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When Freehand launched in Miami at the end of 2012, it became a welcome alternative to the city’s glitzy hotel scene. The retro-inspired, summer-camp-style hotel is housed in a 1930s building outfitted with vintage furnishings and wood paneling by New York design firm Roman and Williams. Laid-back activities (art classes, yoga) encourage mingling, while the Broken Shaker cocktail lounge has become a local hangout and earned two James Beard Award nominations.

Freehand Miami bills itself as “a hostel for a new generation of travelers.” Indeed, a visit here confirms that it’s very far from the stereotypical dingy hostel. In fact, were it not for the shared rooms, the Freehand would likely fall into the “boutique hotel” category.

Room decor includes vividly colorful modern art and Mexican blankets, and free Wi-Fi is available. There are also private rooms that come with work desks and flat-screen TVs. The complimentary breakfast is popular with guests and includes Cuban pastries and locally roasted Panther coffee. Evenings are well-spent at the hostel’s on-site bar, the Broken Shaker, which in 2014 was listed #22 on Drinks International’s World’s 50 Best Bars list. It specializes in inventive “garden-to-glass” cocktails, which blend familiar spirits with unique homemade bitters and ingredients that aren’t usually found in cocktails, such as green bean juice.
One could argue that the stylish, affordable hotel trend was actually ushered in by a pop-up craft cocktail bar in the courtyard of a defunct historic hotel just north of the South Beach fray. Five years later, The Broken Shaker is a permanent fixture of Miami Beach nightlife and the anchor of The Freehand Miami, a hip hotel-cum-hostel with both private and shared rooms designed by Roman & Williams in a subtle nautical theme. It’s also home to 27 Restaurant serving seasonal farm-to-table fare inspired by Miami’s melting pot of cultures. Perennially popular amongst locals, it should be at the top of every traveler’s list. The concept’s proven such a hit that they’ve recently opened hotels in Chicago and L.A. with New York on the horizon.


What was once a pop-up bar, The Broken Shaker is now a permanent fixture at the Freehand Miami. The James Beard Award-nominated bar is located in the high-end hostel on South Beach serving up a selection of handcrafted cocktails. The bar itself is a tiny room by the pool with a 1950s Havana look. You can grab your cocktail—made with elixirs, syrups and infusions using herbs and spices from the onsite garden—and drink it in the bar, or head outside to the pool and nestle into one of the lounge chairs. Away from the hustle and bustle of South Beach, The Broken Shaker offers a more intimate setting than the lavish pools at high-end hotels in the area.

Guests at this 13-room retreat in Costa Rica’s central highlands can tour the estate’s 36 acres of coffee fields. After the walk, try a “cupping,” or tasting, of the shade-grown organic blends. End with a soak in your suite’s jungle-view tub. From $250. (305) 395-3042


After a couple days resting up at The Retreat Costa Rica, I was off on my next adventure. Finca Rosa Blanca, which doubles as a boutique hotel and coffee plantation, proved the perfect setting for exploration both near and far. I stayed in the La Guaria junior suite—each has it’s own name—this one named after a local flower. Having come from New York where apartments are cramped, I was pleasantly surprised by the spacious layout of the villa. The entrance leads into a circular area, with sky lights above that form a sort of dome. There’s a separate kitchen and dining area, a bathroom complete with a whirlpool, and a separate bedroom featuring a kingsize bed. My favorite part of La Guaria were the two balconies. There’s a small one right off of the bedroom, where I’d usually listen to the rain falling hard against the roof in the afternoon. In the mornings and again in the evenings, I’d make myself a cup of coffee and catch up on my emails outside on the larger terrace. It overlooks a large grass farm, as well as the flowers that grow on the property.


Speaking of coffee, Finca Rosa Blanca, is also a coffee plantation. On my first full day at the hotel, I signed up for their guided coffee tour, where I learned the ins and outs of coffee-making in Costa Rica—things like how Arabic coffee is the only type of coffee grown here and how the blonder the roast, the more caffeine it has; I always assumed the opposite. Our tour group was small but we had a guest appearance by the finca’s two adopted dogs—aptly named Finca and Rosa. It’s a mother and daughter, and I loved watching them run around the plantation and play in the little waterfall separating one bank from the other. The second part of the tour was an actual coffee tasting, where we sampled a “good” cup of coffee and an “over roasted” cup. I was surprised how many flavors and aromas I could pick up despite always claiming that I have a poor sense of smell...and silently resolved to skip the milk and sugar next time.


