Search results for

Set in a historic Beaux-Arts building, The NoMad exudes European sophistication while maintaining a distinct New York edge. Located in the changing north of Madison Square Park neighborhood, this design-centric property opened its doors in 2012. French designer Jacques Garcia was inspired by the Paris apartment of his youth. Rooms are comfortable and timeless, with original artwork. This hotel brings back pleasures of another era, from freestanding claw-foot tubs in the rooms to a bar and restaurant that entice guests to stay under the hotel roof. Start an evening with a drink in the Library (reserved exclusively for hotel guests after 4 p.m.) then dine in the acclaimed NoMad restaurant, where you are certain to rub elbows with New Yorkers—this property has completely won over the locals.

Nuzzled up against the Arizona border about 100 miles west of Four Corners are some 30 square miles of the most iconic scenery in the American West. Monument Valley is one of those places that you’ll recognize as soon as you see it, even if you’ve never been there before, as dozens of movies, TV shows, and even video games have used the area as a setting. It’s made up of mesas both small and large reaching up from the valley floor, some rising as high as 1,000 feet into the sky. Part of the Navajo Reservation, the area charges a $20-per-vehicle entrance fee to drive the dirt-road loop. Once in, however, you can also enjoy a number of hikes, or hire a guide for a horseback tour.

A pilgrimage to this enchanting park is a must for any Antoni Gaudí fan. Located atop Carmel Hill to the north of the city, the park was inspired by English landscape gardens, but its fantastical elements make sure you know it was created by Catalonia’s most eccentric architect. Though there are multiple entrances, the most impressive is via a grand staircase guarded by an enormous, mosaic-tiled dragon. It leads to a sprawling plaza with a mosaic-covered cement bench stretching some 328 feet around the perimeter. Park Güell was originally designed as a gated residential development, but it failed; a show home built to lure buyers is now the Gaudí House Museum (not included with park admission). Visitors should reserve an online ticket to avoid lines.

If it’s rhinoceros you want to photograph, you can’t miss Ongava Game Reserve just south of the border of Etosha National Park. This private breeding facility has black and white rhino and plays a critical part in conserving this species. When staying at Ongava, there are several options for accommodation including the three luxury suites at Little Ongava, the air-conditioned chalets of Ongava Lodge and the traditional safari tents at Ongava Tented Camp. Best of all, because Little Ongava is so small, guests share a private guide and 4WD vehicle. This allows you maximum flexibility for exploring both Etosha and Ongava’s reserve.

On a charming corner of Greenwich Street in TriBeCa, the Greenwich Hotel is a sophisticated downtown Manhattan property co-owned by actor Robert DeNiro. Since opening in 2008, this boutique hotel has earned a reputation for its discretion (only a small sign signals the entrance), offering the type of service and privacy that attracts celebrity guests. Keep an eye out for abstract expressionist paintings by Robert DeNiro’s father, Robert DeNiro Sr., throughout the hotel.

No two of the 88 rooms are alike; the design is unfussy and pleasantly understated. Spacious bathrooms—finished in Moroccan tile or Italian Carrara marble—are a highlight of the accommodations. Start your stay with a swim in the lantern-lit swimming pool before sipping a pre-dinner cocktail in the guests-only drawing room, complete with a fireplace. The hotel is also home to neighborhood favorite Italian restaurant, Locanda Verde, from beloved NYC chef Andrew Carmellini.

At the base of Blackcomb Mountain, Four Seasons Resort and Residences complements its sylvan surroundings with a kind of chalet-luxe style accentuated with natural materials. Public areas feature wood beams, granite, and limestone, and guest rooms in earthy tones include gas fireplaces and mountain views. Groups might prefer the private residences in the property’s adjoining condo; the largest has four bedrooms and a den, offering homey comforts plus the benefits of the facilities next door. The hotel curates experiences you won’t find anywhere else, including private dining in a cave in Canada’s largest ice field or customized ski tours with an Olympic athlete. Guests who want to embrace the healthy West Coast lifestyle can sign up for complimentary weekend fitness and yoga classes upon check-in.

The Edgewater made its mark in Seattle history as the place The Beatles stayed when they came through on tour in 1964. Other rock stars (and those who like to travel like rock stars) have since stayed at the Edgewater, choosing it for its singular location on Pier 67 perched over the waters of Puget Sound. The public spaces make design references to the Pacific Northwest, with natural wood and stone everywhere. Waterfront rooms have sunset views that are nothing short of spectacular, and all the rooms are well-appointed, with gas fireplaces and spa-style bathrooms.

As you speed through the desert on I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix, consider getting off at Exit 219, especially if you have kids in the backseat... ...and even if you don’t have kids in the backseat, feeding ostriches and lorikeets is FUN! This is a classic road-trip must-stop thing to do. Stretch your legs and take a break from dodging eighteen-wheelers while communing with a bit of feathered nature at the foot of Picacho Peak. There are deer and goats to feed as well, and ostrich feather dusters for purchase, along with gigantic eggshells and related desert avian kitsch. The ‘rainbow lorikeet forest’ is a delight--these Australian parrots fly free in this tree-filled enclosure and will happily land on you to feed from the cups of nectar you’ll be offering... I’d passed by this area for years before finally stopping, always curious but skeptical. I can honestly say it’s not a rip-off and you’ll probably end up spending more time than you thought you would...unless you have a phobia of birds. (Keep in mind--mid-summer mid-day temps can be brutal here, and there are occasional dust-storms in this area. Plan accordingly.)

