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Nearly hidden behind a tall row of hedges is Delano South Beach, a landmarked hotel built in 1947 and renovated by Ian Schrager and Philippe Starck in 1995. Schrager and Starck wanted Delano to feel like a home; to that end, Starck created a series of discrete “living spaces,” with mismatched furniture, in the hotel’s common areas. Each of the spaces is intended to evoke specific images and experiences from his childhood, such as a wall of nightlights. The Delano’s backyard and pool area are an extension of the lobby’s “living room,” and that’s why a table and two chairs sit in a shallow section of the pool, and why the hotel’s veranda features the kind of comfortable furniture usually found inside a building, rather than outside it. In rooms, guests will find oversized marble bathtubs, said to be a favorite among NBA players because of their seven-foot length, along with Malin + Goetz toiletries.

In 2011, one of Chicago’s most popular restaurants, Longman & Eagle, expanded into an inn with the creation of six rooms. The owners, two of whom run the music venue Empty Bottle, built and outfitted the whole place. Each of the rooms is different, but all are stylishly simple and feature details such as wood floors, exposed brick, original art work and site-specific installations by local artists, cassette players with mix tapes, well-curated minibars, and Aesop toiletries. For the noise averse, the hotel reminds potential guests that the rooms are located above “an occasionally raucous, whisky-fueled tavern.”

This is one of the smallest cafés in the city, which is appropriate as it’s downstairs from the smallest hotel, with just one room. The café is equally tiny and appealing, created by a man who’s worked as a set designer with Danish TV and thus knows a thing or two about atmosphere and pleasant, inviting spaces. Central Café may be small, but it’s impossible to miss: Look for the huge sign on top of the roof. It feels more like a little corner of Paris than Copenhagen—just the place for a café au lait if you can squeeze in, as well as sandwiches, croissants and pastries, and their signature banana split.

When I stepped into the grand lobby of Québec’s Le Château Montebello, I felt like I was entering Paul Bunyan’s living room. Giant timbers braced a three-story-high ceiling, and a massive fireplace in the center radiated warmth in all directions. After checking in, I joined the guests gathered around the six-sided hearth and sank into a leather club chair. I spent the rest of the day by the fire, sipping hot toddies and napping, as the comfort of the crackling flames sent me and the other fireside dozers snuggling deeper into our cushions. I had come to ski some of the 65,000 acres of wooded backcountry that neighbor the resort, but the château was so welcoming, I found it hard to leave.


Often described as the world’s largest log cabin, the lodge and two other main buildings were constructed in 1930 from 10,000 red cedar logs and 500,000 handmade wooden shingles. The houses and the vast surrounding forests were long owned by the politically prominent Papineau family, and until 1970, the estate remained a private nature retreat for Canada’s upper class. As I walked through the château’s halls, the intricately carved banisters and exposed beams reminded me of the great western lodges in the U.S. national parks—only without any grumpy tourists demanding to know where the animals are.

In the guest rooms, deluxe amenities such as flat-screen TVs and rain-dome showerheads upstaged anything found in Yellowstone or Yosemite. Despite the modern perks, rawhide lampshades and other rustic details helped my suite retain its frontier appeal. When I got up to pull the plaid drapes closed that night, I watched a horse-drawn sleigh pass by, glowing in the moonlight against the dark ribbon of the frozen Ottawa River.

Without fresh snow to ski the next morning, I was left to explore the lodge’s other activities. I opted out of getting scrubbed with maple sugar at the spa or unsuccessfully flirting with French-Canadian women by the fire, and instead devoted the day to learning the inscrutable rules of curling. The château has an indoor ice rink dedicated to the sport, a national favorite that’s best described as a combination of shuffleboard and falling down a lot. My instructor was Henri, a kindly sexagenarian who, like many in Québec’s western Outaouais region, seemed more comfortable speaking French than English. As it turns out, kindly reassurance sounds the same in either language. But as my backside repeatedly hit the ice, Henri’s patient polyglot insistence that I was doing “une belle job” grew progressively less convincing.

After my rough-and-tumble day, I dined in the white-tablecloth Aux Chantignoles restaurant. Québecois cuisine dominates the menu, and I followed a dinner of tender venison osso buco with a slice of Québec’s famously sweet and jiggly sugar pie—think pecan pie sans pecans. Snow fell just in time for me to ski through the nearby forest on my last day. I spent a long afternoon there, gliding among stands of birch, pine, and spruce in the rolling Laurentian Highlands. Now and again, I paused to admire one of the countless frozen lakes, their smooth surfaces dotted with tracks left by moose and white-tailed deer. I skied in the silent wilderness until just after sunset. As the scent of a wood fire began to tickle my nose, I grew eager to cozy up by the hearth again. I turned back toward the château’s stone chimney, its rising plume of smoke signaling for my return.
This appeared in the November/December 2010 issue.

