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Somewhere between a luxury yacht and a royal residence, the Hotel Lungarno seems like the sort of place where Audrey Hepburn’s Princess Ann, of Roman Holiday, would have felt right at home. A 16th-century private residence on the southern banks of the Arno, next to the iconic Ponte Vecchio, the hotel was the first entry into the Ferragamo family’s Lungarno hotel collection, lovingly restored by renowned Florentine architect/designer Michele Bönan. With rich navy carpets, stained-wood furnishings, crisp white linens, and as many large, river-facing windows as he could get away with. It comes as no surprise, either, that the house restaurant is considered among the best in the city. Even if the food and the atmosphere weren’t top-notch (and they are), the sunset views of the city lights reflected in the river would be worth it.

It’s not that newer is necessarily better—Antonio Obrador, the hotelier and designer of famously luxurious retreats like Mallorca’s Cap Rocat, would hardly choose a neoclassical, turn-of-the-century palacio for his latest project, were that the case—but when a hotel gets the kind of buzz that the Urso Hotel & Spa got when it opened in the fall of 2014, there’s usually a reason.

In the hip, up-and-coming Salesas neighborhood, across the street from the recently reopened (and equally lively) Barceló food market, Madrid’s first five-star boutique hotel looks, from the outside, like many grandes dames: ornate, decadent, and just a bit over-the-top. Inside is another story; while many of the original details (hand-painted azulejo tiles, grand marble staircase, stained-glass windows, windowed wooden elevator) have been painstakingly restored with the help of local craftsmen, the style is undeniably contemporary, with even a hint of Scandinavian-inspired minimalism to offset the pull of the antique. This devotion to design alone would have merited the aforementioned buzz, but Obrador and his team didn’t stop there, throwing in one of Madrid’s most innovative restaurants, most soothing spas, most understatedly cool bars, and, of course, the superlative service required of any five-star stay.

Conservatorium has a fascinating past. It started as a bank and then became a music academy before renowned Italian designer Piero Lissoni transformed it into a hotel in 2012. The building itself harmoniously blends old and new, with modern steel beams and glass walls complementing original brickwork and wooden beams. The hotel houses one of the city’s largest and most decadent spas—a subterranean temple to holistic wellness, with its own hammam, Watsu pool, lap pool, and more. Its restaurants and bars are also among the trendiest and most highly acclaimed in the city. Upon arrival, each guest is assigned a personal host to offer recommendations, reservations, and historical tidbits.

The Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt is a true palace. Built by an English Argentine railway executive, this Tudor Revival mansion dates to the late 1800s. The Duhau family, which bought the property in the 1920s, added an additional neoclassical building modeled after Le Château du Marais outside Paris. The property sat empty for a few decades at the end of the 20th century until a local developer partnered with Hyatt to turn it into a hotel. After a $74 million renovation, they helped preserve much of the original artwork and red marble flooring, invigorating the once faded Belle Epoque elegance. A larger, sleek tower with modern guest facilities was also added.

The property today is a testament to the grandeur of the most European city in the Americas. There are crystal chandeliers, intricate ironwork, and travertine marble bathrooms. There’s a bar where one can indulge in cigars and brandy, after, of course, dining at one of several high-profile restaurants with wine cellars designed to impress even the most hard-core oenophile.

The Morris family’s roots are among the deepest in colonial Pennsylvania. Anthony Morris settled here in 1685 and would become one of the city’s first mayors. A century later, his grandson Samuel served as a captain of the Continental Army’s Philadelphia City Calvary. Though the Morris family’s red-brick mansion on 8^th street was built in 1787, it upholds a pre-Revolutionary colonial style epitomized in the stately Independence Hall, and members of the family would live in this large corner property for the next 120 years. A painstaking restoration in the mid-1960s earned it a spot as a National Historic Landmark, and the current owners renovated the property in 2000, transforming the distinguished address into a 17-room boutique hotel without compromising original architectural details. With a leafy courtyard garden, gourmet farm-to-table restaurant, and a focus on personalized service, the latest incarnation of this home lives up to its storied past.

Each room is tastefully decorated in Colonial-era decor and reproductions. Despite the history and limitations inherent in any historic structure, guestrooms are large and uncluttered with all the modern conveniences, splashes of natural light, and sparkling bathrooms, some with Jacuzzi tubs. Adding to the allure are a complimentary continental breakfast and a cocktail, beer, or glass of wine on the house.

