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Let’s face it: Sydney wouldn’t be half the world capital it is without its beautiful views of Sydney Harbour. The site of exploration, commerce, recreation, and billions of tourist photos, the harbor should remain as close as possible during a trip to Sydney. Take it in from your hotel or a coastal trail, a park or a lighthouse. Or climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge at sunset and discover one of the best views on the planet.

Don’t settle for kitsch: Take home a souvenir of Oahu that offers a locally made memory of the island. Shop at the markets and malls where residents find treats from mochi doughnuts to a beer salted with sea water. Then explore distinctive Hawaiian gifts like koa-wood ukuleles, Niihau shell lei, updated aloha shirts and quilts with traditional botanical designs.

If you’re in the market for designer duds, Cancun and Playa del Carmen offer shopping centers full of upscale boutiques, familiar American brands, and Mexican department stores.

Opened in 2021, the first urban resort from LVMH—the arbiter and exporter of French luxury—feels sumptuous at every turn. A 100-foot pool, the largest of any French hotel, is covered in hand-laid mosaic tiles, while a series of virtual window panels display illustrated scenes of the Seine in perpetual motion as you swim laps. A penthouse apartment has its own 41-foot pool, projection space, and panoramic terrace. Plénitude, the fine-dining restaurant, earned three Michelin stars within months of opening. The hotel was designed by Peter Marino, an American known for his chromatic and sculptural retail spaces in the LVMH universe, including the recently renovated Tiffany’s flagship in New York.

The M Spa at the Emblem Hotel is on the top two floors which means from the relaxation room, where you sip on cucumber water and admire art by local artists on the walls while flipping through a magazine, you are at eye-level with the surrounding rooftops and carved facades. But this two-floor spa also stands out for its modern clean design. The wellness area, including sauna and steam room, a Kneipp path and a Finland-inspired ice shower, is covered in white Carrara marble and warm wood. Hallways and treatment rooms feature soothing sea green walls and modern furnishings from leading designers. The full menu of treatments includes massages, facials, and rituals such as the Energetique des Alpes, which uses Alpine salt, plants, and herbs. But the highlight is the rooftop Jacuzzi (must be booked in advance) on a private terrace with views of Prague Castle and and the city’s time-shadowed rooftops.

This particular area of the Gold Coast is jokingly nicknamed the Viagra Triangle, but the Thompson Chicago doesn’t discriminate by age. The 247-room hotel is dark and moody, drawing artists of every generation to its swanky lobby bar at the back, peppered with colorful canvases and couples sneaking a snuggle in a booth. The whole town is awaiting the opening of Tavern on Rush, a reboot of the beloved steak house that used to reside just up the block. Rumors say this hangout will become a dining destination, what with its cocktail lounge, main dining room, patio, and private rooms spread across 16,000 square feet and multiple levels.


Set among all the best shopping in the Midwest, the Thompson’s midcentury-style guest rooms with hardwood floors provide the perfect minimalist location to unbox those favorite finds from Michigan Avenue around the corner. Digital nomads can book their work meetings in one of the rooms named after the Chicago Seven: countercultural anti-war protesters charged by the U.S. federal government with conspiracy and intent to incite a riot to stop the Vietnam War. The Abbie Hoffman room is a favorite.

There’s a lot that makes Shutters on the Beach special, starting with its location—it’s one of only two Santa Monica hotels right on the beach (the other is Mediterranean-inspired Casa del Mar, the sister property next door). Shutter’s waterfront spot gives it a palpable sense of place—especially when you’re sipping something sparkling in the hotel’s updated courtyard, listening to the waves or the Saturday brunch jazz ensemble. The design by White House decorator Michael S. Smith takes its cues from Cape Cod, with blue and white interiors and floor-to-ceiling shutters opening up to ocean views.


The 198 guest rooms and suites—many with balconies—and all feature sunken Jacuzzi tubs. In the summer, life revolves around the beach here, and an activity center is well-stocked with boogie boards, beach cruisers, and umbrellas. The pool is heated year-round, with curtained cabanas and superb guacamole served at the pool bar. Come winter, the main lounge is the beating heart of the resort. The fireplaces crackle as bartenders serve up drinks from a hearty whisky, wine, and cocktail menu; the couches are so comfy, the kiddos might curl up and fall asleep as the folksy duo on duty plays an acoustic nightcap. This is laid-back luxury at its best.



Don’t forget to spend some downtime at the serene ONE Spa, or dine on blue crab and hamachi crudo at the higher-end, coastal California restaurant, 1 Pico. Pro tip: You don’t need to step far from your room to soak in some culture. The hotel has a noteworthy art collection, with pieces by Ellsworth Kelly, John Baldessari, and William Wegman, among others, on display throughout the property.

