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The Torch, also known as the Aspire Tower, at 980 ft, is the tallest structure in Doha. It was built to house the 2006 Asian Games Flame and it holds the record for the tallest and highest-positioned games flame ever. The Tower, located 20 minutes away from the city centers, serves now as a luxury hotel, although calling The Torch Hotel luxurious is a serious understatement. It has 51 floors, 360 views from any of its lounges, the only revolving restaurant in the country, one of the quaintest places for high tea, and to top it all off, hotel guests have access to a cantilevered swimming pool on the 19th floor--not for those afraid of heights--and a red carpet private walkway access to Villaggio Mall and. As beautiful as it is, it’s worth keeping in mind that The Torch Hotel doesn’t serve alcohol.

24/7 is fine dining in the exclusive LaLiT Hotel near Connaught Place. It is also the only space in the city where you can order drinks at any time of day or night - hence the name 24/7. A buffet is offered during breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a-la-carte options served the remainder of the day. Cocktails served anytime, including during Sunday brunch.

Built in 1863, Magnolia New Orleans is classic in decor—especially in the marbled lobby with its antique furnishings and Renaissance murals—but with all the up-to-date amenities you’d expect: Rooms and suites have flat-screen televisions and Nespresso coffeemakers, and there’s a small but well-equipped gym on-site and a rooftop sundeck with a Jacuzzi.

The Statue of Liberty may be the most iconic sight that comes to mind when one thinks of the history of immigrants in New York, but not far from it in the harbor is another important landmark—Ellis Island. Until the Supreme Court ruled in 1875 that authority to regulate immigration belonged to the federal government alone, various states had implemented their own policies. After the federal government took over the processing of immigrants from New York State in 1890, some 12 million immigrants would pass through Ellis Island until it closed in 1954 (for 30 years, however, beginning in 1924, it was used only as a temporary detention center for immigrants who had issues with their paperwork). By one estimate, some 40 percent of Americans have at least one ancestor who entered the United States through Ellis Island. The historic site is today operated by the National Park Service, and ferries depart to the island from Battery Park (as well as from Liberty State Park in New Jersey). Visits include the Main Arrivals Hall with its displays recounting the immigration experience; temporary exhibitions are located on the second and third floors of the building. Statue Cruises is the only operator authorized to visit Liberty Island and Ellis Island—their cruises include stops at both, though entry to the statue and the immigration museum require separate tickets purchased on each island.

Stretching high above Fifth Avenue, the Peninsula is a glamorous, classic hotel. Formerly the Gotham Hotel (built in 1905), this building is at the heart of prestigious Midtown Manhattan with neighbors like the Museum of Modern Art and Rockefeller Center. It has a convenient location for Fifth Avenue shopping and exploring Central Park. The Peninsula is a favorite of New Yorkers for its rooftop bar, Salon de Ning, with its mesmerizing views of the city skyline. Rooms are polished and inviting, designed to resemble a luxurious New York City apartment. Kick off your stay with a classic cocktail in the Gotham Lounge, followed by a locally sourced meal at the elegant Clement Restaurant and Bar.

Formerly Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Napa Valley.

Located just a short walk from the downtown area of the charming small town of St. Helena, Alila Napa Valley blends old and new in totally indulgent ways. The center of the 64-room property is a Victorian-style mansion that dates back to 1905. The house has been renovated and is now home to Violetto, an intimate, fine dining restaurant led by award-winning Executive Chef Thomas Lents. The nightly tasting menu, inspired by Northern Italy and Southern France, highlights local ingredients from Napa with items like homemade pastas, fresh salads, and duck confit. Guests can also join for a la carte snacks in the lounge and bar or on the beautiful, wrap-around veranda (don’t miss the chickpea panisse).

Behind the old mansion is the spa, whose building was designed to replicate an old barn with clapboard walls and high ceilings. The vibe is distinctive yet without pretense. Angled around these buildings are stand-alone, three-story structures that house the majority of the guest rooms. Featuring a warm, minimalist aesthetic that highlights, rather than distracts from, the beautiful vineyards it overlooks, each of the spacious guest rooms are decked out in natural materials such as oak, jute, and Carrara marble. Rooms come with cozy bathrobes, well-stocked mini-bars, and inviting balconies with fire pits that will make you want to lounge and linger.

