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Located along a stretch of coastline that’s sometimes called the birthplace of jerk cuisine, the Boston Bay Jerk Center is hard to miss. Various meats are cook on open pits using a technique that may explain why jerk never tastes so good at home: Uncured pimento logs are placed over a bed of hot coals, and the meat is laid directly on the green logs. The whole operation is then covered up by a sheet of corrugated zinc and cooked until it’s black on the outside and tender underneath. You can place your order by the quarter, half, or full pound. Don’t forget to add jerk sauce, which you can also buy by the bottle as a souvenir.

The Casa Estudio Luis Barragán is a must for visitors to Mexico City interested in the works of Mexico’s most famous contemporary architect, Luis Barragán, famous for his colorful approach to modernism and his buildings that are as known for their garden settings as for their interiors. While that museum, located in his former house, is the most obvious introduction to his life and works, those who want to dive deeper will want to arrange visits to some of his other buildings.

The Casa Cuadra San Cristóbal dates from 1968 and was designed for the Egerstrom family. The centrality of gardens, plazas, and fountains to Barragán’s work is driven home here by the fact that the house itself is closed to the public. It’s still worth the effort to make the journey (of about 35 minutes to an hour by Uber, depending on traffic) to see the stables and gardens, and the exterior of the house. The walls in pink, mauve, and white, and the large pool at the center of the property create a space that is at once both restrained and exuberantly colorful. Reservations ([email protected]) are required and there is a charge of 300 pesos per person, with a minimum of five people. (You can visit with fewer than five people, but you’ll still need to pay 1500 pesos total, cash only.)

Why we love it: A unique, colorful property that brings together Italy, Bali, and Grenada

The Highlights:
- Romantic cottages that are perfect for couples
- Daily yoga classes in a beachfront pavilion
- An Asian-inspired spa with its own organic garden

The Review:
If you’re seeking that “shack on the beach” feeling without the actual shack, look no further than Laluna. At this Design Hotel, 16 romantic cottages overlook the ocean, each with an open-air shower, spacious deck, and four-poster bed surrounded by dreamy netting. A combination of Italian, Balinese, and Caribbean styles, the interiors come courtesy of owner Bernardo Bertucci, who served as a consultant for Prada and Armani in a past life. If you’d prefer something sleeker, the hotel also has several contemporary villas, which offer slightly less character but a lot more luxury, including multiple bedrooms, fully equipped kitchens, and private, full-size pools. Villa guests also have access to personal chefs, butlers, and trainers for an extra fee.

Bertucci’s mix of European, Indonesian, and island elements carries over to Laluna’s thatched-roof restaurant and sunset lounge, which offers authentic Italian cuisine with a Caribbean twist. It’s also evident at the spa, where Balinese massages incorporate Comfort Zone products from Italy and guests can practice yoga in a beachfront pavilion. Flexibility is key here—you can book a cottage on a European plan (accommodation only), combine it with breakfast and dinner, or go all-inclusive. Regardless of which you choose, however, activities like water sports, daily yoga, and mountain biking are always included. For an extra fee, guests can also book Laluna’s luxury catamaran for a sunset cruise and snorkeling adventure.

Why we love it: An Arts and Crafts–style masterpiece with a friendly vibe and charm in spades

Highlights:
- Sedona’s only Arts and Crafts hotel, with real adobe walls
- Social spaces like a campfire and living room hearth
- A pet-friendly policy with no extra fees

The Review:
Within a block of Sedona’s art district, this luxury inn stands behind a veil of trees and grapevine trellises. Its pink adobe exterior complements the greenery so elegantly that the inn once appeared on the cover of The American Home magazine. Inside the Arts and Crafts–style hacienda, arches and reclaimed beams of juniper or burl wood soar overhead, while period doorknobs, light fixtures, and heater grilles transport guests back in time. Each of the 12 suites has a custom-made door and unique design, with decor ranging from early California to the Cowboy High Style made famous by Western furniture designer Thomas Molesworth. Pet-friendly rooms also include grace notes like corner fireplaces, stencil designs, French doors, and stained-glass ceiling panels.

