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Keswick Hall was originally built in 1912 as a family estate and was later a country club before being transformed into a country hotel in the 1990s, and it continues to evolve as a luxury resort in its second century. Experience a bit of the historic grandeur with an elegant al fresco dinner overlooking the countryside at Fossett’s restaurant or with a cocktail at the Villa Crawford bar (named for the original home), before retiring to your room on a bed fit for royalty. (Indeed, the handmade Hypnos mattresses are also commissioned for the British royal family.) Each of the 48 uniquely designed rooms and suites overlook the golf course or gardens, and have minibars stocked with local goodies. You’ll need a good night’s sleep to properly enjoy a full day’s activities on property: a round of golf on the Pete Dye–designed Full Cry course, a tennis match on one of seven courts, or a game of croquet or horseshoes (just a few of the games on offer). Wind down with a massage, signature vinotherapy facial, or raindrop therapy with essential oils at the spa. If you can bear to leave the lush grounds, downtown Charlottesville and the Monticello estate are each a 15-minute drive away.

Pier A has a long and storied history, but its life as a restaurant and bar is relatively new. Opened in 1886 as the headquarters for the Harbor Police and Department of Docks, it served numerous other official government functions before opening in late 2014 in its current iteration. The whispers of the past are hardly visible today, amid the din of happy drinkers quaffing a Pilsener or downing glasses of prosecco or cava while slurping oysters and chatting. Most stick around for sunset: the view of the harbor is stellar.

Located on a half-mile stretch of white-sand Ha My Beach, a short drive from the UNESCO World Heritage town of Hoi An (a hotel shuttle can ferry you back and forth), the Nam Hai sits on the grounds of a former fishing village (a temple from that time is preserved on-site), and it still feels like a community. Guests bike between public spaces designed to evoke the high-ceilinged Tu Doc royal tombs found in the region, as well as 86 acres of tropical gardens and 100 villas, each outfitted with indoor/outdoor lounging spaces, king beds, lacquered bathtubs, and alfresco showers. The dining options range from a casual beachside spot to a fine-dining restaurant, and serve everything from Vietnamese and Western fare to Indian tandoori specialties; learn how to make some of your favorite dishes in a chef-led cooking class, or join the kiddos at the Junior Cooking Academy, part of the kids’ club. When you’re ready to take a break, don’t miss the central trilevel infinity pool and the exceptional spa, where the eight individual treatment pavilions appear to float on a koi-filled lagoon.

In the tiny, quirky town of Hilo, a perfect date night starts with a stroll on the elevated sidewalks along the Victorian-style storefronts to check out the local creative scene. It ends at Kaleo’s Restaurant, where flip-flops are welcome and smiles guaranteed in the finest restaurant in town. The farmhouse appearance of Kaleo’s is indicative of the warmth put into the menu—a locally inspired selection of flavors that includes such dishes as Dynamite, a seafood and mushroom dish with veggies baked in spicy mayo, or the hearty Kaluna steak and potatoes. Cap it all off with a Chocolate Lava Cake while you reminisce over your molten experiences at Volcanoes National Park. But before digging into dessert, enjoy the live music—it creates a lovely atmosphere to let the romance sizzle.

Let me put the good news front and center: This is not your father’s Ritz-Carlton (nor your mother’s). For example take the infinity pool, which practically drops you in the Atlantic. Then, there’s the art deco décor, which comes alive with the Latin beat infused throughout the property. Finally, consider the location: the completely restored landmark hotel is literally steps from Lincoln Road, the epicenter of South Beach life – at least the part of life that’s off the beach. I, for one, could not have been happier reading in a poolside chaise or taking a soak in the Jacuzzi, unless it was when I headed up to the state-of-the-art spa, and then down to the beach, where attendants are standing by to cater to your (nearly) every whim. Sunrises are breathtaking — instead of taking photos to post online, I suggest you do what I did: Stand there and let the new day bathe you in its rays. But there is one important way that this Ritz-Carlton is like every Ritz-Carlton: The top-flight service. I barraged handsome Patrick, the day concierge, with a series of questions: “Where can I have dinner that is quiet and outside?” “Can you find me a yoga studio with ‘flow’ classes?” And so on. Let me say this: He knows his stuff and so does the rest of the staff. I was genuinely sad to leave, wanting more time at the pool, at Bistro One LR. Basically, more of everything, which is the ultimate compliment for any hotel. (A $28 resort fee is charged per night, per room)

