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• Neighborhood: Dupont Circle
• Why we love it: Recently renovated—and thoroughly stylish—public spaces that attract the best and brightest
• Loyalty program: I Prefer (Preferred Hotels & Resorts)
• From $215
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Fortunes and friendships change quickly in D.C., but the Dupont Circle Hotel has yet to go out of style. Set right on the roundabout itself, the eponymous hotel assumes a place of pride. Within, the site’s Martin Brudnizki–designed restaurant, The Pembroke—with its coral velvet banquettes, marble tables, and expansive outdoor terrace—has birthed a scene. Thanks to its location around the corner from Embassy Row, everyone from tony locals to visiting diplomats gather here to enjoy its mid-Atlantic-inspired menu, while the walnut-and-brass-clad Doyle is a whiskey bar fit for Ireland (home base of the Doyle Collection).

The 327 sleek guest rooms take similar advantage of their surroundings, most with large windows overlooking the circle. Upstairs, Irish designer Clodagh refreshed the penthouse suites, where spaces for relaxing include deep soaking tubs and private terraces with sun loungers. Clodagh also redesigned the lobby, which has the look and feel of a high-end apartment, thanks to details like a cozy fireplace and a look-through bookcase with brass accents. Best of all, though, is the feeling of walking out the front door in the morning and knowing that the capital is at your doorstep.

Read Afar’s full list of top hotels in Washington, D.C.

The Westin brand’s first foray into South America was, at least when it opened in 2011, the tallest building in all of Peru. That distinction has since been taken over by the Edificio Banco Continental (BBVA) nearby, but the glass-and-steel tower designed by Peruvian-born, Miami-based architect Bernardo Fort-Brescia stands over one of the busiest intersections in the city, and is still one of Lima’s most recognizable landmarks. While it was designed primarily to fit the needs of the growing number of high-end business travelers (the largest convention center in the city is attached to the hotel), the high-profile team, including interior designer Tony Chi, added on artfully modern touches. The striking interiors incorporate pre-Colombian motifs and gold, silver, and bronze finishes. The hotel is a hub of activity, with a full-service spa and high-end shopping, plus a lobby bar and lounges that serve as impromptu meeting spaces.

Istanbul’s Ottoman heritage and contemporary urban pulse collide at this city retreat. The hotel sits within Akaretler’s historic row houses where high-ranking officials of Sultan Abdulaziz’s reign once lived. Designed by Mahmut Anlar, the interior is stamped with vibrant jewel-toned hues and bold geometric shapes that create an ultra-modern vibe down through the regal 1875 foundations.

Rooms are doused in hot-pink highlights and open out to private terraces or gardens, with suite rooms offering beach-style cabanas for a slice of inner-city resort living. Munchie boxes, Bose radios, and king-size beds with 350-thread-count linens make rooms extra welcoming.

The W Hotel’s whatever-whenever service philosophy takes a highly customized approach. Staff can arrange tailor-made itineraries that help guests discover hidden sights and the newest restaurants and nightlife. The hotel’s iPhone app allows guests to scope out the city scene from the comfort of their room and order in-room dining at a touch of a button.

Situated oceanfront on Collins Avenue in the shadow of The Setai (South Beach’s tallest and most expensive hotel), Townhouse is a humble Art Deco concrete building trimmed in red with two very cool venues hidden inside, a subterranean ramen lounge and a laidback rooftop bar. K. Ramen. Burger. Beer excels in all of its eponymous categories and also serves delightful poke bowls and chicken wings, while The Cape is a surprisingly rare rooftop perch in South Beach with a laidback bungalow atmosphere playing host to live music.

Despite being located just outside Reykjavik’s main center, the Hilton Nordica maintains its popularity thanks to its superb service and welcoming Scandi-mod interiors. Though working travelers tend to favor the property for its many functional conference rooms and business center, leisure visitors prefer to cozy up in a leather armchair by the fire in the plush neutral-toned lobby. The aesthetic continues in the spacious rooms and suites (the smallest is 300 square feet) with their calming, natural palettes, colorful photos of Reykjavik, and large windows that allow Iceland’s generous light to flood in; suites also enjoy separate lounge areas. The VOX restaurant serves gourmet New Nordic cuisine with an emphasis on Icelandic and Scandinavian ingredients, and the open-concept bar serves coffee, tea, and cocktails, and is a comfortable spot for lounging or mingling whether you’re coming in from a busy day of sightseeing or getting ready to hit the town.

My wife, Robin, and I have been camping, fishing, and hiking in the Lakes Basin area, near Sierra City, since we met. These days, our usual home base is a tiny log cabin at the edge of Packer Lake, pictured here. From trailheads around Packer you can hike to many other lakes--Saxonia, Deer, Lower and Upper Tamarack, Young America, Upper and Lower Sardine. Most of the hikes are relatively easy, and on some trails you’ll rarely encounter other hikers. In early October 2007, a brief, unseasonable storm passed through and carpeted the area with an inch or two of snow, which made for an especially invigorating walk along the Pacific Crest Trail to the lookout at the top of the Sierra Buttes.

