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A Good Year, starring Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard, was shot in Cucuron, just 35 miles north of Aix-en-Provence. While the medieval town hasn’t had many celebrity sightings since, it stills draws visitors with its exquisite Michelin-starred restaurant Le Petit Maison. Here, the weekly set menus—each available with wine pairings—come courtesy of chef Eric Sapet, who worked for 11 years in renowned Paris restaurants like the three-Michelin-starred Tour d’Argent. Ranging from wild shrimp bouillabaisse with chanterelle mushrooms to roast duck breast with peaches, his dishes are something to be savored, especially when enjoyed in La Petite Maison’s elegant dining room, which charms with old-fashioned woodwork, Renaissance tapestries, and period tiles.

Behind a discreet blue door in Cartagena’s walled historic zone, La Passion maintains its low-key ambiance with just eight rooms and a maximum of 16 guests. The distinctly decorated 19th-century building was designed by French film producer and theater designer Thierry Forte, who owns the property with his Colombian wife, and balances original elements like black-and-white-tile flooring with such antiques as brass gramophones and heavy wooden chests. Brightly painted accent walls, abstract art, and colorful decorative objects keep things from feeling too fusty, as does an indoor garden of tropical flowers, vines, and trees that soars through an interior courtyard. Best of all, the standout rooftop pool and restaurant are typically uncrowded, making the surrounding panoramic city views all the more stunning.

Ralph Brennan’s Red Fish Grill pairs eclectic, of-the-sea décor with some of the best seafood in town. Don’t miss the BBQ oysters with Crystal Hot Sauce and blue cheese dressing. Next door, Bourbon House is known for its towering plateaux de fruits de mer, which comes with oysters with caviar, boiled Gulf shrimp, mussels, crab fingers, and seafood salad, and its impressive bourbon selection. Donald Link’s latest endeavor, Peche, is to seafood what Cochon is to pork. On Magazine Street, Casamento’s is an institution for its oyster loaf and fried seafood platters, plus it’s fun to watch the hulking shuckers tackle piles of just-off-the-boat bivalves.

This Frenchmen Street landmark offers up a steady parade of remarkable local musicians from late afternoon until early morning, with an emphasis on foot-tapping traditional and swing jazz. Musicians play on a low stage against the front window; the curious wanderers outside press their noses up against the glass, providing yet another level of entertainment. Nobody comes here for elaborate cocktails—it’s more or less a beer-and-a-shot joint—but people do come here for music, and they come in droves. Plan to arrive early enough to nab a seat at the bar or along the wall, and you’ll have a good perch when things get going.

Marrakesh’s legendary La Mamounia, which dates back to the 12th century, reopened in 2009 after a meticulous three-year renovation by noted French architect and designer Jacques Garcia. Step behind its fabled doors and a sensory feast awaits, from the gentle tinkling of the numerous water fountains and basins; to the fragrant waft of jasmine, orange blossom, and cedar; to the lush Arab-Andalusian interiors, filled with traditional Zellige tilework, sculpted wood, and carved plaster. There are 209 rooms and suites, with the largest topping out at more than 1,000 square feet. Views range between Koutoubia Mosque, the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, and La Mamounia’s own legendary gardens, which abound with 2,000-year-old rose bushes, 700-year-old olive trees, and flowering bougainvillea and jacaranda. Three secluded, standalone riads each feature three bedrooms arranged around a central patio and private pool, though guests would be remiss not to hang around La Mamounia’s dreamy central pool, lined with palm trees, loungers, and lanterns.

The hike up Cerro de la Gloria in General San Martin Park is a steep 45-minute trek but worth the panoramic city views. Make sure you bring lots of water and go early in the day before the weather is too hot and the views too hazy. At the top, you’ll also be rewarded with an impressive bronze monument honoring the Army of the Andes led by Argentina liberator General San Martin, a battalion he marched from Mendoza to Chile to free the country from Spanish rule. The memorial was built to commemorate the Argentina Centennial of 1910. If you’re too tired to climb back down, you can take the public bus, but will need exact change to ride (check current price at the tourist office).

