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Shopping in Guadeloupe is a thrill. On the one hand you get the best of French goods, from perfumes and beauty products to trendy beach apparel, and on the other you get Guadeloupean arts and crafts. On Grande Terre, Sainte-Anne’s artisanal fabrics will have you renewing your beach closet, while the colorful markets of Pointe-a-Pitre are ideal for stocking up on cooking spices. Guadeloupean rhum—which also comes in delicious fruit flavors—and cacao are sold island-wide, while the shopping malls house French designer brands. The best packing advice for Guadeloupe is to save plenty of luggage space.

Hawai‘i is the 50th state, but really it’s its own planet. Soar above hot lava in a helicopter, surf waves as tall as your house, or take a music lesson from a member of the Ukulele Hall of Fame! These are just a few of Hawai‘i’s top attractions.

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.

In the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it village of Volcano, on the slopes of Mauna Loa and just outside of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, are a handful of B&Bs and cottage rentals (see also Volcano Rainforest Retreat). Among the oldest—but no less charming for its 25 years—is Volcano Village Estate (previously known as Hale Ohia).


It’s a small cottage colony, with guest quarters scattered around a two-acre estate thickly carpeted in emerald-green moss and shaded by stands of soaring sugi (Japanese cedar) trees. The main house, a quirky Queen Anne style Victorian with a miniature turret and stone chimney that make it look like it was lifted right out of a children’s storybook, dates back to the 1930s when the manager of a sugar plantation built it as a summer holiday home. The gardens were planted by the same master landscape architects responsible for the Liliʻuokalani Gardens in Hilo (at one time the largest Edo style garden outside of Japan).


All guest quarters are sweetly decorated, in a largely Craftsman style with ceramic tiles and soft woods; some have pretty, stained-glass windows. But on a chilly Volcano night—and most of them are since the town sits at 4,000 feet—nothing is quite as romantic as curling up by the fireplace in one of the three stand-alone cottages, unless, of course, it’s sitting in the garden and watching the dazzling night sky, which is reason enough to stay on this side of the island.

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.

The Wine House Hotel of Quinta da Pacheca is the ideal retreat in the Douro, where peace, tranquillity, elegance and comfort are just some of the adjectives to describe the unique facilities prepared for you. Inserted in a 51 ha. (126 ac.) farm full of vineyards stretching down to the Douro, the Wine House Hotel Quinta da Pacheca is an intense and soulful hotel that surprises for its history, combined with an innovative and sophisticated style.


The main building is a typical 18th century house that was completely restored respecting its traditional architecture and original values. The common spaces and its fifteen unique rooms benefit now of a modern and avant-garde image, with sober and elegant features. This is a boutique hotel totally devoted to gastronomy and wine tourism, where well-being and comfort are omnipresent values and where vineyards and wine play a crucial role.


Quinta da Pacheca is the poster child of an ancient winery being adapted to the modern demands of the modern wine traveller. The main houses in the centre of the estate was recently renovated into a chic - boutique - luxury wine hotel. It very elegantly mixes some modern and contemporary elements in a way that one can understand that the owners never lost touch with the Quinta’s heritage. The restaurant is proudly served by Chef Carlos Pires, a man from the interior Northwest of Portugal (Trás-os-Montes - my favourite part of the country) so traditional bold Portuguese flavours are in the main driver in an elegantly plated menu.

History is alive at this downtown property, housed in the iconic Temple Court building designed by architect James M. Farnsworth in 1881. At check-in, pause to appreciate the nine-story atrium and skylight, then head to one of the 287 fully appointed rooms, which include 35 suites and two penthouses with private rooftop terraces. Each space comes with luxurious amenities like Carrara marble-tiled bathrooms with oversized rain showers, exclusive D.S & Durga toiletries, and around-the-clock room service courtesy of chef Tom Colicchio’s Crafted Hospitality.

Should guests want to eat outside of their room, the hotel is also home to Daniel Boulud’s Le Gratin, a bistro inspired by the French chef’s hometown of Lyon, and Colicchio’s Temple Court, where classic dishes like Maine lobster and Berkshire pork chop fill the menu. Cocktail lounge Laissez Faire recently debuted with martini service and a DJ booth. Those requiring reservations beyond hotel doors should call upon the Les Clefs d’Or-recognized concierge team.

Originally opened in 1946 as a luxury hideaway for the rich and famous, the Hotel Bel-Air’s brilliance as a Hollywood icon has, if anything, increased since its renovation, finished in 2011, by the renowned design teams at Alexandra Champalimaud and the Rockwell Group. Surrounded by 12 acres of fragrant, exotic gardens, the decadent rooms have housed everyone from Grace Kelly to Oprah, from Richard Nixon to the Prince of Wales, all of whom sought serene privacy—and the staff’s renowned discretion.