As for the food and lounge areas, there are some really creative spots. The El Tigre Vestido restaurant has both outdoor and indoor seating; I mostly ate in their open-air sections but definitely took advantage of the fire crackling in the evenings. It can get a little chilly there at night. On my last full day at Finca Rosa Blanca, I went all out. First up was a scenic (and very uncrowded) hike to Barva volcano. I learned that, while a national park, it’s one of Costa Rica’s hidden secrets. There were few tourists along our path, allowing us to feel like we had wandered into an enchanted forest out of a story book. Back at the finca, I indulged at their spa, with their Pura Vida Coffee Detox Package: a Swedish full-body massage, a coffee and chocolate body scrub and a refreshing facial. After a challenging hike that morning, it was just what the doctor ordered. Fun fact: There’s some great art here and I’m not just talking about the murals on the walls (there are some super colorful ones at the pool); One of the owners, Glenn, is an artist by trade and he designed all the metal work seek throughout the property, right here on-site.

Psarou Beach is posh rather than party, ringed by upscale hotels and beach clubs and punctuated with a scuba center. The sand is white and the water is turquoise. Restaurants and bars are expensive here, as are the waterside amenities like chairs and umbrellas, but the ambiance is clean and very stylish. Beach dwellers tend to be fit and fabulous so bring your A-game beach attire.

The best of Nicaragua is on the beautiful Emerald Coast. Mukul Resort offers a barefoot luxury experience with stunning suites, exquisite design, and local hospitality. Where else can you surf a great break in front of a 5 star hotel? The Golf and spa are equally as unique.

The Atlantis Hotel is the focal point of Dubai‘s giant cluster of man-made isthmuses that jut out into the Persian Gulf. Even if you can’t afford to stay at this spectacular hotel, you can still go see what the decadent expat lifestyle feels like for the day by swimming with dolphins in Dolphin Bay or splashing about in the rivers, slides, and pools of Dubai‘s largest water park: Aquaventure. If that doesn’t float your boat (sorry), there’s Atlantis’s dive center, in which you can go diving in a nearly 3 million–gallon tank. You’ll literally be swimming with the sharks (and stingrays) this time. In Atlantis, don’t be surprised to find yourself feeding the rays next to a celebrity—this is one of the places they stay in Dubai.

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.

Lesser-known ski fields are often run by clubs and have the benefit of thinner crowds and the opportunity for skiers and boarders to glide and carve where others haven’t. Rainbow Ski Area near Nelson on the South Island is great for boarders and offers lessons from novice to expert. Further south, Porters Ski Area outside Christchurch features such runs as the appropriately named Big Mama and other trails that cater to intermediate and advanced riders. In the North Island, try the Manganui Ski Area on Mount Taranaki for cheap no-frills skiing (meaning no gear rentals on-site). And on the eastern side of Mount Ruapehu, there’s the friendly club-run Tukino ski field, which is often open when the rest of the mountain is shrouded in clouds.

This English-inspired hotel has been the place to stay in New Orleans for basically forever—well, since it opened in 1984, at least. It’s plush without being pompous, stately without being too serious, though it should be said that this is the kind of place where gents might wear a pocket square and watch fob and feel right at home. The $8 million art collection, which includes original works by Reynolds, Gainsborough, and Huysman, is museum-worthy (you can even take an audio tour), and the 4,500-square-foot spa, part of the 2012 $22 million renovation, is one of the city’s most luxurious. Other notable upgrades include the lobby cocktail bar—a more feminine alternative to the leather-clad Polo Club Lounge, and an outdoor pool.

Surrounded by bold artwork inside and magnificent ocean views outside, guests are never quite sure where to direct their gaze when they arrive at Ellerman House. A stay here is a bit like visiting an elegant and attentive friend, starting with the complimentary airport pickup straight through all the thoughtful, personalized touches (guests might find a bottle of their favorite vodka already stocked in their room). The hotel owner is a well-known aficionado of South African art, and his private collection graces the walls of the guestrooms and public spaces. True art fans should be sure to visit the on-site gallery to view masterpieces by Louis Maqhubela, Wayne Barker, and Angus Taylor. If it’s not occupied, also sneak a peek at the breathtaking wine gallery, which features a wall made of soil from the Cape Winelands and a spiral-shaped wine rack modeled after a corkscrew.

