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In the shadow of El Yunque, The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort is situated on 486 acres of former coconut plantation and native maritime forest. There are still plenty of palms here, but now the flora also includes all manner of tropical flowers and trees, positioned around numerous trails for walking, running, and biking. Families love the resort for its many amenities, from four tennis courts and a Robert Trent Jones Jr.-branded golf course to a luxurious spa and state-of-the-art fitness center. A new partnership with Aquavento Water Sports provides equipment for everything from kayaking and paddle-boarding to fishing and sailing on nearby lakes, while the Soul of Bahia program gives guests the opportunity to volunteer with a rescue organization for local cats and dogs or help maintain a turtle sanctuary during hatching season. Still, the most popular activity might just be lounging at the pool or on the two-mile-long golden beach.

Part of a $60 million renovation following Hurricane Maria, the hotel now features a design by celebrated Puerto Rican designer Nono Maldonado and San Francisco-based firm Hirsch Bedner Associates. The plantation-style dark woods and warm browns have been swapped out for more modern, sea-inspired colors, and the 139 rooms have a chic, residential feel, with sprawling bathrooms, private terraces, and glass bar cabinets that can be stocked to your personal tastes by a 24-hour butler. Occupying a two-story building overlooking the ocean, the Casa Grande lobby is the place to go to experience the hotel’s daily Champagne sabering ritual, enjoy live music from a Steinway piano, admire the mural over the St. Regis Bar, or enjoy Greek-inspired fare at the hotel’s signature restaurant, Paros. The poolside restaurant and beach shack have also been redone to ensure uninterrupted views over the water.

From its perch on Travis Park, just three blocks from the Alamo, The St. Anthony hotel has witnessed a lot of San Antonio history. First opened in 1909, the hotel was technologically-advanced for its day (think private bathrooms and automatic doors and lighting), and soon became known as one of the most luxurious hotels in the country, hosting everyone from the local elite to visiting royalty, presidents, and movie stars. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the 10-story landmark emerged from a multi-million-dollar renovation in 2015, when it was e-launched as part of the Starwood Luxury Collection. The history is celebrated in details like 12-foot ceilings, antique piano, and gold leaf-topped columns found in the emerald-hued Peacock Alley lobby space, and the marble and bronze figures of the Sculpture Garden, while a contemporary style and jewel toned colors are featured in the 277 guest rooms and suites, many of which have park views. (If you’re interested in learning more about the hotel’s past—and hearing some legendary stories—schedule a tour with a staffer.) The light-fill Loggia restaurant is an elegant spot for breakfast and lunch, while the dramatic Rebelle features Texas farm-fresh produce and coastal seafood in its shareable dinner menus. Drinks and light bites are served at the seasonal Pool Bar, set around the outdoor swimming pool and featuring views of downtown; and at Haunt, a sleek indoor space playfully named for the rumored resident spirts. Once a private club for the city’s movers and shakers, The St. Anthony Club now welcomes all with signature drinks like the Triple S.

Nature may have spent 12 million years creating the rock formation that is the centerpiece of this 1,300-acre Hilton Curio Collection resort in the foothills of the Sonoran Desert, but late-coming humans have done a commendable job of adding the finishing touches. Although the Boulders, with its casita accommodations blending into the landscape, its championship golf courses, and its upscale shops, is as luxurious as any resort in the Scottsdale area, it’s also where guests are most likely to feel they are truly in the desert. An early-morning walk along groomed paths, when the first rays of light are turning the landscape golden, is as likely to produce the sounds of woodpeckers or owls calling from their nests in saguaro cacti as it is the whack of a ball against club or racket.

When owner Dave Neupert discovered the history of the Gold-Diggers Entertainment building in East Hollywood, he knew he had to turn it into a music-themed bar and boutique hotel. Originally built as an “inn above a tavern” in 1924, directly on Santa Monica Boulevard back when it was the famous Route 66, the building later became a dive bar with a rehearsal studio in the back that welcomed punk bands and was even used as a sound stage for Ed Wood. Now, the sleek Gold-Diggers bar includes dark-wood chevron paneling, textured wall coverings, a gold-velvet stage curtain, and Art Deco pendant lighting. Justin Gage of Aquarium Drunkard oversees the music and has welcomed such musicians as Iceage, Mary Lattimore, Julianna Barwick, and Luna to perform. There’s also an on-site recording studio, featuring nine professionally designed and acoustically engineered writing, tracking, and mixing studios managed by industry veteran Simon Horrocks and Grammy-award-winning engineer Eric Gorman.