This is a cool clothing store in the Pearl featuring gear and fashion from a variety of mainstream and boutique brands. The Lizard collections coalesce into a catalog of functional apparel with style and sustainability at the heart of their designs. While the Lounge has a great selection of brands, the real draw for me is the Nau gear. From natural and recycled materials in the fabrics, to the cut and fit of clothes designed for people who move, Nau is an essential part of my packing routine. Their designers once told me they want their clothes to be comfortable—whether the wearer is reaching for a hand hold in a 5-9 pitch or reaching for the top shelf tequila behind the bar. The Nau down shirt was the first of what’s become a ubiquitous piece of all-season gear. The Lounge is also known for its own style of events, supporting local, social and environmental causes with food, drink, music, and mingling. Nau also donates a small percentage of each sale to select nonprofits fighting the good fight at the local and global levels. The Lizard Lounge is not just about retail. It’s about wearing your way into a better world and so Portland in the process.

Spice Route is a heavenly experience where deep colors meet exotic spices. Located in the grand Imperial Hotel, I found the restaurant to be one of the most visually stunning places I’ve ever seen. Restaurants in 5-star hotels are generally known to display lavish and extravagant decor, but this restaurant is on a whole new level. It feels as if you have walked into a dark forest with rich gold branches and heavenly waterfalls, and a pervasive aroma of mysterious spices to match. It’s an escape into nature. And it’s not as if the stunning decor is trying to compensate for the poor quality of food. The food is absolutely scrumptious, offering food from all the places that fell under the ancient spice route, from the Malabar Coast of Kerala to the shores of Thailand. I think it’s one of the very few restaurants in Delhi that has amazing Keralan food. The restaurant is really romantic, making it a perfect place for a date. It is very upscale and they are quite serious about implementing a strict dress code. It’s even rated as one of the top restaurants by Condé Nast Traveler. It’s not just a restaurant, it’s an experience!

Multnomah Falls is a gorgeous sight located about 45 minutes by car outside of Portland, Oregon, on the Columbia River Gorge. Several hikes of differing degrees of difficulty offer vantage points to view the falls. The sound of the rushing water is a soothing composition from Mother Nature.

At this bird-lover’s paradise, guests have reported seeing Blue Cotingas, Green Shrike-Vireos, and any number of native Panamanian bird species just outside their bedroom window. Their luck is in part due to Canopy Tower’s unorthodox location in a converted radar tower, right in the middle of the lowland rainforest of Soberanía National Park. Accommodations span two floors at either 18 feet (mid-canopy level) or 28 feet (canopy level), and range from basic yet adequate single rooms that share a bathroom, to a large suite with a private balcony. The lush rainforest setting also means there’s plenty more than birds on view—howler and tamarin monkeys, two- and three-toed sloths, nine-banded armadillos, and white-tailed deer are frequently seen from the tower, plus the stargazing is phenomenal. Guests can choose from day rates or all-inclusive birding and nature packages, the most comprehensive of which is a 20-night exploration of the surrounding area.

Six Senses is known for top-tier, sustainability-focused resorts in far-flung locales like the Maldives but, in 2015, the Bangkok-based hospitality brand opened its first European resort in Portugal’s wine-producing Douro Valley. Housed in a 19th-century manor house with a terracotta-tiled roof, the property features a contemporary interior, outfitted in shades of muted gold, gray, and white. Set high on a hill, the 57 rooms, suites, and villas offer stunning views of rolling vineyards, lush forests, or the property’s courtyard.

For what are undoubtedly the best vistas, choose one of the fifth-floor Quinta Panorama Suites, each with floor-to-ceiling windows that look straight onto the meandering Douro River. A wine cellar and library showcase the best of the region’s vintages, while three restaurants make use of vegetables and herbs harvested from the resort’s own organic garden. Apropos of a spa in wine country, nail treatments come with wine and cheese tastings, and scrubs and masks are individually blended with grapes, salts, herbs, and other natural ingredients.

This remote, family owned property of cabins is an experience you’ll savor if you’re in the Moosehead Lake area of Maine and hoping to get away from it all. Closed from October to mid January, the camp reopens for the winter season where you’re treated by breakfast and dinner by Eric and his family and given a bag lunch if you need one. During the other summer and early fall months, your stay and your schedule will revolve around three home cooked meals in the main dining lodge. You’ll be hungry, there’s fishing, canoeing, swimming and hiking in the summer months. There is no cell reception out here and you can be certain to not have any sort of wifi connection. Cherish that. Chill the beverages you purchase at the local general store in the camp’s cold, natural spring at the water’s edge and soak up the visits by the local moose in the morning and early evening. This is a great location for a private family reunion or a celebration in the heart of Maine.

With more than 125 years of history under its belt, the Brown Palace Hotel is one of Denver’s quirkiest landmarks. It was the country’s first fireproof lodging—built with terracotta floors, cast-iron railings, and onyx paneling but no wood—and though it has welcomed every president since Teddy Roosevelt, save Calvin Coolidge, it also hosts grand champion steer from the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo as they take a victory lap through the lobby each year.


Given its Italian Renaissance–style architecture and frontier legacy, English afternoon tea has become an unexpected institution in the hotel’s soaring nine-story atrium, with imported Devonshire cream, an exclusive blend of Assam-Ceylon tea, and live piano music. And instead of bottled Evian, contemporary-skewing guest rooms are stocked with natural artisan water from a well more than 700 feet underground.

Regular tours are offered to those who wish to uncover hidden details of the past—don’t miss the 26 stone-carved animal medallions that are perched outside seventh-floor windows.