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Haj Mohamed has made his name both as one of Marrakech’s top antique dealers and, for over three decades, one of its top tour guides, with clients ranging from U.S. presidents to celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Brad Pitt. Both of his passions come together at his 11-room hotel, which he crafted with teams of skilled artisans and furnished himself. Set in an 18th-century riad, it features a traditional central courtyard and pool as well as warm, intimate guestrooms, complete with rich textiles, carved wooden doors, and cushy, low-slung seating. The same welcoming aesthetic can be found in the hotel’s common spaces, which include a small plunge pool, various pillow-laden lounges, a rooftop terrace, and a courtyard where guests can enjoy live music. Riad Kniza is also known for its gourmet Moroccan restaurant, which features just nine tables and requires reservations at least one day in advance, as the chef purchases ingredients fresh from the markets each morning.

There’s more to the Botanical Gardens in Denver than just the pretty face of its landscaped grounds and beautiful flowers. It’s also a world-class research center with a mission to connect people with plants (especially the plants endemic to the Rocky Mountains) and to encourage understanding of the ecosystems in which they thrive. The 23-acre location on York Street has a variety of gardens (many based on typically western climates like mountains and plains), popular exhibits, and a shop; it additionally hosts a summer concert series and nighttime events. The institution’s second main location, at Chatfield Farms on the southwest edge of greater Denver, focuses on native flora and agriculture; there’s a working farm on its 700 acres. Both spots offer extensive educational opportunities as well as incredible events like York Street’s Blossoms of Light holiday show.

The California Academy of Sciences is an unfortunately stuffy name for an institution that is anything but staid. The country’s largest natural-history museum includes an aquarium, a planetarium, an enormous rain-forest exhibit under a 27-meter-tall (90-foot-tall) dome, and a living roof that looks like a science-fiction fantasy. A visit here can feel like a trip to an amusement park, with a series of attractions to check out, but all of them are educational. The building itself is part of the appeal of the Academy. (Like the nearby de Young, the old home of the California Academy of Sciences was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and starchitect Renzo Piano designed its very environmentally friendly replacement.) It would be easy to spend an entire day or more seeing all of the Academy’s exhibits, so be prepared to pick and choose among them.

Beijing’s number one tourist attraction is a massive former imperial palace known as the Forbidden City. Between 1416 and 1911, it was home to 24 Ming and Qing dynasty emperors and their families and staff. In 1912, after the abdication of Puyi—the last emperor of China, who ascended the throne when he was not yet three years old—the Outer Court opened to the public; in 1925 the Palace Museum was opened, with a collection of nearly 1 million Chinese antiquities. The Forbidden City has almost 1,000 buildings spread across 72 hectares (178 acres), making it the world’s largest palace complex.

This five-kilometer (3.1-mile) hike starts at Bow Lake, directly in front of the legendary, red-roofed Num-Ti-Jah Lodge. The turquoise waters and historic stone-and-log structure make for great photo ops before you even get on the trail. Then, the path winds around the lake before climbing across a series of moraines left behind as the Bow Glacier has receded—the lunar terrain will make you feel like you’ve landed on the moon! The trail eventually ends at the Bow Glacier Falls, dropping vertically from the rock face towering above. With only a 155-meter (510-feet) elevation gain, this hike offers an amazing payoff for little effort, though footing can be challenging on rocky sections with some loose rock.

Nestled in scenic parkland near the northern section of Lago Maggiore, Giardino Ascona is an intimate retreat. The hotel’s 72 rooms and suites are spacious and decorated with chic, modern furnishings set against bright, breezy color schemes. Balconies or terraces offer great views of a water-lily-filled pond and the nearby Ticino Mountains., and all rooms include conveniences such as minibars, flat-screen TVs, and DVD players. Bathrooms come with Dipiù cosmetics as well as bathrobes and slippers. As gorgeous as the rooms are, you may find yourself outside most of the time, sunning by the pool, getting pampered in the spa, or exploring the olive and lemon trees of the Mediterranean-style garden. There are also two excellent restaurants, one with two Michelin stars, and frequent wine degustations in the wine cellar.

Lucerne is no stranger to mass tourism: The otherwise lovely medieval city swells each summer with list-checking visitors en route to central Switzerland’s famed Pilatus and Titlis mountains. Surprisingly, few of them make the 15-minute trek from the train station to this gorgeous 19th-century badi (open-air swimming area) on the Lucerne National Quay, overlooking the clear blue waters of what the locals call the Vierwaldstätter See (aka Lake Lucerne). The entire facility was meticulously restored in 2010 and remains a favorite of residents for its excellent views of brooding, multi-horned Mount Pilatus, Jean Nouvel’s lakeside KKL performance hall, and Santiago Calatrava’s Lucerne Station Hall—and all without the hassle of tourists.

Both of Waikiki’s Outrigger hotels are a good value, but this one is a little bigger and a little quieter. It’s right on the beach, just north of the main resort cluster, and though a short walk to the middle of the action, far enough to feel out of the fray. The hotel itself is a quintessential Hawaiian family resort—big and friendly, with an unmistakable good-time vibe, old-school Polynesian decor throughout, and any number of activities on offer. The pool is set back from the beach and nothing fancy (no waterslides, no swim-up bar, and up against a giant wall), but it’s large enough for a serious game of Marco Polo, and there are plenty of lounge chairs to go around. Perhaps the best reason to stay here is the beach—a fairly narrow but sparkling white strand with more elbow room than its sister beaches; the rocky bottom may have something to do with that, but it’s a good place to learn to surf and a great place to catnap in the sun. One warning: the hotel lobby may feel overly commercial to some, what with a row of gift shops and a hard-to-miss timeshare desk, but it’s easy enough to ignore, if you wish.

