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A large resort at the base of the Niseko Village gondola, the Hilton combines a central location, breathtaking views, and convenient amenities. This is the choice for travelers who plan to spend their day on the ski slopes or golf links from post-breakfast to pre-dinner, perhaps bookending the activities with a soak in the open-air onsen (or indoor on bad weather days). Rooms have panoramic mountain views and if you are lucky, you might get a room with a view of the unkai sea of clouds and Mount Yotei. Unwind with a steak dinner at Melt Bar & Grill before booking a private karaoke room at the hotel’s Ezo Pub. The Wakka Spa focuses on post-ski restorative treatments with a cedar soaking tub for couples.

Victoria Eugenia is a double-edged sword. A beautiful, red-velvet-swathed theater occupies the aboveground section of this building. Offerings feature biggish names in music, Broadway adaptations, and classical performances. Meanwhile, after midnight, it’s the basement that houses the action. The underground level is a dance club that’s at its peak from 2am on. Expect house music and house remixes of Top 40, as well as a lively, twenty- and thirty-something crowd.

What happens in the Museo del Whisky stays in the Museo del Whisky. And in this institution of Donosti, you never know what will happen. With a wild selection of whiskeys (as the name suggests) and an equally impressive gamut of cocktails, Museo de Whisky is full of surprises. Then there are the characters that visit this spot on a regular basis. The bottom floor is a piano bar with no holds barred.

Why we love it: A luxury resort with top-notch amenities in the heart of Malta

The Highlights:
- A variety of room types to accommodate all travelers
- Five on-site bars and restaurants, including the historic Villa Corinthia
- A regal pool surrounded by loungers and gardens

The Review:
In 1959, the Pisani family patriarch bought the historic Villa Refalo, intending for it to be a home for him, his wife, and their six children, as well as a restaurant. When he died unexpectedly, his children took over the property, first turning it into a wedding hall, and then a luxury hotel called Corinthia Palace. Even though the Pisanis have since expanded the Corinthia brand to 14 hotels around the world, they still own and operate the Malta original, running it with all the amenities required of a five-star stay. Here, guests find five bars and restaurants, a swanky outdoor pool and garden area, tennis courts, a deluxe spa and fitness center, and friendly, attentive service. The afternoon tea, served in your choice of British or Maltese style in the Orange Grove Brasserie, is a must, while the daily breakfast spread is generous and tasty.

Ranging from superior rooms to executive suites, accommodations feature comfy beds and private balconies or terraces. All come with complimentary access to the Athenaeum Spa, but higher category options also include entry to the Executive Lounge, where guests can enjoy a daily breakfast buffet and complimentary wine, spirits, and canapés each evening. Speaking of the spa, it’s currently being renovated and will be unveiled in April 2020 with a new design by Goddard Littlefair, a new parternship with ESPA for treatments, and new facilities including seven treatment rooms, a relaxation lounge, and a thermal area.

Ask anyone you know who grew up in the Bay Area about the Exploratorium, and they’ll likely be able to share stories of class trips and seeing their hair stand on end at an installation about electricity or fun-house mirrors that taught about optics and visual perception. This is not, however, a museum simply for kids—though curious kids will definitely be entertained while learning. Instead, its exhibits aim to raise the scientific literacy of visitors of all ages, by providing engaging, amusing, and hands-on experiences. Long housed at the Palace of Fine Arts, the Exploratorium opened in its current, and much larger, space on Piers 15 and 17 in 2013. One advantage of the new waterfront location is the North Gallery and its outdoor spaces, focused on environmental phenomena like the wind, rain, and tides. The completely dark Tactile Dome and the disorienting Monochromatic Room may prove not just the highlights of your visit to the Exploratorium but the most memorable, or at least strangest, moments of your time in San Francisco.

The lovely Ooidonk castle, once the home to the Earl of Horne, is one of the finest in the country and is still inhabited by the owner. The castle was involved in numerous conflicts between cities during the 14th and 15 century and saw its fair share of religious wars during the 16th century. In 1595 the medieval castle was rebuilt and given its current looks thanks to Maarten della Faille. The outer view, the towers especially, crow-step gables and many chimneys evoke the images of Loire castles such as Chambord. The castle was brought into the modern age in 1870 without removing the original renaissance style and was opened to the public from 1958 on. The castles interior is filled with precious furniture, silver, paintings and family portraits. The successive owners and the current earl Juan t’ Kint de Roodenbeke, have always achieved to maintain the rural panoramic view of the grounds. The gardens are exquisite and worth a visit. Unfortunately we could only see the outside and the gardens due to the fact that the family was in the castle having a reunion. I will however be going back next month to see the interior.