When feeling social, guests can gather around the campfire in the courtyard or by the large hearth in the living room. El Portal also has a private garden, a fish pond, two swimming pools, and a full gym, and offers access to Sedona Spa, next door. While the inn only serves breakfast (pancakes, breakfast burritos, huevos rancheros), guests can snack on fruit, cheese, and chips and salsa during happy hour each day while also pouring themselves a glass of wine on the honor system.

Why we love it: A Mission Revival property that blends Hollywood history with hang-ten culture

The Highlights:
- A location just minutes from the secluded Cress Street Beach
- A rooftop lounge with sweeping ocean views
- Guest rooms designed by iconic surf brands

The Review:
Once the haunt of writers, filmmakers, and Hollywood celebrities, this historic hotel on the Pacific Coast Highway famously hosted a lobby backgammon game between J. Paul Getty and Howard Hughes in the 1930s. Today, the pet-friendly property maintains its original grace with Spanish-style stucco and domed arches, but 10 of its 41 suites have moved on to a decidedly different sort of California cool. Created in collaboration with iconic skate and surf brands like Etnies, Roxy, and Billabong, the Casa Surf rooms feature hand-painted surfboards, underwater photo murals, and George Nelson furniture, fully immersing guests in Laguna surf culture. For something more traditional, book one of the Spanish rooms, which include wrought-iron accents and ornately carved dark-wood furnishings.

La Casa sits just a stone’s throw from Cress Street Beach, where hotel guests enjoy access to chairs, umbrellas, and beach towels as part of their resort fee. Also included in the fee is daily breakfast, access to the nearby Art of Fitness gym and its juice bar, and reservations at the on-site Rooftop Lounge, where you can sip mojitos while watching the sun set over the Pacific. When you’re in the mood for something more substantial, head downstairs to K’ya Bistro, with offers small plates full of Mediterranean flavor.

Why we love it: A centrally located stay near Laguna’s best beaches, parks, and restaurants

The Highlights:
- A dreamy setting right above Main Beach
- Delicious breakfasts and daily wine receptions
- A location within walking distance of Laguna’s best restaurants

The Review:
Galleries, restaurants, and nightlife lie just steps from the Inn at Laguna Beach, while Heisler Park sprawls along the nearby bluffs, offering a place to stroll, see art, or simply lounge in the sun on a grassy lawn. Still, guests don’t even have to leave the hotel to enjoy sand, surf, and epic Pacific sunsets. Here, the 70 guest rooms mix modern comforts (European-style duvets, pillowtop mattresses) with coastal style (louvered shutters, rattan furniture). Some even include private patios or balconies, but all feature extras like newspaper delivery, iHome docking stations, and loaner umbrellas and beach chairs.

Following a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2012, the Inn now boasts a more sustainable design, complete with low-VOC paint, renewable bamboo furniture, low-flow faucets and showers, tile made from recycled stone, and birchwood key cards. Not everything is paired back, however, especially the hotel’s signature breakfast, which includes artisan pastries, bacon brioche sandwiches, and bowls of fresh sliced fruit. Guests can also look forward to a daily wine reception, chilled milk and cookies in the lobby every evening, and cocktails at the Pacific Terrace Bar, which sits high above Main Beach. Best of all, the Inn is dog-friendly, so you can bring along your four-legged friend for a couple of days on the beach.

France’s chic, budget-friendly hospitality chain has gone Brazilian with this boutique hotel in Rio’s Santa Teresa neighborhood. Rooms are on the petite side, ranging from 160 to 280 square feet, but have whimsy to spare, with graphic rugs, minimalist furniture, and cheeky mirror messages scrawled over king-sized beds. Mama Shelter properties aim to be welcoming and lively, a fact that’s especially evident in the common spaces. The on-site restaurant features communal tables, stepped seating, and a menu that encourages sharing, while the Portuguese-tiled bar brings guests together over creative cocktails. While Mama Shelter isn’t on the beach, it does offer a lovely courtyard for lounging in the sun, as well as terraces with beautiful city views. It’s also right in the middle of one of Rio’s most happening neighborhoods, putting guests within walking distance of several trendy restaurants and bars.

