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Get it? Play on words right there. Ha. This beautiful water lagoon is a playground for the awkwardly beautiful pink flamingo, a honking, goofy, loveable bird that is all legs and beak. I didn’t expect to see flamingos in the Galapagos, so this was quite a nice surprise, given the spectacular setting and all. Santa Cruz is one of the most stunning of all the islands in the Galapagos, marked by tortured volcanic terrain, pretty lagoons, and spiraling mountain peaks.

Legend has it that the Leutaschklamm is home to ghosts and goblins who live deep down in the gorge. Have a look for yourself, but even if you don’t find any, the scenic panoramic walkway on high bridges over roaring waters won’t leave you disappointed. The trail is more or less flat, and suitable for everyone capable of walking a couple of miles. If you’re feeling extra energetic you can walk the entire 7.5 mile trail.

Eating out in Stockholm can be downright expensive, and it’s not uncommon to spend upwards of $15 just for a sandwich. A local insider tip is to keep an eye out for signs that say “Dagens rätt” or “Dagens lunch,” placed outside restaurants and windows especially around lunchtime. This means “dish of the day,” usually served at an affordable price. In most places, the total price will include a salad buffet, bread and butter, and water as well as coffee.

On the north-west arm of the Beagle Channel, Pia Glacier is embedded in the Darwin Range, and it gradually runs down into the waters of Pia Bay. You can get to it via a Patagonia cruise which will take you to the base of the glacier and then allow you to do a landing via Zodiaks and hike around near it. Sit around for a bit and enjoy it’s enormity while watching for an inevitable calving and giant splash!

If you are looking for truly unique and beautiful gifts from Andalusia, Spain, look no farther than the Zoco Artisan Market in Cordoba. This shop is filled with jewelry, hand painted tiles, shawls, pottery and other local crafts. There are workshops and studios on site so you may even have a chance to see some artists at work. Even if you’re not in the market to shop, the beautiful inner courtyard is worth a peek for its hanging flowers and burbling water-feature.

Sugar sands, shallow waters, and consistently smooth seas are just a few factors that make Captiva Beach a Southwest Florida favorite. The shelling is great here, especially after storms, but it’s the sunsets that make it famous—and why Captiva is considered one of the most romantic beaches in the state. For a swim, stroll, or sunset viewing party, it can’t be beat. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the dolphins that are regularly spotted offshore.

Why we love it: An architectural landmark beautifully transformed into a five-star hotel

The Highlights:
- Elegant design touches like marble-inlaid floors and a gold-leafed stairway
- Urban hot springs for soaking even in the snow
- A rooftop lounge with views of the city and Lake Erie

The Review:
Opened in 1913 at the height of Buffalo’s boomtown years, this historic building originally served as office space. At six stories, it was considered a Chicago-style skyscraper and enjoyed pride of place as one of the city’s tallest buildings. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008 and underwent a $25 million makeover in 2017 to become the Curtiss—Buffalo’s only five-star hotel. The renovation added elegant touches like marble cornices, which are illuminated by brightly colored lights each evening, and a fountain at the main entrance, where iron taps stream into marble basins. Other extraordinary design moments include the marble-inlaid floor in the foyer, a gold-leafed stairway, and the glamorous Jazz Age mosaic by artist Christopher Guy behind the front desk. Lest it start to feel stuffy, however, the hotel also includes contemporary touches like “urban hot springs” where guests can soak outdoors no matter the season.

Set in Buffalo’s thriving Theatre District, the Curtiss has 68 rooms with premium linens, bedside control panels, and marble bathrooms with luxurious showers. Some even feature Toto toilets with heated seats, as well as steam showers and aromatherapy jetted tubs. When it’s time for drinks, high-speed elevators whisk guests to the VUE Rooftop Lounge, complete with three bars, a massive fire pit, and sweeping views of downtown Buffalo. For dinner, there’s also the standout Chez Ami restaurant, which features year-round patio seating and Western New York’s only revolving bar.

No hotel in Jamaica blends better with its surroundings than the aptly named Rockhouse, a string of villas clinging to the top of a sea cliff at the western tip of the island. Local stone, timber, and thatch are the building materials, and a harmony of design and setting is the result. The feel is rustic, but not rough (the showers might be outdoors, but the rooms are air-conditioned), and the feeling carries over to the pool, which sits on a rock platform halfway down the cliff face, from where sunbathers can don snorkel and mask and clamber down into a usually calm Caribbean. Even the restaurant hangs over the water, adding emphasis to the promise of dishes being fresh from the sea.

As does practically every hotel in Jamaica, Rockhouse has its celebrity stories, going back to the early ‘70s when Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones added their names to the guest register. But it wasn’t until 1994, when a group of Australian owners took over, that Rockhouse began to evolve its reputation as one of the most Jamaican of Jamaican hotels. It happened in part because Rockhouse has none of the formality that some of the island’s best-known hotels, with their British colonial roots, still possess. And in part because of its active role in funding local education projects, it’s a valued, and popular, part of the community. That, and the restaurant’s homemade jerk sausage is legendary.

