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The Metropolitan Museum of Art—or, commonly, the Met—is one of the world’s great museums, alongside the Louvre, the British Museum, and a handful of others. It would be easy to devote an entire week’s visit to the museum alone, and realistically you probably won’t get far beyond a few exhibitions and galleries at one shot. The Costume Institute’s temporary shows are always popular, while others will (like the museum itself) focus on a range of regions and periods—at any one time there may be temporary exhibitions on an Italian Renaissance painter, miniatures from Mughal India, and Polynesian carvings. The Temple of Dendur, a roughly 43' x 21' x 16' temple that dates to around 15 B.C.E. and was given by the government of Egypt to the United States in 1967, is one of the museum’s most photographed (and Instagrammed) works. The 34 period rooms, including a 12th-century cloister, English parlor and a Shaker “retiring” room, are among the museum’s other highlights. On summer evenings, site-specific installations make the rooftop terrace is a favorite place for drinks. The general admission of $25 for adults, $12 for students, and $17 for seniors is a suggested one for New York residents, as well as students from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Whatever you pay also includes same-day entry to The Met Cloisters.

Built into a mountainside with uninterrupted views of Zermatt and the Matterhorn, The Omnia is a contemporary take on a mountain lodge, envisioned by the late modernist architect Ali Tayar. From below, the glass, metal, and larchwood exterior—and, most strikingly, the slanted roofline—seem to echo the great mountain itself. Entering the hotel is similarly dramatic; from the street, guests walk through a softly lit tunnel to glass elevators, which lift them out of the rock toward the hotel lobby, with dizzying views of the village below. Inside the 30-room property (12 of which are suites), Tayar employed soft, neutral colors to harmonize with the surroundings and create a sense of understated luxury. No two rooms have the same layout, yet all but one have balconies with views. A freestanding fireplace separates the granite-and-leather-accented lobby from a small library stacked with oversize art and design books, while two outdoor terraces are perfect for sipping coffee with views of the Matterhorn. The spa features an outdoor whirlpool, Turkish bath, and steam room as well as an enclosed heated pool that opens to the outdoors through a glass wall on one end.

Even a Brussels native would be forgiven for thinking, at first glance, that the Dominican is a historic building. After all, the façade incorporates many of the features that existed when renowned 19^th-century French painter Jacques-Louis David lived at this address. And, inside, the site’s former incarnation as a 15^th-century Dominican monastery appears in such details as the courtyard colonnade and original stone floors in the serene Monastery Corridor. The soaring ceilings, oversized windows, and ornate ironwork of the Grand Lounge and its adjacent bar call to mind the grand cafés of early 20^th-century Europe, while rooms are adorned with vibrant paintings of classical subjects, like those by David and his contemporaries.

As historic as it all is, though, there’s no doubt that the Dominican is a modern hotel. The contemporary decor harmoniously complements its surroundings, and each of the 150 luxurious rooms has been individually designed. Many afford views of the impressive La Monnaie, the city’s opera house, located next door. The lounge is one of Brussels’ hottest spots for everything from power lunches to date nights, and the gym even has a private boxing room.

This hotel has changed ownership and is now the Ambassador Chicago.

In 2011, hotelier Ian Schrager reopened the iconic but faded Ambassador East Hotel as the Public, instantly infusing Chicago‘s Gold Coast with some flash. Its Pump Room restaurant was the city’s first posh, post-Prohibition, celebrity hangout (everyone from Fred Astaire to John Belushi has come). Keeping its name but little of the old decor, the revitalized Pump Room has a 24-foot bar with a 12-karat white gold–leaf ceiling and a changing menu by Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The high-ceilinged, columned lobby feels both grand and intimate, and it’s now divided into a lounge with a computer-equipped workstation and an elegant library/coffee bar with deep couches and original art, including photos by Hendrik Kersten. Residential high-rises along Lake Shore Drive obscure views of Lake Michigan from the hotel, but drop-dead gorgeous rooms elegantly infuse the pre-WWII architecture with white stuffed couches, bronze textiles, and white sheepskin throws for an effect of lush minimalism befitting one of the city’s oldest and toniest neighborhoods.

