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The Inn and Spa at Loretto, one of Santa Fe’s iconic boutique luxury hotels, could easily be mistaken for the ancient Taos Pueblo. The hotel’s angular architecture, soothing desert hues, and romantic lighting draw heavily on the original pueblo. Rooms are outfitted with both traditional touches (handcrafted furniture, Anasazi pottery and artwork, kiva fireplaces, colorful textiles) and modern luxuries (slate-floored bathrooms, iPod docks, flat-screen TVs, private balconies). The restaurant and spa are among the best in the state, and the atmospheric lounge one of the coolest spots in town to sip cocktails and catch live music. And, as if it needed another dose of history, the landmark Loretto Chapel sits on the grounds, guaranteeing both excellent views and easy sightseeing access. Now, if only more pueblos were like this.

When hotelier Sean MacPherson opened the Ludlow he totally nailed the unique spirit of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The 175-room hotel is the perfect mix of gritty and stylish, cool and calm. Rooms are done up in that signature MacPherson style with unique artisan touches including handmade silk rugs, artisan—crafted Moroccan pendant lamps and Indo-Portuguese-style beds. The “and” factor amenities include bathrobes from cult Paris fashion label Maison Martin Margiela and a Rockstar suite with a 1,100-foot terrace with Williamsburg Bridge views. The lobby is always abuzz, no matter what the hour and features a rotating selection of art curated by Vito Schnable as well as an outdoor “secret” garden that’s perfect for hiding away with your laptop or a good book. Breakfast is included for guests and the warm pastry basket should not be missed. Perhaps the highlight of any stay is the fact you’re right above Dirty French, one of NYC’s buzziest restaurants. Being an elevator ride away from the complimentary herb-seasoned flatbread is reason alone to book a stay.

Open since 2001, the hotel pays homage to Houston’s rich roots in the oil industry with black granite lobby floors and a vast collection of Texas wildcatter images by famed photographer Arthur Meyerson. A wildcatter is a nickname for a person who does exploratory drilling, and the hotel’s name is a variation on an oil “derrick” drilling rig.

Streamlined and modern, the property underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation after Destination Hotels acquired it in 2012. Guest rooms have a neutral palette with bold accent colors, graphic textiles, and contemporary furnishings including platform beds and banquette seating. Expansive windows with city views are standard. The business center is open 24 hours, and the pet-friendly property has a “Wag Lounge” for guest dogs.

El Péndulo elevates the café-bookstore concept exceptionally well, inviting you to linger for hours over coffee and pastries in its large, two-level cafe (there are even tables on the second floor’s balcony). Books in Spanish and English line sagging shelves and sit in precarious piles on the floor, and staff will happily help you search for music or a movie from their extensive inventory of CDs and DVDs. The store has a large selection of novelty gift items, too, including journals and pens so you can document your visit. Be sure to give a nudge to the pendulum for which the store is named on your way out; suspended from the ceiling, the sand-filled, cone-shaped pendulum swings back and forth, making patterns as customers give the pendulum a gentle push.

Mount Royal Park starts at the edge of the city just beyond the McGill campus and runs alongside neighborhoods like Plateau before rising to the top of 764-foot-tall Mount Royal (Mont Réal), the hill that gives the city its name. The twisting roads and paths of this crown jewel of Montréal’s park system were initially laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York’s Central Park. While Olmsted’s plan was not followed in all its details, the final result was true to his vision of a woody park that takes advantage of the site’s hilly topography. There are two belvederes with views of the city skyline and the St. Lawrence River, and one of Montréal’s iconic landmarks, a 103-foot-high cross, sits at its northern end. The park is most popular in summer, but residents flock here in every season, to enjoy the colorful foliage in the fall and the cross-country ski trails and toboggan runs in the winter.

Calling all lovers of food: Shilin Night Market is the largest of many night markets in Taipei. It is easily accessible by MRT and has endless stalls of restaurants/stands as well as shops. Bring a friend so you can share and experience more of the many dishes that this great market has to offer. If you do take the MRT, make sure you get to the platform before 12am because the trains stop running after that. If you stay past 12am, you will need to catch a cab to get back to your hotel.

The boardwalk and bike path from Will Rogers State Beach in the Pacific Palisades to Torrance County Beach in Torrance is a stretch of activity some 20 miles long. Rent a bike, roller or in-line skates, or a Segway and cruise as much of the coastline as you please. The Venice Beach Boardwalk portion is packed with characters, shops, and vendors, and is perfect for picking up a souvenir. Marvel at the strip of contemporary beach houses, including the one designed by Frank Gehry, just north of the Venice Pier, and then stroll down the pier to watch surfers and enjoy the panoramic views.