Most people in the city know The Battery as an exclusive social club, but did you know it also houses a 14-suite, boutique hotel, open to members and non-members alike? Featuring a maximalist decor that channels the many sides of San Francisco—be it Chinatown inspired motifs on the curtains or beams from the old ships that used to dock in this location (this area was once water)—the hotel will remind you where you are at every twist and turn. Rooms are spacious, comfortable, and impeccably designed.

Mustique has nine magnificent beaches, but Macaroni Beach—an isolated strip on the eastern side of the island—is touted as one of the best in the world. Access is limited to on-island residents and guests, however, as Mustique is virtually private. If you can get here, look forward to a blissfully quiet stretch of sparkling white sand, bordered by lush greenery and bright-blue water.

This long, lovely stretch of silver-gray volcanic sand is a rarity on Dominica’s rocky coastline. Locals enjoy it for the warm, calm waters and Sunday beach barbecue scene—not to mention the toilets, showers, concession stands, and nearby restaurants. However, it’s just a half-hour drive north of the cruise ship terminal in Roseau, so the crowds can heat up when the big vessels dock. Steer clear then, if you can.

A charismatic Rasta also known as “Irie Man,” Screw spent years building this colorful, open-air retreat, just a 20-minute drive east of Roseau. Here, you can slip into six pools of varying temperatures on a lush, leafy hillside, pierced by cascades and water features. Open from Tuesday through Sunday, the spa also offers massages and volcanic mud wraps.

Just a short hour drive away from Kelowna, and only a 5-10 minute drive from Penticton, Naramata sits hidden with acres of green vineyards cascading off of clay cliffs into Lake Okanagan. In the heart Naramara is the historic Naramata Heritage Inn & Spa. Built in 1908, some say it’s haunted with its history of being a school and the first cultural hub upon Lake Okanagan. Today it functions as an ideal getaway with nearby beaches, over 100 wineries and the variety of adventure activities nearby. I always make time to stop in during my wine tasting trips to sit in the sun with a glass of local wine and a variety of local cheese and charcuterie selections. This is foodie stop one shouldn’t miss while visiting the area if not staying with the hotel. Take a tour through the chefs garden, tour the quirky town of artists and vintners, or enjoy the cycling, zip lines, hikes, fishing and water sports all within the Central and Southern Okanagan.

This hotel is on our list of The 11 Best Hotels in Chicago.

Following a much-needed $60 million makeover in July 2022, the Park Hyatt Chicago is once again a contender for one of the best hotels in town. Located in the bustling Magnificent Mile neighborhood at 800 N. Michigan Avenue, the storied property has been a landmark destination since it opened in 1980 as the first property to bear the Park designation. The renewed sanctuary now delivers a true sense of place, with a refreshed lobby design that’s more of an urban living room, an updated Library, and a vibrant new art program spotlighting some of Chicago’s most talented creatives. Critically, the hotel’s signature restaurant NoMI (named for the location on North Michigan Avenue) now has three different concepts: NoMI Kitchen, which emphasizes American cuisine with French techniques, NoMI Garden, a terrace space that’s ideal for lunch, and NoMI Lounge, which includes a six-seat sushi bar.

The Park Hyatt Chicago, facing ever stiffer competition from newer luxury hotel entries in the Magnificent Mile orbit, nevertheless remains a great choice for families because of the central location optimizing sightseeing and kid-heaven treats. Budding geologists will love the geodes, minerals, and marine fossils in the lobby alcove. Chefs at the seventh-floor NoMI restaurant, known for fine wines, city views, and standout American contemporary cuisine, take young foodies to the open kitchen’s soft-serve ice cream dispenser. The 7,000 square foot fitness center includes a 25 yard lap pool with skyline views, or borrow a complimentary Jamis commuter bike to ride the scenic Lakefront Trail four blocks east on the beach side of Lake Shore Drive. Guestrooms have notable design flourishes such as padded window seats, Eames chairs, and Mies van der Rohe–designed Brno desks from which to view the city’s famous architecture. Pets are welcome, and the hotel donates 100% of its standard pet fee to one of the city’s largest animal shelters.

Part of the spectacular wind- and ocean-eroded shoreline of the Te Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve, Cathedral Cove, on New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula, is reached via an undulating coastal track that takes around 40 minutes to hike. To avoid the inevitable crowds, it’s best to visit the massive stone arch early in the morning or late in the afternoon, and the natural shower of the arch’s waterfall is a refreshing option after the walk. The stunning beach is also popular for swimming, and en route there’s good snorkeling at Gemstone Bay and Stingray Bay. To arrive at the cove by sea (a short hop from the nearby resort town of Hahei), contact Cathedral Cove Water Taxi.