The Morris family’s roots are among the deepest in colonial Pennsylvania. Anthony Morris settled here in 1685 and would become one of the city’s first mayors. A century later, his grandson Samuel served as a captain of the Continental Army’s Philadelphia City Calvary. Though the Morris family’s red-brick mansion on 8^th street was built in 1787, it upholds a pre-Revolutionary colonial style epitomized in the stately Independence Hall, and members of the family would live in this large corner property for the next 120 years. A painstaking restoration in the mid-1960s earned it a spot as a National Historic Landmark, and the current owners renovated the property in 2000, transforming the distinguished address into a 17-room boutique hotel without compromising original architectural details. With a leafy courtyard garden, gourmet farm-to-table restaurant, and a focus on personalized service, the latest incarnation of this home lives up to its storied past.

Each room is tastefully decorated in Colonial-era decor and reproductions. Despite the history and limitations inherent in any historic structure, guestrooms are large and uncluttered with all the modern conveniences, splashes of natural light, and sparkling bathrooms, some with Jacuzzi tubs. Adding to the allure are a complimentary continental breakfast and a cocktail, beer, or glass of wine on the house.

Why we love it: A foodie hideaway from a three-Michelin starred chef

The Highlights:
- A Michelin-starred chef overseeing operations
- Gourmet—yet affordable—fare at the on-site restaurant
- A lovely setting in the Rhine Valley

The Review:
The Rhine Valley village of Fürstenau may officially be the world’s smallest city, but it does boast the famous Schauenstein Schloss restaurant and castle hotel—and, since 2018, this more casual and contemporary option set in the castle’s former stables. Designed by Spanish-born interiors guru Patricia Urquiola, Casa Caminada is, like its parent restaurant and hotel, overseen by Swiss chef Andreas Caminada, who can often be spotted bustling around the property.

Given the hotel’s foodie cred, most guests come for the eats—whether they choose the fine-dining option at the castle or the restaurant at the Casa, which offers similarly elegant Swiss fare at more wallet-friendly prices. Breakfast is included in the room rate and features epic breads from the on-site, traditional-style bakery. After all the great meals—and some bracing hikes along nearby trails—relax in the guesthouse’s garden with a glass of wine, then retire to one of the 10 rooms. While they’re all different sizes and shapes, each is awash in warm woods, simple furnishings, and crisp Italian linens, and equipped with a private balcony that lets the views take center stage.

When traveling with family or friends in Turks and Caicos, a private villa rental often works out to be cheaper than sleeping in a hotel. Staying in a private villa also offers more privacy and flexibility when it comes to meals and experiences. From bare-bones to full-service with butler, maid, and chef, villa rentals in Turks and Caicos cover all budgets.

The capital of the state in which it takes its name, Oaxaca is a destination for both art and food. Casa de Las Bugambilias, a bed-and-breakfast inn in Oaxaca’s Centro neighborhood, features locally-made artwork and crafts throughout its rooms. Travelers with more modern tastes might prefer the nearby Azul de Oaxaca Hotel + Galeria, which is housed in an 18th-century building but decorated in modern furnishings. Foodies should stay at Hotel Casa Oaxaca and book a chef-led food tour.

Doha is a paradise for architects and designers. In a place where money is not an issue, the sky is the only limit to their imagination. If someone imagines a building, Qatar is the place to crystallize it. Qatar will host the 2022 soccer world cup in the best state-of-the-art stadiums modern technology can build, and will house athletes and visitors in sophisticated hotels, villas and resorts. Which means, there will be buildings looking like desert roses, tress, flames and even like paradise.

An often overlooked fishing village located just 10 miles south of Negril, Little Bay’s small, crescent-shaped shores and white sands will tug at your inner beach bum. There are a couple of local guesthouse options in these parts, and not much else happening within walking distance—except a slice of daily Jamaican life and some sea activities such as kayaking and snorkeling off the nearby reef. Bob Marley loved Little Bay so much, he had a house here and wrote lyrics from this beach. It’s an easy day trip from Negril and a nice spot for shutterbugs.

Housed in a historic turn-of-the-20th-century building renovated to include nearly 10,500 square feet of exhibition space, 21c Museum Hotel is equal parts art gallery and modern lodging. Guests and the public will find a range of programs, from solo and group shows to rotating installations, curated by Alice Gray Stites. You’ll also find a touch of whimsy in the form of the brand’s signature penguin sculptures, a playful gesture that extends to the guest rooms. Featuring light hardwood floors, white walls, and colorful modern furnishings, they serve as a coordinating backdrop for original works by local artists; flat-screen televisions, Nespresso coffee makers, and Malin + Goetz bath amenities keep things comfortable. Downstairs, the chef at Gray & Dudley transforms ingredients from neighborhood markets and farms into dishes like pan-roasted duck breast with apple purée and black-eyed pea falafel. Another must-try indulgence? The small spa requires 24-hour advance reservations, but the calm respite after a day of sightseeing makes it worth the wait.