Baur au Lac, the grande dame of Bahnhofstrasse hotels open since 1844, is home to the city’s most beautiful restaurant, with a stunning glass gazebo with Lalique chandeliers overlooking the hotel’s private park. Chef Laurent Eperon’s dishes are mostly contemporary takes rooted in French technique, though the menu has a special “Veau Suisse” section that includes a meltingly tender glazed veal knuckle that’s been cooked overnight.

Opened in April 2015, this is one of the newest additions to New Orleans’ hotel scene. It’s also one of the most unique. Set in an 1854 warehouse near the Port of New Orleans, the property pays homage to its past as well as to its Arts District location. The look is contemporary industrial, with plenty of original architectural details (hardwood floors, exposed piping and brick, wall-to-wall windows) paired with Tivoli radios, flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, and other modern conveniences. The hotel lobby is part art gallery, with a rotating collection curated by the New Orleans Center of Creative Arts, part commissary, with locally crafted products displayed in chandlery cases, and part coffee shop, with pastries from the neighboring restaurant—which is one of the hottest openings this year.

Compere Lapin (French for “brother rabbit” and also a fictional character in Caribbean and Creole folk tales) serves food that draws on chef Nina Compton’s island roots, classic French training, and traditional Creole fare. The result is wonderfully colorful dishes like conch croquettes with pickled pineapple tartare sauce, roasted jerk corn with aioli and lime, and curried goat with plantain gnocchi and cashews.

Classic luxury in a colonial building is what visitors can expect of Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City, located near the swanky neighborhood of Polanco and the sprawling Chapultepec Park. Proximity to the park offers respite from some of the noisier parts of the city, as does the hotel’s own expansive courtyard. Citrus trees and other greenery, tended by the same gardener since the hotel opened, radiate from a central fountain, while sculptures by Mexican artist José Luis Cuevas add even more atmosphere to the peaceful setting. This sense of refinement extends throughout the property, with Four Seasons’ signature service on full display—housekeeping, for example, is performed twice daily, and the staff can arrange for in-room massage services. Guests can also look forward to a contemporary Latin American restaurant, a tequila and mezcal bar, and a health club with a sauna and whirlpool.

Parque Forestal is Santiago’s lung and central park. Created for the first centennial celebration in 1910, the park has become an iconic area of the city with elegant residential apartment buildings along the perimeter. One of the most enjoyable ways to spend an afternoon is walking under the century-old trees and then strolling the cobblestoned streets of the adjoining Lastarria area. Parisian-style facades, cafés full of intellectual life, boutiques, museums like Bellas Artes (a copy of the Petit Palais in Paris), restaurants, and bars all bring this neighborhood to life.

Most people that backpack in the Maroon Bells Wilderness Area usually either go over West Maroon Pass to Crested Butte or go over Buckskin Pass and camp at Snowmass Lake. A lesser known lake is Willow Lake. With fewer visitors, this is a secluded backpacking trip where the lake feels like it is all yours. You still get the great views of the Maroon Bells because you are in the same area without the crowds of people. Head as if you were going to go to Buckskin Pass and when the path forks with signage toward Buckskin pass to the left, bear right and continue hiking. You could do this as a long day hike for the ambitious.

Bray Farm is located in Yarmouth Port, Mass on Cape Cod. There are some scenic walking trails there and a variety of animals. Just behind the farm is a nice Cape Cod marshy area. If you go there during mealtime the animals can get animated. These sheep were too busy eating to care that I was taking a picture of their backsides; Either that or they were in time out.

Cairo is more than camels and desert, although they have that too. The areas around the Nile are green and lush with trees. Sometimes when I’m walking in Dokki or Zamalek I feel like I’m walking in my hometown in downtown Chico. Unlike the posh island of Zamalek, that’s filled with expats, Dokki is quite authentic. This bustling very local area is full of interesting and unusual restaurants such as my favorite, the Yemeni restaurant. You can also find delicious Sudanese food nearby.

Near the Dominican Republic’s northwestern border with Haiti, the city of Montecristo, and El Morro National Park, this 12-room lodge makes a great base for exploring subtropical forestland and boating through mangroves. Warm woods, neutral tones, and black-and-white photos decorate the lovely understated guestrooms, while comfy loungers and lush greenery surround the bean-shaped pool. Spend your days bird-watching in the national park, deep-sea fishing, kayaking, or snorkeling off the cactus-covered Seven Brothers Island, then head back to the hotel for traditional Dominican dishes at El Morro, wood-fired pizzas at Restaurant Bubí, or drinks at the lobby bar.

Housed next to Tivoli Gardens, in a historic building that once served as the Royal Danish Conservatory of Music, Nobis Hotel is a showcase for Copenhagen’s iconic mix of Old World elegance and modern design. The 77-room boutique property maintains many of its original details, but with a contemporary twist—an intricate vertical lighting installation updates the marble-and-wood staircase, while midcentury furnishings by homegrown brands like Carl Hansen & Son offset classical wall and ceiling moldings. The aesthetic inspiration continues in the lounge (where low-slung leather sofas provide the perfect backdrop for Instagram-fueled envy) and not least in Restaurant Niels (where continental standbys are served in a serene space outfitted with blond wood and industrial lighting).