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Tastemakers and A-listers abound at this East Village mainstay, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2017. Travelers feel like insiders the moment they slip through the door, thanks to over-the-top service, celeb sightings, and a lobby design that recalls salon parties of bygone eras. The cool factor only continues upon check-in, when guests receive metal room keys linked to lavish, oversized red tassels. Each of the 135 rooms offers visitors a mix of lived-in comfort and luxurious detail, with everything from mohair-upholstered chairs, Turkish Oushak rugs, and hardwood floors to iPod stereos, hi-def televisions, and marble bathrooms with deep-soaking tubs. When hunger hits, guests can head downstairs for authentic Italian plates at Gemma and a nightcap at the Lobby Bar, a lower Manhattan staple known for its timeless ambiance and clever riffs on cocktail classics.

Recalling Saigon’s past, Cuc Gach Quan offers fine Vietnamese fare in a cozy setting that re-creates the home of the owner’s grandmother—a French-colonial house with worn, wood-plank floors; retro furnishings; warm lighting; and a floating staircase to connect the two levels. It’s grown in popularity ever since Brad and Angelina ate here in 2011, but the menu continues to focus on Vietnamese dishes while following the approach summarized in its motto: “Eat green, live healthy.” Expect menu items such as fresh spring rolls with shrimp, crispy sea bass, and fantastic homemade tofu fried with chili and lemongrass.

On the still-bucolic site of a former coconut plantation just west of Montego Bay, Round Hill is another of the legendary hotels created in the early 1950s to accommodate wealthy Brits and Americans who were discovering the pleasures of a Jamaican winter. Since then, it has evolved into a thoroughly modern resort that manages to retain its original, exclusive, clublike spirit. In the beginning, Round Hill consisted of a group of shareholders (British playwright Noel Coward was one) who rented out their private villas when they were absent. That’s how it still works, although the celebrity shareholder most mentioned these days is designer Ralph Lauren, who rents neither of his two villas. Along with 27 other villas, which can be divided into 86 suites, there’s the Pineapple House, a seafront block of 36 rooms, all decorated, predominantly white on white, by Lauren. The ambience is quiet luxury, the service is relatively formal (the doorman wears white), and the children among the guests are treated as the heirs and future holiday decision makers that they are. Almost every villa has a story, whether it has to do with Coward, the Kennedys, or How Stella Got Her Groove Back. And Montego Bay, whose city lights can be seen only from the highest villa (#28), is still another world away.

We arranged a private tour of the Mekong River Delta through the Park Hyatt Saigon. We were driven from the hotel to Cai Be in a Cadillac with snacks and drinks, then escorted to our private river boat (also loaded with fresh fruit, coffee and tea, and other snacks). Our english-speaking tour guide brought us onto a small rowed boat through the smaller channels of the delta, explaining local life and the various trades of the people who live there. We saw a floating market and had lunch at Mr. Kiet’s historic house. Highly recommend spending the morning and afternoon on this tour.

Known for being a bit boisterous and rowdy, Little India has a distinct personality from the rest of Singapore. It can start to feel a few degrees hotter than the rest of the city as you dodge shoppers, temple goers, and trinket sellers on Serangoon Road. The crowds and pungent smell of flowers, curries, and frying prata excite and assault the senses. The sidewalks are taken up by racks of DVDs, cases filled with phone cards, carts selling garlands of fresh flowers, and men working at sewing machines. It’s a uniquely South Asian crush of color and hum of activity. If you head there on a Sunday—the day most Indian and Bangladeshi construction workers have off—the streets might be even more crowded than usual.

One of the oldest streets in the city, Rue Saint-Jean begins in the heart of the Upper Town, not far from the Hôtel de Ville (city hall). It was laid out in the 17th century to connect a country estate to the city; now it connects old Québec City to its newer neighborhoods to the west of the historic center. Today it’s also one of the city’s liveliest shopping areas. The blocks within the city walls cater largely to travelers, and alongside bars and restaurants you’ll find gelaterias and popcorn stores. Francophones who want to shop for books in French should pop into the excellent Librairie Pantoute. After the street passes through the Saint-Jean Gate, there are more independent stores and cafés.

After laying abandoned for more than 20 years, a historic Art Deco swimming pool and health club in the 16th Arrondissement has been reborn as one of the most unique hotels in Paris—one that even locals check in to when they want a quick getaway. Now part of the MGallery by Sofitel collection, the property feels much like an urban resort thanks to its location—while the city center and typical tourist sites are a metro ride away, the block-long hotel sits right in the middle of attractions like the Jean Boulin stadium, Parc de Prince, the Roland Garros tennis center (home of the French Open), the Auteuil racetrack, and Bois de Boulogne Park. Design-hounds also love the place for its eye-catching, very Insta-worthy spaces, including the vibrant reception area (with its graffitied Rolls Royce installation) and the lobby-level brasserie and bar (done up in restored Art Deco elements, a mix of contemporary and flea-market furnishings, street-art-inspired murals, and colorful modern artwork).