Pointe des Châteaux, a protected natural and heritage site, is one of the most unusual landscapes in the Caribbean region. This rocky, craggy peninsula, which includes singular rock formations jutting out of the ocean, sits on the northeastern edge of Guadeloupe, facing a wide-open, turbulent Atlantic Ocean. Impressive waves crash on the limestone rocks and onto a gorgeous (but not swimmable) white-sand beach. On the end of the stretch is a trail leading you on a 20-minute hike to the top of the hill, where a 33-foot cross towers over Guadeloupe. The million-dollar panoramic view reveals nearly all of Guadeloupe’s archipelago, including Marie-Galante, Basse-Terre, and Les Saintes.

A classic fish house in the sleepy village of Savaneta, Zeerover is all about fresh, Aruban-style seafood. Cooled by ocean breezes, the spot may feel like a bit of a dive to some, but its fish comes straight from the sea—in fact, you can watch from the restaurant’s perch on the pier as fishermen pull in their catch. The menu reflects whatever the boats bring in that day, often snapper, wahoo, or even barracuda, and includes savory sides like banana hasa (plantains), pan bati (corn bread pancakes), and funchi (fritters). Be sure to also try the shrimp; the peel-and-eat delicacies are always cooked to perfection. Note: The restaurant is closed on Mondays.

After Carcassonne in southwest France, Visby lays claim to the most important and best-preserved medieval city walls in all of Europe. The town’s citizens began building the original six-meter-high (20-foot) fortified walls in the 13th century, and they eventually grew to over 11 meters (36 feet). Today, the wall still stretches for 3.4 kilometers (2.1 miles). Walk in its shadow and explore the 36 intact medieval towers as well as numerous gateways. The North Gate offers the most impressive view of the wall, providing a sense of its enormous scale. St. Mary’s Cathedral, a few blocks inland, also dates to the 13th century.

The colorful murals in Balmy Alley are the lower Mission’s own version of the better-known Clarion Alley murals. Stroll through the small, pedestrian-friendly alleyway to see public work by local artists, a tradition that began in the mid-1980s in response to human rights and political abuses in Central America. Today, you can see murals depicting scenes from human rights abuse to local gentrification to natural disasters. Want to learn more? Take a tour with Precita Eyes Muralists.

If someone described the Lone Palm bar as something out of Miami Vice, they wouldn’t be entirely wrong—the neon signs, dim lighting, and white tablecloths in an otherwise casual, somewhat dive-y bar give off a certain Vice-esque vibe. Stop by the Lone Palm for a drink at the very beginning or the very end of your night—it fills up quickly. Attentive bartenders and oft-refilled bar snacks like Goldfish also make it a good spot for a post-work Happy Hour. Lone Palm is open every day from 4 pm to 2 am.

This bakery just opened across the street from Woodshop. It’s a godsend. It’s been rough finding good coffee out here, but they serve Blue Bottle Coffee and breakfast sandwiches on house-baked biscuits.”

While some Great Barrier Reef resorts require private plane charter, this 57-room boutique resort is located on Hamilton Island—the only one in the Whitsundays with a commercial airport—meaning it’s easily reached by a direct flight from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, or Cairns. Each room, situated on the tranquil, white-sand Catseye Beach, has a bright Aussie vibe, with lots of natural wood, Aesop toiletries, and private terraces or balconies offering palm-fringed ocean views. The resort’s adults-only policy ensures bliss awaits at the infinity pool overlooking the beach, or below on the portion of Catseye reserved for Beach Club guests. Also on offer is complimentary watersports gear, from snorkeling equipment to catamarans. The resort can even arrange for helicopter and seaplane rides, or diving excursions to secluded sections of the Great Barrier Reef.

A former military base for the Yugoslav National Army, the island of Vis was closed to foreigners for decades. Today, however, it’s one of Croatia’s best-kept secrets, mainly for its beaches, food, and history. Book a tour with Vis Special and explore the island’s old military sites, abandoned when the army left suddenly in 1992. The tours take in everything from rocket shelters and bunkers to weapon-storage halls and “parking lots” (read: tunnels) for submarines. They also stop at the former communications headquarters for the Yugoslavian secret service (which are dug into a mountain) and Tito’s Cave (where the erstwhile Yugoslav president hid during World War II). Lest this all sound grim, know that these sites occupy some of the most gorgeous spots on the island.

Smack in the center of Willemstad, the Renaissance Curaçao is adjacent to the historic Rif Fort shopping and entertainment complex and within walking distance to everything downtown. It solves for not having beach access with two infinity pools overlooking the ocean and cruise pier, each edged in a man-made, sandy beach that can pass for the real thing at first dip. The colorful lobby is connected to a casino, mall, and the island’s only Starbucks. Be sure to check the local cruise schedule before booking an ocean-view room, as you may have your vistas blocked by a ship. You may also want to rent a car to explore the island’s natural beaches but, come nightfall, it’s easier to walk to the Punda and Pietermaai districts for dinner.