All of this is centered around a large, open-air bar, event reception area, and swimming pool. Though compact, the pool is nestled in an exquisite setting with vineyard views. If you can manage to peel yourself away from the hotel, the property also has bicycles that guests can use to get around town or pedal around the newly built Napa Vine Trail. Or, simply walk a few hundred feet to the winery next door, Beringer, for a sampling of their world-renowned wines. Whatever you choose to do—be it lounge with a glass of wine at the new poolside bar, or retreat for a massage in the on-site spa—you can’t go wrong at this beautiful Napa wine country resort.

For a New York experience that’s equally extravagant and convenient, visitors should consider a stay at this five-star hotel, located just blocks away from Midtown Manhattan sites like Central Park, the Museum of Modern Art, and Carnegie Hall. Built in 1904 by John Jacob Astor, the Beaux-Arts building houses 239 rooms across 20 floors, plus an incredibly prized means of accessing each one—an original brass-and-marble staircase runs from the lobby level to the 19th floor (a development that cost Astor $1 million of his $5.5 million investment in the hotel). Once guests do land in their rooms, it will be tough to leave thanks to the signature butler service, available 24/7 for any number of requests, from the everyday to the once-in-a-lifetime. One of your asks should most definitely be a reservation at the on-site King Cole Bar, where bartender Fernand Petiot allegedly invented the Bloody Mary in 1934.

The creative energy of the Garment District in Midtown Manhattan has long been behind closed doors, but Archer Hotel, opened in early 2014, puts that artistic spirit on appealing display. A mix of fabrics, graphic prints, exposed brick, and floor-to-ceiling windows (with dramatic skyline views) pays homage to a neighborhood known for pushing the boundaries of fashion. Beyond its quirky style—including a house art collection with pieces spanning several mediums—this property entices with its rooftop bar, Spyglass, perched on the 22^nd floor with views of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. Archer excels at the small stuff, from in-room Nespresso machines and free Wi-Fi to gorgeous black-and-white subway tiled bathrooms with luxurious walk-in showers. Unwind after your day with an aperitif at the Foyer Bar, complete with seasonal outdoor patio.

First opened in 2004 in a former office building in the Central Business District, the Loews New Orleans Hotel completed a $4 million renovation in November 2014. The new look is modern, but with a nod to the Big Easy: rooms and suites (which, by the way, are among the most spacious in town) are done up in soothing blues and grays, and feature local photography on the walls, and the carpets have a wrought-iron fence motif. Large picture windows afford vistas of the city or the Mississippi River.

Run by the legendary Brennan family and named after the vivacious Adelaide Brennan, the hotel restaurant also got a makeover—think canary-yellow seats, teal tufted banquettes, and Andy Warhol–esque pop art of its namesake.

Lenbachhaus is Munich‘s premier art gallery. It reopened in May 2013 after a four-year renovation of the original building (a late-19th-century Florentine-style villa for painter Franz von Lenbach), plus the addition of a modern wing designed by Norman Foster. The exterior of the new wing features striking, golden tubes. For Norman Foster fans, the museum’s new exterior is iconic—a beautiful play on color, pattern, and geometry. Try to see it at sunset, when the tubes are seemingly more golden, rich, and alluring. The Lenbachhaus redesign marries the old with the new, especially in the triple-height, sky-lit lobby atrium. Immediately upon stepping into the museum, your attention is drawn to what appears to be an enormous hanging icicle, which is in fact a specially commissioned work by Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson called Wirbelwerk. The new wing serves as a “jewel box” for the museum’s best-known works, the “Blue Rider” collection of 20th-century Expressionist art. There is also a new garden and a restaurant with an outdoor terrace. With the addition of new galleries and a bold redesign, Lenbachhaus further cements its reputation as one of Bavaria’s leading cultural centers.