It took a 1920s cotton magnate and a 1980s oil heiress to create the city’s most iconic stay, the former incorporating hallmarks of European design into a 10,000-square-foot house the likes of which had never been seen in Dallas—think Italian marble columns, 19th-century Spanish cathedral doors, and a ceiling inlaid with 2,400 separate pieces of wood. The latter transformed it into the Mansion Restaurant, which remains an award-winning favorite, adding a new wing with 143 guest rooms and suites and establishing the first property in the now-global Rosewood chain. Past the signature peach facade, the since renovated accommodations mix modern technologies with gracious amenities, historic touches, and residential-style décor—a combination that’s proved a hit with visiting dignitaries, international business travelers, and privacy-seeking celebs. A small pool, fitness center, and massage treatment rooms round out the facilities in the new wing, while meeting rooms and event spaces are located in the mansion’s gorgeous former living quarters. Young professionals flock to the leather-walled Mansion Bar for after-work craft cocktails and live music on weekends, while the brunch crowd heads to the Terrace restaurant to dine around outdoor fireplaces and oak trees hung with lanterns. Just don’t pass up ordering the legendary tortilla soup at The Mansion.

This gem right off Bourbon Street is close to the action but far enough (and insulated enough) to make you feel like you can get away from the frenetic pace of the city’s most famous avenue at a moment’s notice. Guest rooms are well-appointed and comfy, with plantation-shuttered windows, plush beds and sleek bathrooms. Plus, every guest gets a voucher for a welcome drink in the hotel’s smoke-free bar, the Bourbon O. Be sure to catch live music there on Friday nights, as well as bartender Cheryl Charming, whom a local magazine named Mixologist of the Year in 2014. Back at the hotel, the Roux on Orleans restaurant can satisfy breakfast, lunch and dinner desires, and a heated saltwater pool makes lazing about in a lounge chair all day very, very easy. But if you want to be the ultimage envy of Bourbon Street revelers, make sure to reserve a balcony suite; it features a porch overlooking all the boozy revelry below and lets you party above the action.

Every Friday evening from late April through October, follow the rainbow lorikeets to the Palmerston and Rural Markets in Goyder Square, roughly 20 minutes east of Darwin. The family-friendly night out is filled with entertainers, arts and crafts, fusion flavors, games and local bands and buskers that spill out from 150 stalls, creating a market that’s memorable for all ages.

The Centre Pompidou, France‘s national museum of modern art, led the way for steel-and-glass buildings in the 1970s. Now the museum leads the way in modern art with its extraordinary collection, currently the world’s second largest. Masterpieces include Pablo Picasso’s Parade and—one of my favorites—Tamara de Lempicka’s Young Girl in Green. Go for the museum, but check out the public library and the view of Paris that becomes more and more impressive as the museum’s escalators rise from floor to floor. Spot the Eiffel Tower and Sacré-Coeur (and perhaps a street entertainer or two with a gawking audience of kids) from the sprawling roof terrace.

Hit Seven Mile Beach, a beautiful and—as the name would suggest—long stretch of shoreline to see why it’s one of the Cayman Islands’ most fabled features. Facing out to sea, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were beholding a life-size Rothko installation, with bands of the palest aqua, the richest cobalt and every gradation of blue-green in between. Also keep an eye out for the schools of fish that sprint along the water parallel to the shore.

Famous for its poke (raw fish salad), this bustling lunchtime hotspot also serves Hawaiian plates and gourmet bento boxes packed with goodies like grilled salmon and baked teriyaki chicken. Other standouts include a Cajun fish sandwich with honey French dressing and wok-seared island fillets in a yellow Thai coconut-curry sauce.

Why we love it: A boutique hotel that puts guests in the heart of it all

The Highlights:
- Allergen-free Pure Wellness rooms
- A convenient location right downtown
- An award-winning steak house on site

The Review:

A boutique stay in the heart of downtown Boise, Hotel 43 seamlessly blends cozy charm with urban style. Works by local artist Amy Westover enliven the cathedral-like lobby (its ceiling soars to 60 feet), while vibrant drapery and bathrobe-clad teddy bears on each bed make the 112 guest rooms feel both chic and homey. If you need more than William Roam bath products and a jetted tub to feel pampered, book one of the Pure Wellness rooms, which offer purified, hypoallergenic accommodation for even the most sensitive of guests.

Hotel 43 also provides travelers with a free pass to the Boise Art Museum, plus loaner bikes for cruising to the Shakespeare Festival or farmers’ market. Come dinnertime, however, you’ll want to stay put for a meal at on-site Chandlers Steakhouse, where Kobe-style beef and fresh seafood are accompanied by live jazz each evening. In the morning, head to Metro Café for Caffé D’arte coffee, freshly baked pastries, and house-made granola, or grab the complimentary airport shuttle to catch your flight home.

Why we love it: Epic views and high style on the South Island

The Highlights:
- Design that maximizes the views
- A small size that makes for an intimate, exclusive experience
- Access to a variety of outdoor adventures

The Review:
Set in the South Island’s Ahuriri Valley, on 6,000 pristine acres bordered on three sides by conservation parks, is your own slice of natural paradise. Opened in late 2018, The Lindis is a striking, contemporary lodge that blends into the landscape, with a sloping roof that mimics the mountain and river backdrop and, inside, floor-to-ceiling windows framing magnificent views.

There are just five rooms to choose from—two master options and three lodge suites, all with private indoor and outdoor lounge spaces, fluffy king beds, and gas fireplaces. (Master suites also have separate living rooms and oversized bathtubs.) Beyond the accommodations, there are endless activities to choose from, from horseback riding, fly fishing, and e-biking to eco- and buggy tours and spectacular stargazing. Fuel up for your adventures with the lodge’s refined, contemporary cuisine, crafted by house chefs using locally sourced ingredients—think South Island crayfish, foraged porcini mushrooms, and Wild Fiordland venison—and paired with fine New Zealand wines from the well-stocked cellar.