Formerly the residence of the Maharajah of Jaipur, and now one of Jaipur’s most elegant luxury hotels, the 19th-century Rambagh Palace has had a front-row seat to history—and has hosted a long list of royals, dignitaries, and celebrities along the way. As an homage to those regal roots, the hotel’s fine-dining restaurant spotlights the cuisine of four of India’s former princely states: Rajasthan, Awadh, Punjab, and Hyderabad. In what used to be the palace’s banquet hall—still dripping with gilded mirrors and Italian frescos—enjoy dishes like laal maas (a Rajasthani spicy lamb curry), chicken cooked with raw mango and saffron, skillet-grilled lobster, and apricot-stuffed cheese dumplings simmered in tomato gravy. Cap off the night with a drink in the nearby Polo Bar, which serves fine spirits and cocktails inspired by the royal equestrian sport.

Just 10 minutes from downtown Orlando, in village-like Winter Park, the Alfond Inn has a unique legacy: The boutique lodging was created to provide income for scholarship funds at neighboring Rollins College, one of Florida’s oldest liberal arts schools. If helping students isn’t reason enough to book a stay, the hotel offers lots more incentive. A skylit domed atrium in the Spanish colonial–inspired main building draws your eye to a rotating collection of artwork curated by Cornell Fine Arts Museum, and pet-friendly guest rooms are simple and cheerful. While the hotel is not a full-fledged resort, it offers guests plenty of opportunities to linger. Fire pits and rocking chairs are dotted around the property, and shaded areas for loungers enhance the rooftop pool’s already undeniable appeal. Hamilton’s Kitchen restaurant serves modern Southern cuisine paired with wines selected by an award-winning sommelier. And shops, wine bars, and independent boutiques like Rifle Paper Co. line the town’s Park Avenue, a few blocks away. You can also take a pontoon boat tour for views of many of the Mediterranean-style mansions along the waterfront. Perhaps best of all, Disney and Universal theme parks are only a half-hour drive away.

On a hilltop perch overlooking 8,000 acres of grounds designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, the Inn on Biltmore Estate’s 210 rooms and suites evoke traditional 19th-century manor houses, with dark mahogany beds and desks, billowing window treatments, and comfortable overstuffed chairs; book a room with a balcony to breathe fresh mountain air while appreciating views of rolling hills—or simply take in the vista from the hotel’s veranda. The formal dining room showcases seasonal specialties using estate-raised cattle and lamb, vegetables from the on-site garden, and wine from the property’s own winery, where you can participate in a free tasting, then ride back in a complimentary shuttle. If you’re looking for something more casual, the lobby lounge and library bar offer salads and sandwiches—and no dress code. But the main attraction is the 250-room Biltmore château, the Gilded Age mansion George Vanderbilt built here in the late 1800s, and its 16th-century tapestries, Renoir and Sargent originals, and 65 fireplaces.

On an island that’s less than two square miles with fewer than 2,000 people, new hotel openings are bound to cause a stir—as did Bahama House when it launched on Harbour Island in January, 2017. It’s the newest outpost from the folks at Eleven Experience, a vacation outfitter known for offering elegance after a full day of bespoke escapades. Spread across a restored colonial home built in 1800, an annex, and two authentic Bahamian cottages and enclosing a freshwater lap pool, handcrafted tiki bar, and hot tub area, Bahama House’s 11 suites have been appointed with eclectically curated furnishings, artwork, and wall coverings, eschewing island kitsch for beach-chic sumptuousness. Though the hotel leans toward softer adventures than sister properties in Colorado, Iceland, and the French Alps, the flip-flop–wearing “experience managers” are on hand to arrange snorkeling and bonefishing excursions and paddleboard or kayak outings. Or they’ll simply provide a fully stocked Yeti cooler for a day of lounging on famous pink-sand beaches.

The Saguaro Scottsdale is among the handful of downtown Scottsdale hotels that embrace the urban Southwest vibe. Although it began life as a 1970s chain motel—evident in its blocky structure and the compactness of most rooms—this now-hip address has blossomed into the visual equivalent of desert wildflowers at the height of a wet spring. Especially striking against the desert tan that coats just about every other structure in Scottsdale, both outside and in, are a riot of colors that go beyond orange and purple and pink and yellow to such wildflower shades as California Poppy and Red Desert Globemallow. Just as vibrant is the Saguaro’s pool-party scene, aided, no doubt, by water temps chilled or heated as the season dictates. A complete redo of the Saguaro’s rooms in January 2017 gave them a modern Southwest vibe (think pastel-colored prints of cacti and desert-hued furnishings), but not so much that guests will be asking the concierge where to shop for cowboy boots (which would be Saba’s, just down the street, in Old Town).

