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From the Adirondack chairs lazily spread across the pier and the seafood restaurant’s waterfront deck, it’d be easy to confuse the Hotel J for somewhere in New England. Even the rooms are decked out in a healthy dose of Americana, with tasteful white cotton and stars-and-stripes accompanying the natural wood furnishings and nautical memorabilia. And the seafood-focused restaurant—which, frankly, feels like a luxury yacht—channels American favorites in its brasserie-style menu.


But, fear not, the Hotel J is also very Swedish. Located on Nacka Strand 20 minutes from Stockholm, it capitalizes on the Swedes’ love of boating, especially in the summer months, when the archipelago’s 30,000 islands become day trip and vacation destinations for the entire city. Not only is it affiliated with a local kayak and canoe rental center—just ask if you’d like to spend a day on the water—but the ferry to and from Stockholm stops in front of the restaurant, allowing city dwellers to make pilgrimages to the eatery at will. The hotel’s sprawling, wooded grounds, too, are exceptionally Swedish, especially with the 19th-century summer mansions that dot them; most are used as event spaces now, but don’t let that curb your exploring.

Upstairs from her flagship Delirio boutique (also worth a duck-in), a beautiful town house is home to chef Mónica Patiño’s Casa Virginia, featuring a changing seasonal menu that takes creative advantage of Mexico’s wide-ranging culinary variety. Its sunny dining room and nostalgic “shabby chic” details cannot fail to delight; its family-style servings are great for sharing. Recent specials included an endive salad and two artichoke preparations, a squash soup, a Mexican-style osso buco, and a rack of lamb. All ingredients are locally sourced and most of the herbs—a key element in everything Patiño does—are grown on the roof. There can be few more civilized meals anywhere in Mexico City.

Pick up any glass in Turkey and chances are there’s a letter P on the bottom of it, standing for Paşabahçe, Turkey’s top manufacturer of glassware and housewares. Blue-glass eye amulets (nazar in Turkish) that ward off the evil eye are sold everywhere in Turkey, but the items here are actually locally made. They range from simple, silver-dollar-size keychains to hefty, gilded wall hangings. Other souvenirs include the tulip-shaped glasses seen in every teahouse in town and ornate Ottoman-inspired vases that look like they could have been lifted from Topkapı Palace. Another contender for your collection: a piece of twisted blue-striped çeşm-i bülbül (nightingale’s eye) glass, a Venetian glassblowing technique made distinctively Turkish.

Long recognised as one of the best restaurants in Danang, Red Sky continues to set high standards. The menu at the upstairs venue features western dishes such as seared tuna, succulent steaks and a range of delicious pasta favourites. The downstairs bar is also a fine place for a perfectly mixed nightcap.

Located to the right of the Sea Gate, Kotor’s open-air market is packed with local homemade and homegrown delicacies, such as fresh fruit, goat cheese and porcini mushrooms, as well as fish straight from the sea and Montenegrin wines and souvenirs. Almost everything can be sampled, so make sure to try local specialties like kajmak (a dairy product similar to clotted cream) or Njegoš prosciutto, known for its delicate texture and slightly smoky flavor.

Start your night out in the trendy New Kingston neighborhood with dinner at Redbones. The warm wood interior is hung with photos of jazz and blues artists who have performed here. Several seating areas inside and out can suit a variety of moods. Tables are set on a breezy porch and out on a fairy-lit patio. The kitchen serves a Caribbean fusion menu of sandwiches, seafood, pasta, and steaks. In addition to a regular schedule of musical performers, both local and international, Redbones hosts poetry nights, film screenings, and art exhibitions.

Artist Sondra Voss and her husband, Greg, travel the world to source unique accessories and gifts for their lifestyle store, Voss Art + Home. From furniture and original art—by Sondra and other Colorado artists—to jewelry, barware, and baby items, the Vosses seek out items that tell a story and convey a sense of place. Every two weeks, the store brings a new artisan into its Pop Up Shop, a store within a store that features a revolving line of items not otherwise available; it’s a win-win since it provides new items for regular patrons and gives new exposure to local and foreign artisans, collections, or suppliers.

This landmark hotel, built in the Swiss rustic style popular at the turn of the 19th century, has hosted Winston Churchill, Arturo Toscanini, Albert Einstein, the Shah of Iran, Henry Kissinger, and the Rolling Stones, among others. Situated high above Zurich, with a sweeping forest and a golf course for company, it offers breathtaking views of the city, the lake, and even—on clear days—the Alps.