K-Beauty is big business, and Olive Young, one of Korea’s most popular beauty shops purveys products not only from Korea, but France, the US, and Japan among many other locales. This cavernous emporium sells lip balms, nose hair scissors and everything in between. A visit to this buzzing temple of beauty is never a dull moment, as fresh-faced Koreans pour over myriad products promising to whiten and brighten, moisturize and de-frizz. At the hopping Myeongdong location, shoppers can experiment with cosmetics in the Get It Beauty Zone, sample over 40 scents at the Perfume Bar, and break for a snack in the K-Food Zone. 53 Myeongdong-gil, Jung-gu

The jewel in the Palais Faraj’s crown is its rooftop restaurant, L’Amandier. Perched above the medina like an eagle’s nest, L’Amandier has swanky contemporary decor and a vertigo-inducing terrace. Forgo the international menu for the superb Moroccan list, which takes its cues from the palace kitchens in Fes that were once considered the cradle of Moroccan gastronomy. Of special note: The Moroccan salads here are the best in town, and don’t overlook somewhat out-of-the-ordinary dishes like Fassi stuffed cockerel or quail with angel-hair pasta.

We live in the age of artisanal everything, from chocolate and coffee, to, you guessed it, water. At Mexico City‘s Casa del Agua, staff produce and bottle “local water” on-site. The bottles—designed artisanally, of course—are charming souvenirs that you can use over and over again (with your own, less expensive water) once you’re home. Be sure to go to the second level of the shop to see the filtration process, and to the terrace level to see where the water is captured.

Lardo, a sister restaurant to chef Elena Reygadas’s Rosetta and her bakery, is especially warm and buzzy on sunny days, when the Condesa restaurant’s full facade of French doors is thrown open and its handsome crowd spills out. The kitchen applies all the chef’s singular refinements to a winning mix of Tuscan recipes that put special focus on fine charcuterie. Menu items are (perhaps deceptively) simple: poached eggs, seasoned variously; a nice selection of pizzas; fresh, vinegary salads that don’t go overboard; grilled shellfish. The complexity arises from their delicacy on the palate, where each crisp taste is savored separately—and as a part of the whole. A nice wine list encourages sobremesa, the delightful Mexican custom of lingering over the table. Breads—either the ones that come with your meal or the ones you take home from the on-site bakery—might be the best in the city.

Set in a row of shophouses—traditional double-use structures with a storefront on the street level, the owner’s residence on the floors above—the New Majestic Hotel is a small gem in Chinatown filled with quirks and contrasts. Colonial design is plentiful, from the vintage Compton fans in the lobby to furniture from the 1920s–1960s throughout. The rooms are a little more free-form. They range from suites with their own urban gardens to attic-style spaces with loft beds and 20-foot ceilings. Then there are the five rooms in which Singapore artists were told to unleash their creativity (Work, one of these rooms, looks like temporary housing, with plywood sections everywhere). Pieces by local emerging artists include murals with hidden messages or displaying pop art influences. The bottom of the rooftop pool has small portholes that look down onto the Majestic Restaurant, one floor down.

What La Ronda lacks in size, it makes up in style and beauty. This street, so short you could hold your breath and run its length, bustles with bars, artisanal craft shops and ice-cream parlours. Stroll down its cobbled-stone path, restored in 2006, breathing in the scent of rich chocolate from Chez Tiff Artesanal and sweet passion fruit soaps from Api Real. Squeeze up the winding staircase to the iconic La Heladeria Dulce Placer and choose from 180 varieties of ice cream - a light yet sharp mojito maybe? Or why not a bizarre salt and pepper or corn flavor. As night descends, La Ronda throbs with loved-up couples clinking cocktails, sharing ice-cream cones and dancing salsa in Azucar El Portal de la Salsa.

This isn’t downhill ski country, but the nordic trails in and around Rocky Mountain National Park are remarkable. You can see the Stanley Hotel—which is actually a compound of white-painted buildings at the base of some enormous stone formations—from miles away as you roll into Estes Park. Built in 1909 as the private guest house of F.O. Stanley, it is now one of the most historic (and, say some, haunted) hotels in the country. It is famous for its role in Stephen King’s The Shining, but also for its proximity to the National Park, its partnership with local outfitter Kent Mountaineering, and for its pop-up weekend dinner club and extensive whiskey bar (over 1200 expressions and counting).