The success of the TV drama Borgen has piqued international interest in the building that houses the Danish government. Christiansborg Palace (from which Borgen takes its name) is also the tallest tower in the city center, and it’s free to visit though you will have to go through airport-style security to get in. There’s a viewing platform or, better yet, go to the casual restaurant in the tower. One of the most unusual and memorable places to dine in Copenhagen, the belfry-like eatery has a Harry Potter–like charm, with casts of sculptures left over from the time the space was used as a storage room.

Why we love it: A business hotel offering upscale comfort and unconventional charm

The Highlights:
- Elegant guest rooms with dashes of whimsy
- A pet-friendly policy
- An on-site art gallery with original paintings and historic images

The Review:
A 10-minute drive from Buffalo Niagara International Airport, this swanky property is named for Frank and Dolly Reikart, a vaudevillian couple who became the nearby town of Amherst’s “first family of hospitality” in the 1900s. A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, it won “Hotel of the Year” from its parent company, JW Marriott, in 2018. The 92 guest rooms and 12 suites blend classic decor with distinctive style. While no two are alike, each one features some mix of wood and leather furnishings; a neutral palette of white, beige, and brown accented by bold blue; and 50-inch flat-screen TVs wired for streaming content. Guests can also expect complimentary bicycles and a warm welcome for pets, though a surcharge does apply if you want to bring your furry friend.

When not in your room, explore the lush, campus-style grounds; work up a sweat in the club-style fitness center; or browse the on-site gallery, which features original paintings by local artist Peter Fowler. There’s also the Main Lobby restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the Fireside Lounge for drinks. Should you be traveling for work, know that Reikart House especially excels as a conference host, thanks to its fully equipped executive boardroom and new Jazzboline Restaurant and event space, which includes a lounge, restaurant, and ballroom—and draws its name from the guitar-like instrument invented by the hotel’s namesake, Frank Reikart.

The Mountain Room Restaurant at the Yosemite Valley Lodge isn’t open for breakfast or lunch, so make your dinner reservation before dark to catch the star attraction: drop-dead views of the 2,400-foot Yosemite Falls from almost every seat in the dining room. Alternatively, you can stop by for Sunday brunch, which includes nearly as many offerings as the one at the Majestic Yosemite but for about half the price. In warm weather, diners can sit on the outdoor patio and enjoy such dishes as seafood risotto, several cuts of steak, and grilled pork chop with stone fruit, arugula, and smoked pecans. There’s also a lounge with a limited yet tasty menu (ceviche, charcuterie plates, sandwiches), which is popular with climbers and those who enjoy watching a game on the TV or cuddling next to the Swedish fireplace. Note: This restaurant is open year-round.

The Old Town’s main street, Stradun, also known as Placa, can’t be missed—it’s the biggest and widest of all the thoroughfares, and you will probably walk it several times during your stay here. It’s especially nice in the late afternoon, when the angle of the sun makes the pavement shine and the swallows soar overhead. Continue down to the old port and along the waterfront to the far end. Porporela Pier, built courtesy of the Austrian administration’s rule in Dubrovnik during the 19th century, is today somewhat of a lovers’ rendezvous. After your stroll, the benches along the pier provide a simple relaxing moment to take in the views of Lokrum island and Cavtat in the distance.

This lake filled with giant, translucent chunks of iceberg is one of Iceland’s most distinctive and photogenic sights. Featured in high-profile movies, including two of the James Bond series and Batman Begins (as well as many local TV commercials), the sight is reached via a scenic drive along the country’s main ring road (Route 1). The icebergs originate at the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, which looms in the distance behind the lagoon, and look especially otherworldly when they reach the nearby black-sand beach. The area is also a paradise for bird lovers, with arctic terns and skuas nesting in the area (they may dive-bomb you if you get too close to their nests), and it’s possible to spot the occasional seal. A nearby visitor center offers simple fast food and drinks as well as souvenirs.