What began in 1854 as a high school—then grew into a college and, later, a law school—has served as one of San Antonio’s top hotels since 1968. Located near the River Walk, not far from the city’s historic district, the leafy former campus is centered around a seven-story, Spanish colonial-style main building with 338 guest rooms. Each one mixes original touches like wood-beamed ceilings, exposed brick walls, and French doors with modern amenities like HDTVs, marble baths, and Wi-Fi (complimentary for loyalty club members). Some even look out on the River Walk, while others offer views of a verdant garden. Healthy extras like in-room fitness kits, a 24-hour gym, and a year-round heated pool help offset the indulgences served at the on-site restaurants and bars, which include the fine-dining Las Canarias (don’t miss the popular Sunday brunch.) Younger guests can look forward to game-filled backpacks and scavenger hunts, while adults will enjoy the award-winning spa and restaurant at La Mansion’s sister property, Mokara, located across the river.

Built between 1840 and 1845 by Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, an extremely influential royal family in Europe, the Palais Coburg is a bright and spacious bit of luxury. Opened in 2003 after extensive restoration, the palais has suites (and only suites) that are clean and classy, sometimes even grandiose with antique furniture and vibrantly lit chandeliers. Many suites are named in honor of important members of the family such as Queen Victoria and Albert of England, and King Leopold I of Belgium, so guests will get a lesson in the history of Europe’s intermarried royal families.

Outside is a quiet garden with a water basin, shade trees, and magnolias. The outdoor café provides sanctuary from the city and is a great place to enjoy breakfast. In addition to two marvelous restaurants, Palais Coburg has an excuisite wine cellar with some 60,000 from four different centuries.

Maupiti, the smallest and most isolated of the Society Islands, feels like an unblemished tropical playground, where tranquility trumps everything else and romantic love stories of deserted sparkling white-sand beaches surrounded by shimmering aqua lagoons are realized. The best beaches are on the five motus, or small sandbars that also house pensions, ringing the main island. Of the five motus, Motu Tiapaa has the best beaches by far. For surfing and decent kite-boarding, you’ll want to head to Motu Tuanai, which also houses the airport.


Serving up a Robinson Crusoe version of paradise, Maupiti seduces lovers and adventurers on a quest for the heavenly Polynesia of lore, but it is not for everyone. Time moves slowly on this island, and the resort focus here is on small family run “pensions” (guesthouses), not luxury five-star resorts with multiple restaurants and Wi-Fi. If you’re the kind of traveler who’s craving a temporary separation from your Facebook account, and love watching the sun set over the lagoon while reading a book or chowing on fresh caught seafood with the family that owns the pension where you’re sleeping, Maupiti may be the perfect island for you. Oh, and if you stay at any of the guesthouses here, sign up for full-board, as it isn’t really the kind of place where many restaurants exist.

My daughter came up with the idea for Yotel. " Mom, lets try this cool place in NYC for our trip” she says. We were doing one of our once-every-few- years mom and daughter trips and this time it was NYC. As you are aware a trip to NYC must be planned carefully and if you are on a budget the ticket item is the lodging. Yotel is a concept hotel that started in London‘s Heathrow Airport. In NYC slender bunk beds and fold out motorized queen bed/ futons in tiny cabins much like some Tokyo hotel rooms are offered. In London this proved a way more popular space to sleep for weary travelers than the dirty airport floor. But here in NYC it is much more than the airport floor alternative; the building in NYC is in midtown a couple avenues over from the cacophony of Broadway and Time’s Square, it has it’s own restaurant and a great seasonal roof deck. Our room was a queen with a bunk bed overhead and private bath with view to the river. We found it fun, if tiny (you have to plan how much luggage you are bringing very carefully- no closet). But younger travelers will love it here ( check out the robot that stores your luggage) and the rates and friendly staff are very cool for NYC.

Most of the year, Punta Cana’s white, sandy stretches of sand are blessed with gently lapping surf, which means that night swimming isn’t as dangerous or daunting an exercise as it can be on other Caribbean islands. Slip into the water near the Westin’s covered pier, and have the ocean all to yourself. Under the bright light of a full moon, you might even catch a glimpse of a sea turtle inching its way along the beach.

Hit Seven Mile Beach, a beautiful and—as the name would suggest—long stretch of shoreline to see why it’s one of the Cayman Islands’ most fabled features. Facing out to sea, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were beholding a life-size Rothko installation, with bands of the palest aqua, the richest cobalt and every gradation of blue-green in between. Also keep an eye out for the schools of fish that sprint along the water parallel to the shore.