A Porfirian-era mansion provides the setting for Blanco Colima: a concept- and genre-defying project that features multiple spaces for eating, each with a different name and type of food. The main area, Blanco Colima, serves breakfast, lunch, and cocktails. It’s designed to be a welcoming home away from home. Other options include Belafonte—an oyster bar run by Chef Hiroshi Kawahito—and Lázaro, a fine dining area that features fresh local ingredients. Beyond the exceptional food, Blanco Colima is also a cultural center of sorts. The space screens films, exhibits the work of emerging artists, and hosts live music performances. Once you’re seated, you might find it hard to leave!

As a travel writer and a kama’aina or “child of the land” in Hawaiian, I know about Waikiki hotels. Growing up not far from the Waikiki of the late 1960’s and 1970’s, I have watched Waikiki transform from a simpler time when there were fewer hotels, showrooms had live entertainment with local celebrity singers and hula dancers performing every night, and a sprinkling of small bars were scattered like shells along the sands of Waikiki. In that long- ago time you could take an evening walk on the beach and listen to the Hawaiian music under the stars.




So much has changed since then. The Waikiki of today along bustling Kalakaua Avenue is such a compacted array of luxury brand stores, chain restaurants, and concept eateries, that some visitors may find it a bit contrary to their idea of relaxation. So they head to an outer island. But enchanting Oahu should not be overlooked because of its popularity, so I’ll tell you about an oceanfront oasis on the beach at Waikiki that you’ll love.


There are two sides to Waikiki: The Diamond Head side, and the Ewa side. The Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort is situated on the Ewa end of Waikiki on what was once referred to as the Kalia area. The famous Hawaiian water-man Duke Kahanamoku, the father of modern surfing, and an Olympic medalist, was born here in this well-populated residential area. There was also a small hotel with thatched roof cottages along the beach called Niumalu Hotel. Decades later in the 1950’s Henry J. Kaiser (and partners) bought most of the land up, negotiated leases, dredged a tidal area and created a lagoon. Then he built rooms, restaurants, and bars, and opened his Hawaiian Village Hotel in September of 1955. Soon he added an incredible marvel of an aluminum dome that was constructed in 20 hours and built as an entertainment venue. He later sold the property to Conrad Hilton.


The Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort has also made changes over the years by revamping its oceanfront 20-acre layout. Because of its size, manicured gardens, several pools, various room types, shopping, a luau venue, and multiple restaurant offerings, all along the largest expanse of Waikiki Beach, it is the only true resort in Waikiki, But I did promise you an oasis. So here is the secret: the Hilton’s Ali’i Tower.



The beachfront Ali’I Tower is a quiet “hotel within a hotel” in the large resort. Guests staying at the Ali’i Tower have their own front desk and concierge, a private pool and deck overlooking the beach, fitness room, and private bar. All of the rooms feature understated design and upscale amenities. Guests sporting their Ali’i Tower bracelet can go to the front of any line at the ever-popular Tropics Bar & Grill or Rainbow Room. Tip: Book the corner Diamond Head Oceanfront rooms on the upper floors. Your two lanais give you an expansive view from Diamond Head, across the surf spots along the reef, all the way to the Tapa Tower and Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon, the marina, and across the ocean to Ewa Beach. Don’t miss the Friday Night Fireworks from your balcony. The Hilton Hawaiian Village has been continuing this beloved tradition since 1988. So settle in at the Ali’i Tower and relax knowing that you have found a slice of the old Waikiki that still exists.

Old San Juan may look, at first glance, like a few other charming cities built during the height of Spanish colonialism—Havana or Santo Domingo, for example—but what sets it apart is the extent to which its architectural infrastructure from that era remains visible. It’s the only city that has its original colonial wall almost entirely intact, and both of its principal forts are in excellent condition, remain accessible to the public, and offer panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean (so bring your camera). Both El Morro and Fuerte San Cristobal are run by the National Park Service; guided tours will leave you with greater knowledge about the era, as well as the forts’ construction and their role in Puerto Rican history. (There are other, smaller forts in and around the capital, next to the Caribe Hilton, and in Luís Muñoz Rivera Park, plus Fort San Juan de la Crúz in the nearby town of Cataño.)