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This upscale property opened its doors in 1927 and, since then, has hosted some of the city’s most prized names in art, film, music, and politics. The Lowell’s location, down the street from Central Park and surrounded by Upper East Side luxury, is just one of its draws, however. The other would be its dedication to home-away-from-home living—more than 14 rooms boast landscaped terraces with sweeping city views, while 33 feature wood-burning fireplaces. Among the 74 total rooms, there are even five specialty suites designed to resemble Manhattan apartments, complete with special touches like de Gournay wallpaper and a library of Assouline books. Additionally, a fleet of dining options greet guests upon arrival. For French classics, stop at Marjorelle, and when it’s time for high tea, pay a visit to the Pembroke Room, a European-inspired salon perfect for a fancy breakfast or weekend brunch.

Founded in 1519, In’t Aepjen is one of the city’s oldest brown bars (the Dutch version of an English pub), and the cozy room regularly draws a large crowd given its proximity to the main train station. It’s also curiously decorated with monkeys—monkey statues, stuffed monkeys, monkey posters—a nod to its name, which translates to “In the Monkeys.” The legend goes that sailors returning from the Dutch colonies were cash-poor, so they settled their bill with exotic pets (namely monkeys) acquired on their journeys. You’ll have to pay with euro, but the beer selection is decent and you can also try the local spirit, jenever.

You might think of Vienna’s Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) as a Mittteleuropa Walk of Fame. Some of the city’s most important figures are buried in this graveyard that opened in 1874, from Beethoven (his remains were moved here in 1888) to 1980s pop star Falco, with Brahms, Schubert, and Schoenberg in between. The cemetery, which measures almost one and a half square miles, has a section for Austria‘s presidents, and another for Sephardic Jews who came from the Ottoman Empire—the elaborate Alhambra-style Elias family mausoleum is especially impressive. Thanks to shady groves of maple and ash and a beautiful church constructed in the early-20th-century Jugendstil style, it is worth the effort to travel to Simmering, a neighborhood southeast of the city center—even if only for the bucolic setting.

The Hall family’s restaurant empire includes SNOB, High Cotton, and steakhouses in three cities, but this Upper King headquarters is where their pride in hospitality is most prominently on display. Diners are greeted upon arrival and bade farewell upon departure, often by one of owner Bill Hall, Sr.’s sons. The bartenders are equal parts warm and professional, but the real star is the meat. Halls’ menu includes dry-aged cuts and a massive wet-aged porterhouse, all sourced from Chicago’s acclaimed purveyor, Allen Brothers. The Chophouse is not haughty, however—there’s a kids’ menu, and most diners aren’t dressed for white tablecloth environs. Sunday’s popular gospel brunch features live singing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On weekdays, it’s worth a happy-hour swing-through for a glass of whisky or wine among the city’s top businessmen and power brokers, who mingle in this stately wood-and-leather classic Charleston spot.

When you’re feeling rejuvenated and ready to venture out of Aqua’s quiet beachside retreat, the resort can arrange for you to take a day trip to Granada on the shores of Lake Nicaragua, about an hour and a half drive from the resort. Rich in colonial architecture and colorful buildings, Granada is arguably the most photogenic city in Nicaragua and a popular tourist destination. You can stop at Mombacho Volcano on your way there for zip-lining and a tour of a coffee farm, or at the lake for a boat tour of the isletas, 365 tiny islands that were originally rocks spewed out of Mombacho in an eruption thousands of years ago. Visit the Granada Cathedral and the city’s museums, then wander the narrow streets to admire the old haciendas that have been turned into boutique hotels and artisan shops. Shop for handcrafted leather goods, carved wooden furniture, and hand-woven hammocks that can be easily folded up for the trip home. Photo by Marianna Jamadi.

The Hyatt Centric Levent is a slick city pad that eschews Ottoman finery and instead submerges guests in a zen-inspired interior. The huge rooms are splashed with a palette of soft grays and warm rosewood. They feature Frette linens, custom-programmed iPods, daily fresh flowers, and Bang & Olufsen electronics. Free from flounces and frills, the quiet elegance of the rooms offers a thoroughly urban-luxe experience.

Home to two of the city’s most exclusive nightlife spots, the Hyatt is a destination in and of itself. The warm tones and quirky 20-foot-long tropical fish aquarium lining the bar of the Gold Bar provide a relaxing respite for quiet nightcaps. Business travelers can take care of corporate needs using the 24-hour multilingual secretarial service, the intimate screening room for private films and presentations, plus a series of contemporary-styled meeting rooms.

In 2012, a forgettable Radisson was reborn as the indie-luxe Revere Hotel, today one of the hippest hotels Boston has to offer. The 356-room space underwent a dramatic transformation that was completed in March of 2017, with the decor now dramatically modern. It’s the only hotel in Boston where every room has a private balcony, and with guestrooms starting on the ninth floor, everyone is guaranteed a legitimate skyline view. Personal touches abound as well, from the hotel’s pillow library to cool towels on hand for guests post-morning runs or on a hot day.