Lotus Garden Cottages is an adorable boutique escape set among the rain forest of Volcano Village near to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The four luxury rooms—two cottages, two suites—are furnished in warm wood and each comes with a lanai, small kitchen, and TV equipped with Roku box. The rooms are decorated with artifacts taken from Korean temples, and this Zen vibe extends to the grounds, too, with a peaceful meditation garden, koi pond, and outdoor hot tub. Breakfast includes the most exquisitely plated fruit you have ever seen, served in your room by the proprietor, John. If you’re lucky, you’ll hear him playing violin in the office while you bask in a tranquility that is all the more remarkable given the restless fury of the nearby volcanoes.

A fairly new addition to the Waikiki waterfront, the seven-year-old Modern was a dream come true for those young urbanites who never quite felt at home in the more traditional Hawaiian resorts. It’s not directly on the beach—the closest is the lagoon and expansive beach in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village, a quick walk on the hotel’s ramp—and instead overlooks the picturesque Ala Wai Boat Harbor, where many of the island’s boating excursions depart. Designed by George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg, celebrities in the world of fashionable hotels, the look is warmly modern, all whites and creams and luxurious wood, and some striking art pieces, including a large surfboard installation in the lobby (titled “Wreck-tangles”). There’s a fun nightclub and some seriously good restaurants, though the real scene is out on the Instagram-worthy two-tiered teak pool deck, lined with lots of cushy chaises and shady corners to curl up. Upstairs is the adults-only pool—less a pool than a shallow water prop for frequent DJ-hosted dance parties. But for as much as the Modern is a hipster haven, the service is surprisingly good at making sure guests never feel like they’re crashing someone else’s party.

Wynn Las Vegas, and its younger sister Encore, are known as some of the nicest properties in town, and for good reason. The suites are spacious and clean, the beds are comfortable, there is a lot of room in which to spread out and the views are stellar. Beyond the rooms themselves, the rest of Wynn is equally as beautiful, with fine art located throughout the property, very helpful staff, high-quality restaurants (all of which have at least one vegan option on the menu) and a general ambiance that feels classy, not trashy. This is a great hotel for honeymooners or couples, or for people who want a high-end Las Vegas experience that makes them feel like more than just another visitor in the city.

Pisa’s famous leaning tower (the campanile of the adjacent Duomo) is part of the Piazza del Duomo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that also includes the Duomo, baptistery and cemetery. Begun in 1173, the tower began to lean almost immediately thanks to soil subsidence. To try to halt the tilt, cables and counterweights have been inserted. A spiral staircase with nearly 300 steps leads to the top of this unique, iconic building.

The Caramoan area, on the eastern tip of the Caramoan Peninsula in Bicol, is a rugged and remote landscape of white-sand beaches, rich woods, swampland, lakes, and caves. Numerous seasons of the reality TV show Survivor have filmed around this region, including at Gota Beach. Most travelers explore the pristine Caramoan Islands by small outrigger boat. There are too many to scope out in one trip, but don’t miss famous Matukad Island with its pure white sands, exotic rain forest, limestone rock formations, and even a hidden lagoon. Another must-visit is Manlawe Island, a one-kilometer-wide sandbar surrounded by ankle-deep water. Other highlights include Cotivas Island, Gota Island, and Sabitang-Laya, a triangular landmass with powdery sand, caves, and superb snorkeling. Accommodations in Caramoan include family-run inns that are equipped with modern amenities but rustic enough to accentuate the region’s remote and unspoiled ambience.

The Coronado Bridge links San Diego to Coronado Island—and the present to the past. In the span of just 2.12 miles, you’ll travel from the digital age to a century when “electrified” hotels were practically unheard of. When the Hotel Del Coronado debuted in 1888, its electric lights and telephones made a sensation—as did its resplendence. In 1892, a young guest named Noel proclaimed in a letter to her family back east that “the red and the white between the bluest sky and the bluest water is like a beautiful dream in a fairy story.” Legions of A-listers have checked in ever since, as a who’s who of vintage portraits attests. But while a stay here is delightfully nostalgic—featuring bike rentals, beachside cabanas, and evening clambakes—the 757-room hotel doesn’t live entirely in the past. Take advantage of its upscale spa, spin classes on the beach, and restaurants serving updated takes on coastal cuisine along with creative cocktails. In the historic Victorian Building Suites, you’ll find modern coastal-chic interiors, streaming TVs, and, of course, Wi-Fi. The Beach Village Suites include additional modern luxuries—like a Sub-Zero fridge and dedicated concierge to help you fill it.