Set in a renovated 18th-century Milanese palazzo on a private street close to Milan’s Via Montenapoleone, the Bulgari is one of Milan’s most distinguished residences. The hotel’s enormous private garden dates back to the 14^th century, and the interior is awash in sophisticated materials like African black marble, Italian stone, and teak. In short, the place oozes class. The rooms—designed by the architectural studio Antonio Citterio, Patricia Viel and Partner—are tasteful, modern, and surprisingly adventurous. Located along dimly-lit corridors, the rooms come in various color schemes and feature an array of designer furnishings and conveniences, including not one but two plasma screens, Tivoli radios, and exclusive Bulgari bathroom products. Balconies overlook the surrounding villas, and gardens have been redesigned by landscape architect Sophie Agata Ambroise and feature patio furniture and a dedicated bar service. The Bulgari gardens serve as a natural extension of the nearby Botanical Garden and provide private relaxation amid Milano’s bustle. The hotel also has a high-end restaurant and bar, and a comprehensive spa. All guests get access to a personal shopper, personal trainer, luxury car rental, and even assistance with packing and unpacking. In addition, the concierge can arrange everything from hydroplane trips around Lake Como to personal shopping excursions around Italy by private plane, limousine, or yacht.

The 25hours brand is known for its playful take on the hotel experience, and this Zurich establishment follows suit. With an interior concocted by local designer Alfredo Häberli, the space features the usual mix of colorful, offbeat furnishings, slick design, and casual friendliness, as well as the cute touch of Häberli’s personal city tips scrawled on various surfaces.

The rooms and suites are separated into categories of silver, gold, and platinum to reflect the city’s banking-capital status. That’s as corporate as it gets, however, since the interiors are decidedly funky, with bold colors, quirky carpets and artwork, and angular work desks. The hotel also offers a restaurant, living room and business lounge (with iMac workstation and free Wi-Fi), plus an in-house kiosk that stocks everything from necessities (shampoo and toothpaste) to accessories (Freitag bags).

Many New York hotels have style, but not all have character—the Marlton is a fine example of a property where the two are powerfully present. Originally built in 1900 as a cheap place to stay (and attracting the likes of writers including Jack Kerouac) this nine-story property was taken under the wing of hotelier Sean MacPherson (the Bowery Hotel, the Jane) and transformed into a downtown hot spot where no one seems to care that the rooms are tight on space, even according to New York standards. What square footage the rooms lack, the common spaces make up for—there’s a fire burning in the lovely lobby, complete with an espresso bar, along with a cocktail bar and French-feeling restaurant, Margaux, at the back, with a gorgeous, sunny solarium (a charming feature that has inspired many return guests). Rooms are thoughtfully designed, with inviting bathrooms. Striking the right balance between hip but not too fancy, the Marlton is a comfortable property that provides much more than just a place to sleep.

After a multi-phase expansion completed in 2016, the former Restoration on King dropped “the King” from its name and gained a new restaurant, spa, coffee shop, and several dozen more suites. The sleek and modern rooms at the boutique Restoration are spread over five historic buildings at King and Wentworth, linked by a courtyard with its own wishing fountain. Exposed brick, high ceilings, and dark wood add to the suites’ loft feel, and amenities such as kitchenettes and breakfast baskets delivered to your room from the on-site Rise Coffee Bar beg a longer stay. Seasonal “happenings” at the property include yoga classes, movie nights, and fashion pop-ups at the Port Mercantile retail store. The Amethyst Spa and Nail Bar uses charged gemstones and essential oils in their massages and treatments, and the jewel-box rooftop pool provides refreshment on a hot day and has panoramic views. After a swim, the Watch Rooftop Kitchen and Spirits serves farm-to-table Lowcountry dishes and cocktails inspired by the city, such as the seasonal, bright tequila-and-watermelon-infused Charleston Brick. The Restoration understands the need for speed and style, and offers to hook up guests with vintage car rentals or even help serious riders design and commission their own custom-built motorcycle (a favorite subject of the hotel’s artist-in-residence, photographer Gately Williams) to pick up on a return trip to Charleston.

At Pappa Zouk’s rum bar in Antigua the truest path to happiness is through a mix of rum, fresh fish, new friends, and zouk music. First you should know that Pappa Zouk’s is not a restaurant. It’s a rum bar with a dizzying array of rums, rhums, and rons from across the Caribbean and beyond. Yes, lucky rummies can supplement their rum intake with a full menu of authentically prepared fresh fish and other seafood delights, but first-and-foremost this quirky little space is dedicated to drinking and being merry. Secondly, you should know Pappa Zouk is not the mad German owner and bartender. No, that curmudgeon with a penchant for abruptly ending the night’s festivities with a hearty “Get the f**k out!” is Bert Kirchner. He named his place after a deaf, dumb, old man he met on Dominica who would transform from a shuffling ancient to a lithe dancer with pure joy radiating from his gap-toothed smile down to the tips of his barefoot toes any time zouk music was played. He couldn’t hear the music, but he certainly felt it. And his pure happiness in the face of his meager existence was something that always stuck with Bert. Now he spreads happiness his own way — with rum, fresh fish, and zouk playing in the background.