La Boca’s Don Carlos is heaven for the indecisive. Since there is no menu, the restaurant’s namesake owner sizes you up and intuits what you need. The idea is to feel like you’re at home, where the whims of whoever’s cooking determine what comes out of the kitchen. Everything is made from scratch, in-house, and reflects what you’d get in a typical Argentine household: pastas, Spanish tortillas, vegetable croquettes, juicy grilled meats. Plates come out in quick succession until you say uncle. Wash them down with a bottle from their impressive wine list; you’ll leave with a full belly and a smile. Closed Sundays and Boca soccer match days.

Families traveling with children will love Ecoism, located at Costa Navarino’s Navarino Dunes. Here you’ll find 100 percent organic children’s clothing and eco-friendly toys crafted from natural materials. Their selection of high-quality wooden toys is especially interesting, with clocks, puzzles, and doll houses.

Cheap house wine for sale on the side of the road outside of the village of Pyrgos. Santorini is famous for its tradition of small vineyards that produce fruity wines. Visitors can easily spend the day winery-hopping around the island.

Like many of the hippest bars in town, Mary’s is intentionally hard to find. As you make your way down King Street, hang a right on Mary Street and look for a bar on the left with no sign and a rocker crowd. Inside the two-story tavern, a chalkboard menu lists enough craft beers (including the house-brewed Slayer Juice), wines, spirits, and cocktails to require a second chalkboard for fried chicken and burgers (known as the best in town). Get your birds by the half, whole, or “Larry style”—two whole birds deep fried with mash and gravy—and your burger with “trashcan bacon.” Mary’s also does a bacon Bloody Mary with American cheese melted over the rim of the glass that’s more than worth a try.

Talk about first impressions: Carved sandstone elephants welcome guests into a two-story chandeliered lobby at this palace-style hotel. Attentive service starts at check-in, with gifts of bindis and fresh jasmine necklaces. At 550-square-feet or larger, rooms are palatial themselves, and richly decorated with oriental carpets, jacquards, and hand-embroidered brocades. Those on higher floors offer panoramic city views, but many visitors choose spaces overlooking the internal courtyard or expansive garden (and away from a 16-lane highway) for a sense of calm. The hotel’s Edwardian-inspired bar draws locals and guests alike with its 25-page whiskey and scotch menu, as does a rooftop pool with stunning vistas over New Delhi’s urban landscape. Unique amenities include an on-call astrologer and, for women travelers, the option of an all-female service staff, including butler, gym instructors, and private city guides.

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.

Just a 45-minute floatplane ride from Anchorage along the banks of the Talachulitna River and Judd Lake, this multistructure resort combines a six-room flagship lodge, which was renovated in 2017, with a lakeside bar and dining room (and 500-bottle wine cellar); a private four-room lodge; and two smaller individual cabins, all with views of either the Alaska or Tordrillo ranges. But guests don’t come here to just ogle the mountains—they take them on. With Olympic gold medalist Tommy Moe and Alaska heli-ski pioneer Mike Overcast behind the resort, plus access to 1.2 million acres of untrammeled terrain with runs that top out at 7,500 feet, world-class heli-ski adventures are practically guaranteed. And an exclusive partnership with Winterlake, another notable resort nearby, allows guests to heli-ski even further north into the Tordrillo Range and Neacola Mountains.

Once an oyster-farming backwater, this area was held sacred to the shark goddess Ka‘ahupahau. But it’s forever etched into America’s psyche due to the 1941 Japanese surprise attack on the naval base, which launched the U.S. into WWII’s Pacific theater. Today, more than a million visitors pay their respects annually at the museums and memorials, which include the USS Bowfin, the USS Missouri, and the wreck of the USS Arizona. Buy tickets online to avoid the inevitable long wait. Ford Island also houses the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum here: Historic hangars showcase vintage aircraft like a Japanese Zero and a Curtiss P-40E Warhawk. Plane buffs should add on a $10 combat-simulator flight.