Renovated in 2008 by Lord Foster for a cool 385 million Swiss francs, it now features a bold, contemporary edifice that wraps around the turreted original, two entirely new wings (the Spa Wing and the Golf Wing), and a completely revamped interior. While the rooms in the Main Building (the historic structure) are appointed with traditional furniture and hand-painted wallpaper to give a regal, turn-of-the-century feel, the newer rooms are equipped with balconies and bathrooms of white marble or sand-colored Jura limestone. Imagined by London-based United Designers, they also come with flat-screen televisions with integrated Bang & Olufsen CD and DVD players.

The four signature suites sprawl over hundreds of square meters and feature steam showers, whirlpool baths, and even (in one case) a grand piano. The hotel also offers an expansive spa and wellness center.

Across the river from the heart of the old town, the historic Gablerbräu dates back to 1429 and offers the usual mix of Austrian favorites, including schnitzel, Tafelspitz, and goulash, plus seasonal apricot dumplings and the local Salzburger Nockerl pastry. The local draft beer, Gabler Zwickl, is a good choice, but it’s the atmosphere that really makes this place worth a visit. While the chance to dine outdoors on a cool summer evening in Salzburg is hard to pass up, the classic decor inside should not be missed. Ask for a spot in the Richard-Mayr-Stube, a cozy dining area with murals, vaulted ceilings, stained-glass windows, and a charming old tile stove.

Telluride was a fount of local liquor in its Wild West heyday. Today, the town is returning to its boozy roots with help from Telluride Distilling Company, which produces gluten-free vodka (made entirely from sugarcane), whiskey (finished in charred oak sherry barrels), and peppermint schnapps (based on a recipe from the Alps). Stop by the distillery for a bartender-led tour, then treat yourself to a Telluride Mule cocktail, made with ginger beer that’s also brewed on-site.

Just off Cerrillos Road, this casual, light-filled venue does double duty as an inventive market and restaurant. Chef Noela Figueroa’s rotating menu is known to feature hearty fare made with local ingredients. Start with breakfast (kimchi egg scramble), move into brunch (sauerkraut latkes), and stay for lunch (buttermilk fried chicken with bok choy slaw). Sample from fresh juices, alongside wine and beer compliments of Rowley’s Farmhouse Ales. Before you leave, stock up on kitchenwares and jars of the kitchen’s preserved garlic confit, pickled vegetables, or pumpkin butter.

Downtown Bryson City is home to the welcoming Everett Hotel and its restaurant, the Bistro. Although famous for its crepes, the Bistro’s mountain trout preparations rival the finest riverside camp cooking, including, notably, the trout cakes, a highlight of the Southern cuisine–driven tapas menu. Ingredients are sourced locally and seasonally, and many are organic. Although the rustic, candelabra-lit atmosphere is relaxed, reservations are recommended, especially during summer and on weekends. Guests at the Everett enjoy complimentary breakfast and weekend brunch, and many eat here multiple times during a visit to the Smokies.

For a quick bite, drop by the unassuming Ecco Espresso and Gelato. Tucked inside an old adobe building near the Santa Fe Plaza, this airy self-service space has a sprawl of metal tables (inside and out) and a menu of pastries, deli sandwiches (tuna with dill and cucumber), locally roasted coffee, hand-pulled espresso drinks, and spicy hot chocolate. As for gelato, uncover an assortment of 20 flavors including classics like chocolate and vanilla to more unusual, creative scoops like strawberry-habanero, amaretto-peach, and cherry-stracciatella.

A short walk from Larnaca’s palm-fringed seafront is the old Turkish Quarter (the Skala). Old Larnaca’s whitewashed buildings, now home to shops selling pottery and other artisan goods, feel distinctly Old World—like a seaside port from Zorba the Greek. Pick up treasures like hand-painted olive oil bottles that look like they’ve been unearthed from ancient Greek sites. Sea sponges and local shells are also for sale and hang from shop walls in colorful Instagram-ready displays. Wander the narrow alleyways and stop for a Greek/Turkish coffee to savor the feeling of strolling backwards in time. A copy of Lawrence Durrell’s memoir of old Cyprus, Bitter Lemons, is a great companion on your tour.

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.