Located across the Tiber River from the Centro Storico, Trastevere is a kaleidoscope of ivy-covered buildings, complicated Italian history, and bombastic nightlife. The heart of the neighborhood is Piazza Santa Maria, a large square where street performers show off their stuff, and Porta Portese’s massive Sunday flea market. Film buffs can take a walk through the maze-like side streets for a glimpse of director Pier Paolo Pasolini’s early life before heading off to one of the neighborhood’s many bars for a craft beer or aperitivo.

This woman-owned artisanal aged-cheese producer was on the front wave of what is an increasingly vibrant local food movement. Wanda Otero, a microbiologist, decided to start her business in part to offer Puerto Ricans an alternative to expensive imported cheeses. She has since expanded into yogurt-making, and her products are now sold in supermarkets and found on the menus of the island’s finest restaurants. Travelers can visit the Vaca Negra facility for a tour, which includes the opportunity to make their own cheese.

It’s slightly unnerving when you’re seated too close to the next table in a jam-packed parrilla (steakhouse), the clatter of dishes and voices and the televised futbol game in the background, and your stoic waiter, a giant of a man in a stained white apron, approaches your table. As you tell him what you’d like to eat - steak, naturally, and papas fritas (french fries) and a pinguino (penguin-shaped pitcher) of the house Malbec, you notice that he’s not writing anything down - in fact, he’s not looking at you at all. He saunters off and you wonder if your dinner will ever arrive. A few minutes later, he’s back, plonking a basket of bread on the table, splashing the wine on the paper tablecloth as he pours your drink. And then, course by course, all the dishes you ask for arrive, simply presented on white plates, and the roar of the game and the conversation around you rises to a pitch.


This is Desnivel, a bare-bones San Telmo parrilla that’s nearly turned into a caricature of itself. Some days you’ll find more tourists than Argentinians. Other days, it’s a bunch of local guys sitting around digging into the restaurant’s famous deep-fried beef empanadas. Love it or hate it, it’s a Buenos Aires icon.

The parish church of Fatima is in a little hamlet called Aljustrel. It is just down the road from the Cova da Iria, Fatima. The three shepherd children were baptized there and there attended Mass with their relatives and neighbors.The baptismal font in which the three shepherds were baptized is just inside the door on the left side. There are pictures and some history in the alcove. The interior has a good deal of marble and is surprisingly large. The parish cemetery is just across the street from the church and the Marto children were first buried there. In 1951 and 1952, Jacinta then Francisco were interred at the Cova da Iria in the new Basilica as it was being built. Lucia, the eldest seer, was buried there in 2005. She died at 98 years of age at a convent in Coimbra, Portugal. Family members are buried in the parish cemetery. One of the children’s brothers, Joao who died in 2000 at the age of 94, is interred there. When I walked inside the walls of the cemetery, I could feel a stillness and calm quiet. This is a stop that adds another layer of history to the story of the miracle of Fatima. One of the best restaurants in the Fatima area, Tia Alice, is just across the street on Rua do Adro. I enjoyed local dishes and local wines at Tia Alice...... Delicious.

Anyone who has been to Brazil knows that the country has fantastic open-air markets, known as feiras in Portuguese. They often feature a combination of handicrafts, antiques, live music, dancing, and street food. The market on Saturdays at Praça Benedito Calixto in São Paulo is no exception, but this one is almost unknown to tourists. Older Paulistanos (as Sao Paulo residents are called) sell beautiful antiques that reflect the city’s cultural ties to Europe. Artisans sell colorful woven clothing, handmade leather shoes, jewelry made from açaí seeds, baskets and mobiles made from recycled magazines, and much more. In the center of the market is a square of food and drink vendors, selling food from Northeastern Brazil, dried fruits, coconut water, and other typical Brazilian street food. In the early afternoon, live chorinho music begins and the square soon fills with people dancing. This outdoor market is much more than a place for people to shop—it’s a place for people to relax and have fun. The market runs every Saturday 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. The streets surrounding the market have many good restaurants, and the neighboring street of Teodoro Sampaio is known for its shops selling traditional Brazilian musical instruments. There are parking garages nearby; the market can also be reached by bus or by subway (Clinicas station).