The hotel is centrally located to downtown and the Back Bay, catering to most visitors’ shopping and dining desires, while theater enthusiasts will appreciate the close proximity to the city’s most iconic venues. Come summer, the seasonal Rooftop at Revere offers luxe cabanas, outdoor fitness classes, and one of the most popular social scenes in the city.

The 1926 brick building that houses Hotel Ändra has an interesting history: Originally built as efficiency apartments, it served as a transfer station for the Women’s Army Corp from 1945 to 1947. Although this downtown site has operated as a small hotel since the 1970s, it was fully redesigned in 2004 to become the Hotel Ändra, now a showcase of design using Pacific Northwest materials like wood and stone, combined with Scandinavian style—a nod to the city’s Nordic roots. Even though it’s at the nexus of the city, the hotel feels cozy. The fireplace in the living room–style lobby and the casual, inviting atmosphere make it a refuge from the buzz of the streets outside. The restaurant, Lola, is a partnership with one of Seattle’s best-loved celebrity chefs, Tom Douglas, making Hotel Ändra an excellent home base for those in town to experience Seattle’s abundant local restaurants.

Magasin Du Nord is one of Denmark’s most famous shopping locations. This sprawling department store has a rich history and sits right on Kongens Nyrtov in the heart of the city. While the shopping center is famous for the plethora of items it sells, few visitors realize that there is actually a food court located on the top floor which serves a mixture of reasonably priced Danish specialties. If you’re looking for budget-friendly traditional Danish food in the heart of the city center, Magasin’s food court is an absolute must. The windows also provide an interesting view out and across Kongens Nytorv. Photo: Daderot, Wikipedia

Mexico City’s Centro Histórico has some fine bars, clubs, restaurants, and hotels where you can enjoy a copa or a cocktail, but if you’re looking for a side of good jazz to go along with your drink, then, the place is Zinco. Housed inside the vault of a former bank, Zinco feels old-school atmospheric and its small size keeps things intimate. Shows feature both Mexican (yes, there’s a thriving jazz scene in Mexico and international artists. Arrive early to ensure you snag one of the few tables and a waiter who will dedicate himself to refreshing your cocktails throughout the night.

You have a few different options when it comes to stopping for a coffee at The Shops at Downtown, the retail complex inside Hotel Downtown in Mexico City‘s Centro Histórico. There’s the hotel’s own restaurant, which offers comfortable chairs and couches; the chocolate purveyor Que Bo!, which also serves espresso drinks; or one of the several restaurants and cafés in the complex, among them Padrinos, Azul Histórico, and Café Punta del Cielo. Take your pick–no matter where you end up in the center, you’ll find yourself surrounded by a 17th-century building with volcanic walls and lots of history.

All of Mexico City‘s neighborhood markets are fun to browse, with their rows and rows of colorful stalls and equally colorful characters, and you can’t go wrong ducking into any one of these mercados as you come across them in your wanderings. Mercado Medellín is particularly favored among expats from other parts of Latin America, as it specializes in foodstuffs from Caribbean and Central and South American countries. This is also a superb market to visit if you’re hungry. Vendors sell everything from Colombian ajíaco to Cuban ice cream, so don’t hesitate to graze your way through the treats on offer.

In the Middle Ages, it was gently sloping Rennweg that served as the city’s main shopping street and its widest. (Bahnhofstrasse? Back then the now tony street—one of the world’s most exclusive—was a moat known not charmingly as Fröschengraben “Ditch of The Frogs.”) These days, Rennweg is still lined with small boutiques, but the pedestrianized cobblestone-lined street serves less as a shopping draw than one for an idyllic stroll among centuries old pastel-colored buildings. Make sure to stop by Honold’s Tea Room for a few Lotti’s Best, divine squares of crunchy nougat enrobed in chocolate. Photo © Bruno Macor/FB/Zürich Tourismus.

We become so small when entering a place of worship, this local woman especially as she made her way to the entrance of the Cathedral of San Gervasio in Valladolid. It wasn’t Sunday. I’m sure of it because Sundays in Mexican city centers are usually much busier with families wandering around the city and going to mass. On this particular day there were just a few folks going about their usual routine.

To me, no other place in Montréal represents the city better than Place d’Armes. After all, it is the second oldest public site in the city, and its center is home to a statue of Paul de Chomedey, the founder of Montréal. And the varied architectural styles surround the square in a way that clearly demonstrates just how old and historic Montréal is. A blend of Gothic Revival, classic Art Deco, and ultra-modern sleek skyscrapers illustrates the major periods of Montréal’s development. It’s definitely a great place to start or end an Old Montreal exploratory tour, or to stop and people watch!