The 40 year old hotel has just undergone a $85 million renovation and is in tip-top shape. But aside from that, what makes this place so unique are the cool people that work there. It’s a place that values humans, and their ideas, including some of the more silly ones... For example, there’s Yappy hour (one of my favorites!), where you’re invited to bring Fido to the golf course for sun–downers. Drinks for the two-legged patrons, and a specially designed menu of snacks for the furry, four-legged ones, courtesy of Executive Chef Daven Wardynski!. Human food all over the resort was out-of-this-world amazing, too. I say that somewhat regrettably, as I put on 5 lbs in 48 hours. Here’s a chef, sort of a renaissance man, that makes some seriously good food, creates the Sprouting Project, and, if that’s not enough, engineers smokers for all sorts of things that never imagined they’d end up in one. Iceberg lettuce? Yep. Oh, and the really cool presentation pieces for deviled eggs? Chef made them, because he couldn’t find the right plate. Omni Amelia Isalnd is a great place to relax, eat, play tennis, play golf, eat, go paddle boarding, kajaking, eat, get a spa treatment, oh yes, and you guessed it: eat! __________________________ A warm thank you: My Amelia Island experience was courtesy of Omni Resorts Amelia Island Plantation #MeetMeAtAmelia

Superlatives reign at this massive Palm Beach resort. Among the outsize offerings? The biggest casino in Aruba, with more than 500 slot machines and 26 gaming tables, as well as the island’s largest spa. Its 414 accommodations aren’t lacking for space either: Each room has a walk-in closet, double-sink bathroom, and private balcony; the highest-end suites are so palatial their balconies alone measure up to a sprawling 500 square feet—with ocean views to sweeten the deal. When you’re not playing roulette or indulging in a moisturizing coconut-milk wrap, kick back in one of the beachside palapas, or practice your breaststroke in the free-form pool, complete with cascading waterfalls and a volleyball net (a serene adults-only pool features a swim-up bar if that’s more your speed). In keeping with the more-is-more theme, guests are spoiled for choice with seven on-site restaurants, bars, and cafés, including a Ruth’s Chris Steak House, where the 500-degree plates ensure another best—the hottest meal in town.

Just as Rome has the Colosseum and Paris the Eiffel Tower, so Switzerland has the Matterhorn. Located above Zermatt, this 48,195-foot wonder attracts hordes of visitors, eager to see the morning sunlight beam off its four faces, ski its neighboring mountains, or even attempt to climb the beast itself. The Matterhorn, however, is not for the faint-hearted and has claimed the lives of more than 500 people since it was first scaled in 1865—an average of 12 per year. It’s also been replicated at Disneyland in California as a rollercoaster.

Opened in 2011, Reykjavík’s Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre is not only the most significant classical music venue in Iceland (home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera), but also one of the country’s most striking examples of modern architecture. Located close to the old harbor, the building was part of a larger development meant to breathe life into the downtown district (the plan was abandoned due to the subsequent economic crash, but funds to complete Harpa were found). The coruscating, eye-catching facade was designed by Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, and the spacious interior has four handsome halls, the largest of which can accommodate up to 1,800 seated guests. There are also smaller conference rooms dotted throughout the building, and the ground floor hosts a record shop, café and restaurant, and other public areas. In addition to classical concerts, the venue holds music festivals, pop shows, art exhibitions, and more.

Vieux Fort Beach is one of the prettiest in Guadeloupe, a small, crescent moon–shaped stretch of light pink sand set next to turquoise water. It is shaded in part with almond trees, but beware the manchineel trees at the back of the beach—they are extremely poisonous and you shouldn’t even stand near them! Located north of secluded Marie-Galante, there is no development on-site. Bring your picnic, settle on the soft sand, and spend a romantic afternoon or sunset here, away from everything.

With over 20 lakes, Minneapolis is truly a water city—which is roughly what its name means in the Dakota language of the area’s original American Indian inhabitants. The 1555-acre Chain of Lakes district highlights the best of this water-filled landscape. From the active water and ice sports of expansive Lake Calhoun to the more leisurely picturesque shoreline of Lake Harriet, each lake glistens with its own unique personality.

Hoshinoya Tokyo is a modern ryokan that gracefully stands between the Imperial Palace and the Journalism Center of Tokyo. Built upon the heritage of Japanese inns, this hotel exudes warmth and minimal elegance from every angle.

At first glance, I was drawn to the understated steel pattern of the facade that’s graphically new, yet mysterious ancient. Once inside, I was immediately soothed by the interior decor and furnishings crafted from the finest woods and fibers native to Japan. On each floor, there is an Ochanoma lounge where you can read or enjoy tea by the diffused light of the shoji screens. My favorite part of the ryokan is the hot springs on the top floor. If you have seen and love the Skyspace series from artist James Turrell, onsen is where you can truly feel connected to earth, water and sky.

I travel for the opportunity to learn and to see things anew. On the subject of Japanese aesthetics, the novelist Jun’ichiro Tanizaki writes “We do not dislike everything that shines, but we do prefer a pensive luster to a shallow brilliance, a murky light that, whether in a stone or an artifact, bespeaks a sheen of antiquity.” I read this as a young design student but it’s only until my stay at the hotel that I vividly saw this sheen of antiquity. I highly recommend Hoshinoya Tokyo for the finest amenities and a chance to experience the modern Japanese approach to beauty and design.