Sitting on the edge of a cliff, this luxuriously appointed hotel makes for one of the best spots in Cape Town for a sundowner. Have a cocktail on the terrace while watching the fiery African sun meet the tumultuous Atlantic waves.

Imagine a scene from Scott F. Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby where a live jazz band serenades guests as they subliminally move to the rhythm of the music, with hors d’oeuvres in one hand and a vodka martini in the other. Expect a mirrored image of the same vibrant energy and posh ambience of Gatsby’s soirees aboard the Orient Express. Orient Express, the most expensive restaurant in Delhi and voted one the world’s best restaurants, offers a world-class dining experience alongside live jazz bands and fresh food flown in daily from France. The luxurious culinary journey begins in private booths on faux carriages that beautifully mimic the legendary train. The crisp menu offers cuisines of all countries through which the Orient Express traversed, with the classic French fare remaining triumphant. Revel in the seven-course meal, with an appetizer to whet your appetite and the signature dessert to perfect the extravaganza, and of course, succulent sorbet bites in between dishes to neutralize your overwhelmed, yet gratified palate. The individual carriages of the Orient Express are illuminated by gleaming brass fittings, polished wood paneling, and steel facades which not only mesmerize, but promise to fiercely invigorate your senses.

Minsk, the austere capital of Belarus and a former Soviet satellite, harbors Beatles cover bands, bookish bohemians feasting on salo and vodka, and the curious legacy of Lee Harvey Oswald.

Every detail at this former farm has been carefully executed to highlight the spectacular setting, a nature preserve near Norway’s southwest coast. The hotel’s nine wood cabins hover atop metal rods discreetly drilled into boulders above the Valldøla River—the architects’ solution for securing hard-to-get government permits while leaving the land virtually untouched. Purposefully spare yet stylish, each is furnished with only a bed and a couple of lounge chairs next to a wall of glass that encourage quiet meditation on the beauty of the Valldal valley and snow-capped mountains beyond. The concept continues in the spa, which is perched on a bluff overlooking the river and features a small outdoor hot tub and glass-enclosed steam room. Meals are served at a long communal table in a renovated cow barn; though breakfasts are included (the smoked salmon is to die for), three-course dinners are extra but worth the splurge thanks to locally foraged and sourced ingredients such as reindeer steaks.

Roseau’s only oceanside dining option, the elegant Palisades pairs sweeping water views with one of Dominica’s best culinary experiences. Here, creative dishes showcase the island’s natural bounty, including produce sourced from local farms and fish straight from the Caribbean Sea. Start with dishes like BBQ jerk octopus and sesame-crusted tuna with a soy-chili dip. Then, move on to the lion fish, served with green-banana croquettes and mushroom sauce. Fancy something lighter? Try a lentil-black-bean cake or callaloo soup, made with baby taro leaves, coconut milk, yam, and green bananas.

Lebanese food is ubiquitous in Abu Dhabi, but Almayass restaurant at the Sheraton on the Corniche combines Lebanese classics on the menu with an array of Armenian dishes that pair perfectly. If you try one dish on their impressive list of hot mezes, be sure to make it the ras asfour bi kara, marinated veal cubes topped with a sweet-and-sour cherry sauce. Armenian cuisine is famous for its sausages, and Almayass serves a delicious sujuk maa bayd ferri, Armenian sausage fried up with quail eggs. Almayass also answers the perennial Abu Dhabi question: “Where can we go to smoke a shisha outside?” Tucked into a private lagoon, Almayass’s outdoor seating area provides an intimate environment for some after-dinner shisha and cocktails.

Founded in what was previously an artists’ residence, Brody House fittingly takes its name from Hungarian author Sándor Bródy. Each of the 11 air-conditioned rooms features a bohemian mix of upcycled furniture—think sofas with frames crafted from old shipping pallets and accent walls made with old wooden doors—and some have claw-foot tubs. The hotel is part of a larger effort that includes condo-style accommodations (Brody Apartments), a grand suburban villa (Brody Villa), and an art gallery (The Art Yard). However, the group’s best-known property is Brody Studios, a private-members club for the local arts communities featuring bars, workshops, and even a recording studio. All guests staying at Brody sites get free access to the space and its regular calendar of dance parties and literature- and art-related events as well as the occasional English-language comedy show.