The first new hotel in decades to open on Lake Como’s glittering shores made its appearance in mid-summer 2016 on a sun-dappled promontory near the village of Torno. As the new kid on the block, Il Sereno brings a modern sensibility to a region where luxury typically takes on a gilded, Old World aesthetic. Envisioned by Milan-based designer Patricia Urquiola, this lakeside hotel takes cues from the history of the area, but skews contemporary and relaxed, with a design that highlights natural materials such as stone, wood, and wool, and a color palette of greens and blues inspired by the surroundings. The 30 sprawling suites feature lake-view terraces and amenities such as Ex Voto Paris bath products and Bluetooth sound systems. The sleek Berton Al Lago serves modern Italian fare crafted with fresh local ingredients, while the Il Sereno Bar & Lounge and the Pool Bar offer light bites in a casual setting. The spa is set in what was once the boathouse of the original property, and features treatments with Valmont products made just across the border in Switzerland. Wander the shaded passageways around the lush garden, check out the two vertical gardens and green sculptures by famed botanist Patrick Blanc, and don’t miss the 60-foot, heated, freshwater infinity pool, located in a secluded spot that overlooks the lake. Guests can take one of the hotel’s stylish Riva boats—accessible from a private dock—to explore the charming towns that line the lake.

Whether your passion is for art, music, science, history, or aviation, Seattle has museums for you. Sometimes the museum itself is a landmark, like Seattle’s colorful Experience Music Project Museum building, designed by Frank Gehry. Add some educational value to your Seattle vacation when you spend an afternoon at one of these family-friendly destinations. If you plan to visit multiple museums, check out the Seattle CityPass to save on admission.

Fashionistas and heavy spenders heading to Montreal will have no trouble finding pieces worth writing home about; the city being of the creative type, it’s no wonder so many designers set up shop in this part of Canada. Stroll along Boulevard Saint-Laurent and Notre-Dame Ouest for some of the best shopping in Montreal, with gender-defying, high quality, and unique pieces awaiting.

From one of Switzerland’s most iconic lakes to quaint cobblestone backstreets, there are certain unforgettable views in Zurich. Elegance and efficiency are entwined at Zurich’s Paradeplatz, home to many of the largest Swiss banks. Expense and affluence are flaunted on Bahnhofstrasse, lined with designer shops. Nostalgia fills the air around James Joyce’s grave at Friedhof Fluntern cemetery, and the view of the stained glass windows in Zurich’s Fraumünster church is sublime.

Zurich West is trendy, diverse and the ideal shopping hot spot. Im Viadukt is Zurich’s first covered market with over 50 vendors peddling everything from local wine and liquors to fabulously smelly cheeses. Gerolds Markt is lovely and houses seven independent boutiques, but the coolest store in Zurich, possibly the world, is Freitag. Here individually designed cult messenger bags are sold in 19-stacked shipping containers.

A cotton checked krama, the scarf worn by locals in myriad ways, is probably the most quintessential of Cambodian souvenirs for travelers to Siem Reap, however, a number of other locally made objects have become must-buys for many visitors to Temple Town. These are my tips as to what you should buy, including everything from colorful lacquered elephants made by the artisans at Theam’s House to a soft silk scarf or silk ‘fur’ handbag by Siem Reap-based designer Eric Raisina.

Just a short ride from the historic Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Cultural Center, Pestana Palace Lisboa is itself a designated national landmark. The 194-room hotel occupies a carefully restored 19th-century manor that once belonged to the cocoa baron Marquis of Valle-Flôr, and now caters to queens of pop like Madonna (she reportedly stayed in a Royal Suite).

“Lavish” is the key adjective here: The manor is set within an immaculately manicured private park filled with palms, subtropical plants, sculptures, a former pond-turned-swimming pool, and a spa with an indoor pool and Turkish baths. Palace interiors give the air of a gilded cocoon—all ornate ceiling frescoes, soaring stained-glass windows, and magnificent oil canvases—while the main restaurant, Valle Flôr, has Regency airs and Portuguese fare. Guests may linger on Saturdays for a “chic-nic” lunch on the lawn by the pool.

Whatever your nightlife scene or drink of choice, there’s a New York watering hole to satisfy your tastes. Longtime dive bars and historic taverns are thriving, even as beer gardens and speakeasy-style lounges continue to spread from the East Village to Williamsburg and beyond. Credit for the craft cocktail revival goes largely to NYC native Sasha Petraske, whose legacy lives on at spots like Dutch Kills and Pegu Club. Here are more favorite drinking destinations, from happy hour at Maison Premiere to last call at an iconic hotel bar.