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Why we love it: A hipster hotspot that’s as stylish as it is affordable

Highlights:
- A range of room types for all travelers
- Local hangouts like the on-site diner and pool bar
- A prime location in one of Austin’s coolest neighborhoods

The Review:
While locals are committed to keeping Austin weird, there’s nothing strange about the new East Austin Hotel, a soon-to-be hipster haunt where millennial pink accents and midcentury chic mix with details that embody the city’s independent spirit. Here, guests find a variety of accommodations to suit all types of travelers, from cabin rooms with shared bathrooms to poolside suites with private balconies, but all feature Scandi-inspired furnishings and quirky touches like turtle-shaped ottomans, Moroccan pillows, and retro Victrola radios.

Vintage pendants hang over the bar at on-site restaurant Sixth & Waller, a self-described “global diner” that serves international comfort food like family-style latkes, chicken-fried steak, and mango cream pie. Equally stylish is The Upside, a rooftop bar with cocktails inspired by the Caribbean and Central and South America, and Pool Bar, which welcomes both guests and locals with frozen drinks and Instagram-friendly dishes like gochujang queso and jackfruit bánh mi. The hotel also boasts a stylish gift shop with local gifts like handcrafted ceramics and leather goods, but if you’d rather venture out, stop by the concierge desk and grab a curated map that highlights neighborhood hotspots with live music, authentic food, and more.

The first true boutique hotel on L.A.’s east side, the Hotel Covell fits into its trendy Los Feliz neighborhood so well that it feels like it should have been there for years. Created by a veteran of the Los Angeles bar and restaurant scene, the nine-room hotel takes its inspiration from a fictional character’s life: George Covell, an imaginary writer, started out in Oklahoma in the 1930s and ’40s before dividing his time between New York and Paris, where his daughter Isabel grew up. Each distinctively (and painstakingly) decorated suite is based on a place George or Isabel lived, from a rustic-chic Oklahoma house to a 1970s Parisian apartment.

Whether you are celebrating a special occasion or just for a spontaneous night of indulgence: Medellin is blessed with romantic dining spots. El Cielo, just opposite Parque Lleras, is as well-known throughout Latin America as its creator Juan Manuel Barrientos—a young chef synonymous with creating unforgettable experimental cuisine. Dishes are separated into ‘moments’ and are all created by his team of chefs and designers in his food lab. Diners can choose from either 10 or 15 ‘moments.’ Each dish has a lifespan of three months, after which it is replaced by a new, vastly different dish. Meanwhile Carmen, located a few blocks away, offers not only high-end, diverse cuisine but also a seductive interior and some extraordinary cocktails.

Dubai isn’t just about shopping and architecture. The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding offers enriching and intellectually stimulating tours, meant to engage and inform visitors about Emirati history and culture. Visit the center for a communal Emirati breakfast followed by a walking tour of the surrounding Bur Dubai neighborhoods, where Dubai’s rulers have lived since the early 20th century. And if you’re eager to visit a mosque, the center runs the only mosque tours for guests of all faiths. The center is close to several historical and cultural attractions, including Al Fahidi Historical District and Al Bastakiya.

If money is no object, staying near the Marina in Singapore is a great choice. On one side you have the bizarrely mesmerizing Marina Bay Sands development, which includes a hotel, casino (note that the Chinese take their gambling very seriously), shops, a theater, a rooftop pool, a rooftop restaurant/bar/club (Cé La Vi), myriad celebrity-chef restaurants (try Daniel Boulud’s DB Bistro & Oyster Bar), and much more. Although MBS is fun to visit and certainly worth strolling through, you get more for your hotel money across the Marina at the Fullerton Bay Hotel.

What could be more enchanting than sitting over the Puerta de Sol in the heart of Madrid? Why, enjoying the view with a pastry and cafe con leche in hand, of course. Let Mallorquina’s hustle and bustle of the downstairs leave you feeling like a local, sipping caffeine at the bar, but for a quiet moment of indulgence take the spiral staircase up to the dining room and enjoy the view and white linens for only a few cents more. Rumor is, they serve the best napolitana chocolate in Madrid, but you’ll have to try it for yourself to be sure.

Cramped it may be, but rustic Da Mario, located at the back of the mercato centrale, serves up a menu of consistently reliable Florentine classics to a mix of stall workers, business folk and tourists, and it’s always packed. The choice changes daily, but look out for earthy zuppa di fagioli e cavolo nero and peppato, a kind of beef stew laced with black pepper.

This colonial artifact overlooks the turquoise Indian Ocean and the Coast Line train that runs along it. Sights from the ocean-view rooms stretch to the city of Colombo, 20 minutes away. Trainspotters should request a room at the hotel’s north end to score a balcony with views of the ocean and the tracks. From $105, 94/(0) 11-271-1711, mountlaviniahotel.lk

Hotel June is a fairly new addition to L.A.’s hotel scene, but the historic Malibu spot, which re-opened in 2022 and was once home to Bob Dylan, has swiftly risen up the ranks. Why? For one, its minimalist design offers a calm, relaxing respite from the hectic Southern Californian lifestyle—while also paying homage to its ‘60s roots. There are only 13 bungalow-style rooms, and the vibe is strictly laid back. Private patios feature hammocks, a small pool invites you for a dip, and nearby beaches and trails offer outdoor exploration.

One of the oldest and largest tailoring shops in town, Thu Thuy is well respected and is a good option for having a suit or a fitted dress run up. Good service and an adjoining coffee shop makes shopping here even more desirable.

This treasure trove of curiosities by Susanne Schmid and Simon Wirth in Kreis 4 sells all sorts of vintage objects and upcycled items, including Indian Mrinmaya statues, a mango- and teakwood art deco locker from a colonial hotel in Sri Lanka, and stuffed animals made in Chile from classic men’s handkerchiefs. You’ll also find Fiona Caulfield’s exquisite fabric-covered Love Travel Guides.

Zurich West’s answer to Bahnhofstrasse is lined with boutiques of its own, the most popular of which are Einzigart for design-minded goods like Kristian Vedel’s handcrafted birds and Little Black Dress for chic, edgy takes on the style classic. The restaurant Josef has long served as the neighborhood’s unofficial canteen with its imaginative tapas-sized dishes and buzzing bar scene. Photo © Gian Marco Castelberg/The Brander

Offering a mix of affordable and designer brands, Tsamis Eyewear Boutique at Costa Navarino’s Navarino Dunes sells glasses, contact lenses, sunglasses, fashionable frames, and related accessories. Staff here really know their stuff when it comes to glasses, and can help you choose frames that best suit your face. Moreover, as Messenia features a sunny, Mediterranean climate it’s important to protect your eyes with sunglasses.

The name hardly prepares you for the exquisitely cut and styled women’s clothes inside. Among the featured Croatian designers, my favorite, who goes by the name Rococo, creates Grecian-themed gowns and cocktail dresses. The Dubrovnik branch will reopen in a new location this summer. Od Puča 11, Dubrovnik. This appeared in the January/February 2013 issue.

“First stop in Barcelona is Bar Mut. Great vibes, wine, and this house classic of egg yolk, prawns, and crispy potatoes. Hot damn, it’s good to be here."—Matt Duckor