Why we love it: A luxury resort with top-notch amenities in the heart of Malta

The Highlights:
- A variety of room types to accommodate all travelers
- Five on-site bars and restaurants, including the historic Villa Corinthia
- A regal pool surrounded by loungers and gardens

The Review:
In 1959, the Pisani family patriarch bought the historic Villa Refalo, intending for it to be a home for him, his wife, and their six children, as well as a restaurant. When he died unexpectedly, his children took over the property, first turning it into a wedding hall, and then a luxury hotel called Corinthia Palace. Even though the Pisanis have since expanded the Corinthia brand to 14 hotels around the world, they still own and operate the Malta original, running it with all the amenities required of a five-star stay. Here, guests find five bars and restaurants, a swanky outdoor pool and garden area, tennis courts, a deluxe spa and fitness center, and friendly, attentive service. The afternoon tea, served in your choice of British or Maltese style in the Orange Grove Brasserie, is a must, while the daily breakfast spread is generous and tasty.

Ranging from superior rooms to executive suites, accommodations feature comfy beds and private balconies or terraces. All come with complimentary access to the Athenaeum Spa, but higher category options also include entry to the Executive Lounge, where guests can enjoy a daily breakfast buffet and complimentary wine, spirits, and canapés each evening. Speaking of the spa, it’s currently being renovated and will be unveiled in April 2020 with a new design by Goddard Littlefair, a new parternship with ESPA for treatments, and new facilities including seven treatment rooms, a relaxation lounge, and a thermal area.

Combining fine-dining flair with the relaxed ambience of a mountain resort town, Rata in Queenstown is one of the New Zealand eateries operated by well-known Kiwi chef Josh Emett. With a CV that includes cooking stints in the United States and London, Emett has crafted a menu that deftly marries a range of international influences to proudly local produce. Sharing plates include New Zealand octopus with saffron aioli or Marlborough salmon with horseradish and green apple, while local venison and merino lamb are standout main courses. The colors and feel of the forest inform the stylish decor—the eponymous rata is a tree native to New Zealand. Two- and three-course lunch menus are both a good value.

The first new hotel in decades to open on Lake Como’s glittering shores made its appearance in mid-summer 2016 on a sun-dappled promontory near the village of Torno. As the new kid on the block, Il Sereno brings a modern sensibility to a region where luxury typically takes on a gilded, Old World aesthetic. Envisioned by Milan-based designer Patricia Urquiola, this lakeside hotel takes cues from the history of the area, but skews contemporary and relaxed, with a design that highlights natural materials such as stone, wood, and wool, and a color palette of greens and blues inspired by the surroundings. The 30 sprawling suites feature lake-view terraces and amenities such as Ex Voto Paris bath products and Bluetooth sound systems. The sleek Berton Al Lago serves modern Italian fare crafted with fresh local ingredients, while the Il Sereno Bar & Lounge and the Pool Bar offer light bites in a casual setting. The spa is set in what was once the boathouse of the original property, and features treatments with Valmont products made just across the border in Switzerland. Wander the shaded passageways around the lush garden, check out the two vertical gardens and green sculptures by famed botanist Patrick Blanc, and don’t miss the 60-foot, heated, freshwater infinity pool, located in a secluded spot that overlooks the lake. Guests can take one of the hotel’s stylish Riva boats—accessible from a private dock—to explore the charming towns that line the lake.

One of the greatest walks in New Zealand, the Milford track is just over 50 kilometers and leads into the famous Milford Sound. Considered one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand, the Milford Track is categorized as one of New Zealand’s “Great Walks,” prompting many people from near and far to come hike the 5 day circuit. Giant waterfalls crash down from vertical cliffs, and mist usually hangs about the tops of the peaks creating a mysterious, almost legendary feel to the place. Whether you are hiking the track or cruising in a boat around the fiords, or even kayaking the Milford Sound, definitely don’t skip this remote part of New Zealand on a visit.

In its newest incarnation, opened in 2012 and soaring 55 stories at the corner of Bay and Yorkville, the Four Seasons Toronto embodies founder Isadore Sharp’s vision to focus on the guest, which has positioned the brand as a leader in the luxury hotel market. This is the flagship property, arguably Toronto’s most elegant hotel and a blueprint for the brand’s subsequent hotels globally. It’s the first hotel in Canada ever to be awarded both the AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star ratings. The contemporary design aesthetic from Yabu Pushelberg brings sophisticated neutral tones throughout the spacious rooms. The sunlit, ninth-floor spa is a favorite among both visitors and locals.