Have you been here? Tell us about it below!End your day in Old San Juan with a pre-dinner stroll along the water, alongside the Old City Walls. It’s that time of day when everything seems to slow down, even the waters of the Caribbean Sea begin to ease into a glassy stillness - perfectly reflecting the midnight blue sky and the incandescent glow of the street lamps. Start from Paseo de la Princesa, at the Raices Fountain, and wind your way around the walls. Take in the views of the setting sun from the benches that line the walkway. Reminisce about the day and linger. There’s no need to rush into the night and tomorrow will come soon enough.

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.

Founded in 1955, the owner of La Tarte Tropézienne, Alexandre Micka, invented the eponymous cream-filled brioche that was discovered and named by Brigitte Bardot while shooting And God Created Woman. The Place des Lices location of this storied pâtisserie-boulangerie is the flagship branch (though not its original). This is a pastry lover’s wonderland, with a bewildering and mouthwatering array of breads, croissants, tarts, macarons, and flans on offer. Buy anything, buy everything, just make sure you buy at least one Tarte Tropézienne—whether a slice or whole pie, traditional or containing fruit. You can even purchase multipacks of baby-size pies—you know, as a “gift.”

Houston‘s beer scene has commanded national attention for years thanks to its quality craft brews, and there’s no better place to sample some than at Saint Arnold Brewing Company. Founded in the mid-1990s, it has the esteemed title of being the oldest craft brewery in Texas. Monday through Friday the beer hall is open from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; there’s no charge for admission and brewery tours are offered at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. On Saturdays, the beer hall is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and admission is $10, which includes a souvenir glass and four 8 oz. tastings; tours are held at noon, 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. One lesser-known secret about the beer hall? It serves up excellent à la carte food, too.

This huge property comprising two towers—the River Wing and the Grand Tower—showcases Huangpu River views from its position by the riverside promenade. The Grand Tower, designed by New York–based Kohn Pedersen Fox, features 375 rooms and suites, while the more classic River Wing has 577 rooms. High-style restaurants and bars sit between the two. Rooms have crystal chandeliers and a mural of Chinese flowers above the bed. The Gallery, in the Grand Tower, exhibits paintings and sculptures from up-and-coming artists, which rotate each quarter.

On a charming corner of Greenwich Street in TriBeCa, the Greenwich Hotel is a sophisticated downtown Manhattan property co-owned by actor Robert DeNiro. Since opening in 2008, this boutique hotel has earned a reputation for its discretion (only a small sign signals the entrance), offering the type of service and privacy that attracts celebrity guests. Keep an eye out for abstract expressionist paintings by Robert DeNiro’s father, Robert DeNiro Sr., throughout the hotel.

No two of the 88 rooms are alike; the design is unfussy and pleasantly understated. Spacious bathrooms—finished in Moroccan tile or Italian Carrara marble—are a highlight of the accommodations. Start your stay with a swim in the lantern-lit swimming pool before sipping a pre-dinner cocktail in the guests-only drawing room, complete with a fireplace. The hotel is also home to neighborhood favorite Italian restaurant, Locanda Verde, from beloved NYC chef Andrew Carmellini.

This Upper East Side legend opened its doors in 1930 and, since then, has offered big-city accommodations to a legion of luminaries, from John F. Kennedy and Ingrid Bergman to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The hotel’s famed restaurant Café Carlyle is where much of the action—and longstanding history—exists, having consistently hosted top talent like Woody Allen, Alan Cumming, and Rita Wilson since opening in 1955.

Part sustainable residential building, part eco-friendly lodge, the El Moore has been witness to Detroit’s turbulent history. The restored Victorian building boasts rooftop urban cabins, expansive suites, and bunk-bedded garden view rooms, covering various price points. Rooms feature reclaimed wood and subway tiles as well as ash paneling, geothermal heating, and solar paneling.

The Gin Joint opened in 2010 and was Charleston‘s first real dedicated craft cocktail spot. Five years later, it’s still going strong with its creative drinks menu (including a “bartender’s choice” option for the patron who wants a surprise) and great bites, from gourmet soft pretzels to “cornbread and milk” for dessert.