About an hour’s walk from central town, this seaside stroll will take you past black stone beaches, children’s parks, and countless bars and restaurants enjoying the beautiful sea views. When you arrive, make sure to roll up your pants and step in the water, as the sea spray alone is said to have healing properties.

This is one of the new hot bars, just a few blocks down from the Jupiter Hotel on SE Grand and Morrision. Checkpoints: skinny hot bartenders in wifebeaters who shake up some inventive cocktails, a DJ, a 110-year old piano, a horseshoe bar and an impressive late night menu (cuban sandwiches, anyone?). I had the Sam Issacs which was mentioned in Portland Monthly as the drink to have but not even on their menu. It has bourbon, mint, blackberries and lime. It’s DELICIOUS. Portland seems to have a thing for libations with ginger beer and I’m loving it. I followed up with 96 Tears, a combination of vodka, lime, ginger and ginger beer. This was light but boozy. The perfect way to start a night or in this case, I’d end it here if you want to dance.

When Domingo Ghirardelli immigrated to the United States in 1849, he planned to strike it rich in the California Gold Rush. Unsuccessful, he opened a store in Stockton selling supplies and some confections to other hopeful miners. Flash forward a few years (and failed businesses), and Ghirardelli opened another confectionary company called Ghirardely & Girard, which would lay the foundation for today’s Ghirardelli Chocolate Company.

Chocolate was made on San Francisco‘s northern waterfront for many years but eventually moved out of the city. Luckily the buildings still stand, including the historic power plant with clock tower. Two floors were added to a warehouse in 1923, and atop those the famous 15-foot-high letters spelling out “Ghirardelli.” Though the company continues to make chocolate, it is no longer owned by the Ghirardelli family.

Still, there are plenty of reasons to visit the brick buildings that have been transformed into a thriving marketplace with restaurants—including our favorite, an upscale dim sum restaurant, Palette Tea House—, art galleries, shops, a winetasting room, and of course, a place to taste and buy Ghirardelli chocolate, a true San Francisco original. The square also hosts some popular San Francisco events, including an annual Christmas tree lighting and a chocolate festival held each September.

Though it sits squarely in Tel Aviv’s Lev Ha’ir (the heart of the city), Hotel Montefiore feels almost hidden away, not least because of the fact that greenery shrouds much of the restored 1922 mansion. Gaze out the window of the lobby restaurant (where you should, without fail, order the Tunisian eggs for breakfast) and you’re as likely to find yourself leaf-peeping as people-watching. The hotel feels all the more intimate with its grand total of 12 guestrooms, each cozily appointed with well-stocked book shelves and retro armchairs. The vibe here isn’t strictly old-timey, however. You’ll also find a striking modern art collection and a DVD library that (almost) rivals the book selection. As tempted as you may be to binge-watch or read in your down-draped bed, don’t skip a nightcap in the downstairs bar, which is the picture of international style, whether you’re talking about the crowd or the menu offerings.

A 1901 landmark in Hanoi’s French Quarter, the colonial-style Sofitel Legend Metropole has long been a celebrity magnet, welcoming presidents, ambassadors, and literary and cinematic royalty into its marble lobby. Somerset Maugham and Graham Greene both wrote books here (The Gentleman in the Parlour and The Quiet American, respectively); Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard celebrated their honeymoon at the property; and Jane Fonda and Joan Baez took to the bomb shelter beneath the hotel during air raids (book the complementary Path of History Tour, held every day at 5 and 6 p.m., for a chance to see where they hid out).

The 364 guest rooms are divided between two wings: The historic Metropole section has decor shaped by French architecture and Vietnamese culture (think wood floors, louver windows, bird-cage lampshades, and porcelain light fixtures); the newer wing, opened in 1996 just across the traffic circle from the Opera House, has a strong Neoclassical edge with rooms in dramatic red, black, and white. With its green awning, filigree ironwork, and outdoor wood-deck seating, La Terrasse has the feel of a Parisian café, while Le Beaulieu restaurant serves classic French fare and a decadent Sunday brunch. Spices Garden showcases Vietnamese flavors, and three drinking dens—sleek Angelina, gentlemanly Le Club Bar, and poolside Bamboo Bar—appeal to every kind of spirits lover. Between the central courtyard garden and the pool sit the SoFit gym and Le Spa, with eight rooms for soothing East-meets-West treatments.

Situated in the center of the USA’s largest Japantown, this Joie de Vivre Hotel unveiled a $32 million renovation in May 2018. While the property’s historic exterior hasn’t been changed—it was once a 1960s Community Center and the former Japanese Consulate—the interiors have been redone by Brooklyn-based MARKZEFF Design with custom leather furniture, shibori accents, and contemporary Japanese art. Each of the 13 new Garden Suites face the Japanese zen garden that includes a koi pond, firepit, and a custom Godzilla mural by San Francisco-based artists Yukako Ezoe and Naoki Onodera of Bahama Kangaroo. At the center of the renovation is the living-room like lobby decorated with mid-century couches and lit with vintage factory pendants. The seasonal cocktail menu at the lobby bar focuses on Japanese whiskey and sake, while the bar menu includes Japanese-inspired bites like shishito peppers and chicken katsu sliders. There are happy hour specials every weekday from 4 to 6 p.m. and every Monday between 5 and 6 p.m. the bar hosts a vinyl hour where you can pick a record to play from the hotel’s collection of classics. For wellness-minded travelers, the new 3,000-square-foot fitness center located one level below the lobby looks out onto an open-air tea garden and features a yoga room and a Peloton bike (guests also have complimentary access to the nearby Kabuki Springs & Spa communal baths).

France’s chic, budget-friendly hospitality chain has gone Brazilian with this boutique hotel in Rio’s Santa Teresa neighborhood. Rooms are on the petite side, ranging from 160 to 280 square feet, but have whimsy to spare, with graphic rugs, minimalist furniture, and cheeky mirror messages scrawled over king-sized beds. Mama Shelter properties aim to be welcoming and lively, a fact that’s especially evident in the common spaces. The on-site restaurant features communal tables, stepped seating, and a menu that encourages sharing, while the Portuguese-tiled bar brings guests together over creative cocktails. While Mama Shelter isn’t on the beach, it does offer a lovely courtyard for lounging in the sun, as well as terraces with beautiful city views. It’s also right in the middle of one of Rio’s most happening neighborhoods, putting guests within walking distance of several trendy restaurants and bars.