The salmon-colored stucco buildings comprising the Elliott House Inn have a long history that runs parallel with the city’s. Built in the aftermath of a citywide fire, the property’s main structure was then shaken in an 1886 earthquake (the characteristic Charleston earthquake bolts are visible on the building’s facade) and battered by 1989’s Hurricane Hugo. The bed-and-breakfast reopened in 2011 after two years of renovation and redecoration, reinventing itself yet again. The main building is a classic Charleston single house, built with its narrow end on the street and a long piazza running along its length.

The rooms, with their botanical prints, hardwood floors, and Oriental rugs, are traditional in a way that’s elegant and charming rather than fussy. Rooms are available both in the main house and the single-story building across. The quiet courtyard provides an oasis from the city streets with its wisteria-dotted pergola and light-draped palmetto trees.

This Upper East Side legend opened its doors in 1930 and, since then, has offered big-city accommodations to a legion of luminaries, from John F. Kennedy and Ingrid Bergman to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The hotel’s famed restaurant Café Carlyle is where much of the action—and longstanding history—exists, having consistently hosted top talent like Woody Allen, Alan Cumming, and Rita Wilson since opening in 1955.

The tony suburb of Houghton, whose best-known resident was Nelson Mandela, is home to leafy lanes lined with stately estates. Not too far from the Mandela family manse is the Residence, a stylish boutique property that lives up to its name, evoking a private lair of a chic distant relative that guests are fortunate enough to visit for a spell.

The rooms are plush, with velvet headboards, sumptuous rugs, and glittering chandeliers, but the bathrooms are a sight to behold: the gleaming marble tiles and outdoor showers and tubs merit a special mention. Nods to the nautical can be found in the Boat Lounge, where mini sailboats and life preservers inspire the decor. There’s often a pianist tickling the ivories in the Piano Lounge, where guests can retire with a post-prandial cocktail.

The new crown jewel of the Cape Town hotel scene, The Silo is housed in an old grain elevator, perched above 42 cement silos on the V&A Waterfront. The silos, which extend outward below the hotel, are home to the world-class Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art, opened in September 2017. Inside the hotel, owner Liz Biden seamlessly blends her penchant for bold colors and animal prints with some of the best in contemporary African art. The 28 guest rooms feature handmade headboards and Egyptian crystal chandeliers; concave, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city or harbor; and deep-soaking tubs in the bathroom.

On the sixth floor, you’ll find the concierge (Hoon Kim, one of only 12 South Africans to hold the coveted Crossed Keys—a distinction from the prestigious hotel concierge association Les Clefs d’Or), the Granary Café, the Willaston Bar, and several private meeting rooms. Also on-site is a spa, gym, and rooftop infinity pool and lounge with views of Table Mountain. If you’re visiting over New Year’s, head to the rooftop—or book a west-facing room—for spectacular views of the V&A Waterfront fireworks.

Talk about first impressions: Carved sandstone elephants welcome guests into a two-story chandeliered lobby at this palace-style hotel. Attentive service starts at check-in, with gifts of bindis and fresh jasmine necklaces. At 550-square-feet or larger, rooms are palatial themselves, and richly decorated with oriental carpets, jacquards, and hand-embroidered brocades. Those on higher floors offer panoramic city views, but many visitors choose spaces overlooking the internal courtyard or expansive garden (and away from a 16-lane highway) for a sense of calm. The hotel’s Edwardian-inspired bar draws locals and guests alike with its 25-page whiskey and scotch menu, as does a rooftop pool with stunning vistas over New Delhi’s urban landscape. Unique amenities include an on-call astrologer and, for women travelers, the option of an all-female service staff, including butler, gym instructors, and private city guides.