The Crocker Art Museum recently underwent a renovation, and the results are stunning. It feels like a “real” museum, the type you would expect to find in a big, thriving city like Sacramento, the capital of California. The permanent collection of paintings is housed in the old Crocker mansion, with beautiful details to be found in every room. The exhibitions as well as permanent collections of ceramics and Asian and African artworks are housed in the museum’s new modern wing. The light, airy space perfectly suits the purpose. There is also an inviting courtyard and cafe downstairs as well as exhibition spaces upstairs. The museum is located right in downtown Sacramento. Entrance is $10 per adult. Family-friendly activities are held frequently. Parking is available behind and in front of the museum. The gift shop has a nice collection of gifts, puzzles, wall hangings, and children’s items.

What a wonderful location to stay in Lisbon—in the middle of an elegant neighborhood like Chiado and so close to the trendy Bairro Alto. A five-star boutique hotel, this place is full of charm and luxurious rooms spread across five floors, with views over Largo do Camões and the river. A building from the 18th century, this hotel, with décor by Portuguese designers, features dark wood furniture, mixing classic and contemporary. Visit the bar on the rooftop; it is one of the best spots for a drink with a view.

Might be one of the most beautiful train stations in the World, Sao Bento Railway Station was opened to the public in 1916 and is well known for its walls covered with 20,000 splendid azulejo ceramic tiles which describe the History of Portugal. It took Jorge Colaço, the artist, 11 years to complete this building. The railway station is located in the Almeida Garret Square, in the centre of the city. I happened to be there on a Saturday rainy morning, while I was looking for a place to hide from the heavy rain. It was quite interesting watching the people’s dynamics, which might look the same in every major Railway station, despite its location. This place is beautiful all year around and probably most hours of the day. Indulge in this beauty and pay attention to the little details.

After falling in love with Salvador Dali at his museum in Figueres, we caught one of three buses out to the cliffside town of Cadaques where you can get to know Dali a bit more intimately by touring his house. Full of odds and ends, including mini cages where he kept crickets and a polar bear draped in jewels, his house also includes spectacular views (including this one) of the serene Port Lligat. Tips: You must book tickets in advance to tour his house, and double-check the bus schedules because there are only three buses per day that go from Figueres - Cadaques and back.

With two hiking trails ascending 1,280 feet to its peak, Camelback Mountain is a great option for nature-fiends who like a challenge. Both the Echo Canyon and Cholla trails exceed a mile in length and are accented with steep grades. Average hiking times range from 1.5 to 3 hours round-trip, so pack accordingly and bring enough water.

The crumbling architecture of Stone Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the town’s carved doors are one of its most recognizable features. I spent a lot of time searching for the door of Swahili merchant Tippu Tip, a notorious 19th-century slave and ivory trader who grew fabulously wealthy from his exploits in the interior of Africa. He showcased his wealth by slapping Stone Town’s most elaborately carved door on the front of his mansion in the mysteriously named Suicide Alley. If you can find Suicide Alley (it’s unmarked, near the Shangani Post Office in Stown Town), keep your eyes on the ground: the alternating black-and-white tiles of Tippu Tip’s front stoop might be the first thing you see. The house is now inhabited by several families, so be respectful when taking pictures and exploring the area.

Built in the style of a desert fortress near an endurance horseracing center 45 minutes from the city of Dubai, the family-friendly Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa wraps around an oasis and looks out over gently rolling sand dunes that guests explore by 4x4, horse, camel, and mountain bike. Rooms with private balconies or garden patios cluster in double-story buildings that surround courtyards, shaded corridors, and infinity pools. Stone bathtubs, wood furniture, chests, kelims, colorful textiles, and a reproduction spice souk create a Disney-meets-Bedouin lifestyle setting. For peace and quiet, stay during the week, since the main restaurant fills on weekends with locals and bus tours.

In 2011, one of Chicago’s most popular restaurants, Longman & Eagle, expanded into an inn with the creation of six rooms. The owners, two of whom run the music venue Empty Bottle, built and outfitted the whole place. Each of the rooms is different, but all are stylishly simple and feature details such as wood floors, exposed brick, original art work and site-specific installations by local artists, cassette players with mix tapes, well-curated minibars, and Aesop toiletries. For the noise averse, the hotel reminds potential guests that the rooms are located above “an occasionally raucous, whisky-fueled tavern.”