In the funky neighborhood of Decatur is one of the country’s top rated beer bars. The old wooden doors make you think this place comes right out of the Old South, but it has a touch of Europe. Upstairs there is a bar devoted completely to Belgian beers like Boon Kriek and Blanche de Bruxelles. If you’re not familiar with many of these beers, the staff is very knowledgeable and can recommend something to your tastes. It can be difficult to find a table on a Saturday afternoon so go early. They also have a nice pub food menu with staples like fish and chips.

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.

Built in 1928 by Asia’s oldest hotel brand, the Peninsula Hong Kong is one of the most historic properties on the Kowloon Peninsula, just across Victoria Harbour from Hong Kong Island. Designed originally as an upscale accommodation for passengers riding the adjacent Kowloon-Canton railway, the Peninsula has been a fixture of Hong Kong society throughout the region’s history. It was a magnet for Hollywood stars and dignitaries, the site of Hong Kong’s surrender to Japanese forces at the start of World War II, and temporary housing for residents following the war.

In 1994, a 30-story tower was added to house 135 additional rooms and suites as well as shops, a spa, a fitness center, twin rooftop helipads, and Felix—the hotel’s 28th-floor fine-dining restaurant, designed by Philippe Starck. The entire property was renovated in 2013 to update rooms with creamy colors, polished wood, and stitched leather and introduce high-tech extras that include a bedside control panel allowing guests to adjust the room’s light, sound, and temperature without getting out from under the covers. Today, the hotel is sleek and modern, but historic relics evoke the glory days that established the Peninsula as the “Grande Dame of the Far East.”

Updated in 2017, the rooms and public areas in this attractive, airy resort have an island-themed decor. Rooms now come equipped with marble bathroom vanities, Smart LED Samsung televisions, and Starbucks Coffee. But the star attraction remains a prime, crowd-free position on Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach, famous for clear water and powder-fine white sand. Resort sun loungers are spread far apart to give guests a sense of privacy. A day camp with fun activities and a healthy meals program for kids (ages 4-to-12) means parents get guiltless downtime (or scuba diving and other water sports). Shopping and alternative dining are within walking distance.

The Jefferson Hotel has been the gold standard for discerning visitors to Richmond (including 13 U.S. presidents) since 1895. Not content to rest on their laurels, the hotel completed a renovation in 2016, restoring its landmarked public areas and refreshing and expanding the guest rooms and suites. The new rooms feel more like posh apartments, with doorbells, foyers to the sitting and dressing areas, and luxury touches like soaking tubs, walk-in showers, and in-mirror televisions. The alligator drawer pulls are a nod to the creatures who used to live in the lobby fountains in the early 20th century. The Rotunda and Palm Court lobbies, with their Tiffany stained glass ceilings, have overlooked many power meetings and celebrations, and provide a magnificent backdrop for decadent afternoon tea or the popular champagne Sunday brunch. The four-star Lemaire restaurant serves a New American menu of Virginia ingredients in their distinctive dining rooms, while the more relaxed TJ’s bistro is open for hearty breakfasts and classic lunch fare. Guests of the Jefferson may work off all that locally sourced food at the 3,000-square-foot gym or in the indoor pool with skylights and an outdoor pool deck.

A 600-suite hotel within a hotel, The Cove is the most luxurious of the room towers at the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort. Kids aren’t banned, but the vibe is definitely grown-up—witness the adults-only Cove Pool, with its DJ-driven party scene, outdoor gaming tables, and mating-ritual pool wear. But there’s a sense of sophistication in the two-story lobby, which soars above ponds of water lilies, as well as the suites, which have balconies with ocean views, sunken living rooms, and marble-floored bathrooms. All the activities of Atlantis, including those that make adults feel young again—such as the Abyss and Leap of Faith waterslides, or the dolphin encounters—are only steps or a free shuttle ride away. Also available is immersive programming that connects guests to the rich history, art, people, food, and festivities of the islands, from exhibits showcasing regional artists and a weekly Junkanoo Fest & Feast (honoring a more than 500-year-old tradition) to five new outposts of beloved local Bahamian restaurants.