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The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles occupies the top four floors of a 26-story, LEED-certified tower in downtown L.A. Here, every room, restaurant, fitness machine, and rooftop poolside lounger has unparalleled panoramic views of the Los Angeles basin. That alone would be enough to rest on, but this is the Ritz-Carlton, so the hotel is also home to two Wolfgang Puck restaurants, one seriously decadent spa, and sleek, modern guest rooms with everything you’d expect from the classic luxury brand.

The other impressive thing about the hotel is its location at the heart of the entertainment-residential complex L.A. Live. This puts the best of downtown’s entertainment quite literally at guests’ feet, with the Staples Center, Microsoft Theater (formerly Nokia Theatre), Grammy Museum, and loads of restaurants and shops all right there. Outdoor movies and concerts, red-carpet events, and sports events happen right here all the time; if you don’t have tickets, just ask the concierge.

The name lets you know what you’re in for, but it doesn’t capture the scope of the canyon or the sheer number of ferns. Shooting up from a creek, the canyon walls are 50 feet high in places and completely covered in ferns and mosses, some of which are species that have been on Earth for hundreds of millions of years. And if it feels like you’re walking through Jurassic Park, that’s not just the prehistoric foliage: Part of The Lost World: Jurassic Park was shot here. Fern Canyon has also been home to a number of other dinosaur specials made for the BBC and IMAX. Compounding the whole otherworldly vibe, you might even spot a giant salamander! Fern Canyon is located in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, which adjoins the two other state parks and the Redwood National Park. It can only be this green with lots of water, so expect to get wet, though there are footbridges in the summer. You can hike in-and-back, or do a full loop up and out of the canyon.

To say that Lucy Bar + Restaurant is inside the very cool Bardessono hotel in Yountville is not quite right as the separation between outside and inside is almost indistinguishable in this contemporary space. Jeff Vandiver, one of the designers of the space, said he wanted to stay as far away from wine country kitsch as possible—and he succeeded, swapping the standard old vines and wine-barrel decor with steel beams and blown glass. A wall of doors and windows open to a patio, garden, and a reflecting pond. Lucy is one of the few places to get a good breakfast in town, and takes advantage of the friendly Napa climate by including seating on the patio. Much of the menu comes from their own garden or from local purveyors (a commitment that aligns with the hotel’s LEED Platinum certification), so the menu is seasonable and changing.

Part of Barcelona’s undeniable allure is its food: Catalan cuisine has romanced travelers with its greatest hits: paella, tapas, late-night dinners, tissue-thin slices of ham, street food, churros, breakfasts that stretch into afternoon, and Spanish wine. In the years since Ferran Adrià shook the food world awake with the experimental cuisine of his tiny El Bulli, Spanish cuisine has found new respect and attention, from its smallest rustic bodegas to spectacularly modern dining rooms.

With just one week, Vienna and Eastern Austria will give travelers a glimpse into the best of the country’s non-Alpine side, including Vienna’s Habsburg palaces and the castles and abbeys of the picturesque Wachau valley. Peer into Eastern Austria’s Gothic, Romanesque, and Baroque cathedrals. Sample your way through Vienna’s open-air Naschmarkt for Austrian-made treats. To round out your week, roam through the lovely Vienna Woods.

Five islands, Caribbean and Atlantic coastlines, and a couple of protected miniature archipelagos translate into over 200 stunning beaches across Guadeloupe. Grande-Terre’s white-sand stretches are social and lively, while Basse-Terre’s sands vary from fine black to beautiful blond. Over on Marie-Galante and Les Saintes the beaches are wild and secluded, with offshore islets offering additional options for a day’s escape. Water sports are popular and plentiful around the country.

Belgium may be famous for fries, waffles and chocolates, but there is so much more to this food-lover’s paradise. I’ve spent the past 8 years exploring this country through food and drink and I can’t think of a better way to discover Belgium. Bon appetit!

With a long and often tumultuous history that encompasses the heady days of the Champa Kingdom, Hoi An’s heyday as a regional trading hub, the American War, and Vietnam’s recent emergence as a tourist destination, the central part of the country is not short in intrigue.

States like Colorado and Oregon once dominated the craft brewing scene, but Georgia has taken a stand as a top contender. Atlanta boasts three big breweries, with others opening soon...

Cibo Wine Bar is a contemporary take on an Italian winery, and presents 3,500 bottles of premium wines in a dramatic two-story wine room. The bar is located in South Beach’s South of Fifth area, and there is a second location in Coral Gables. Alongside selections from Tuscany and Piedmont, lesser-known vintages from Sicily, Umbria, Sardinia, Puglia, and many other provinces are available. Cibo is known for its “wine fairies,” who fly around the racks to select your bottle of choice.

Why we love it: An ultra-stylish stay that brings U.K. hospitality to Brooklyn’s most bustling neighborhood

The Highlights:
- Smartly designed rooms that come with neighborhood guides and daily breakfast bags
- An on-trend aesthetic from two U.K. design icons
- Two alfresco dining options

The Review:
The Hoxton has a knack for opening in only the coolest neighborhoods—first in London’s Shoreditch, then in Paris’s 2nd Arrondissement, and now in the hipster haven of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. At the company’s first stateside property, housed in the former Rosenwach Water Tank Company factory, the surrounding area informs much of the aesthetic. The 175 rooms are outfitted with locally made ceramics, bespoke bedding by Dusen Dusen, and books curated by neighbors.

Beyond the Brooklyn details, mid-century-meets-urban vibes prevail, from brass accents and mohair headboards to raw concrete ceilings and subway-tiled showers. It’s a stylish approach from design team Ennismore and Soho House that carries through to the public spaces like Klein’s, the lobby-level restaurant situated in the building’s original brick carriage house that serves American-inspired fare around the clock. When the warmer weather hits, guests can pay a visit to either of the hotel’s two outdoor options. Backyard offers canned beer, classic cocktails, and finger food like Meat Hook sausages, while the rooftop Summerly features lobster rolls, clam chowder, and other East Coast seafood favorites.

Bouchon Bakery, with its origins in Yountville, California, and under the aegis of world renowned chef Thomas Keller of the French Laundry, now has three locations—and, lucky enough for Vegas, one of them is on the Strip. The menu is classic French bistro, done extremely well, and with a carefully selected (and extensive) wine list to match. It’s also open for breakfast & brunch.

Easy beach access and a laid back vibe.

Hotels often say they’re “steps from the sand,” but here, it’s actually true. Location is everything at Malibu Beach Inn; it’s right on the water, with all of the 47 guest rooms and suites overlooking the crashing surf from private balconies, and a few hundred meters from the historic pier. There are about eight steps from the hotel’s restaurant terrace to its private stretch of beach underneath, where guests can order a chicken club sandwich or a glass of wine from the extensive list to enjoy on loungers.

The hotel changed hands in 2015 and has since been re-imagined by L.A.-based interior designer Waldo Fernandez; rooms and communal spaces alike feature purpose built, hand-made white oak furniture and furnishings that make clever use of space. Our suite had custom built liquor shelves tucked into a tiny corner alcove. Across the hotel, artworks include prints by Donald Sultan and Jasper Johns.

The rooms are designed to evoke a private beach house. And as you drift off among Italian linens, gazing at the stars and lulled by the white noise of never-ending waves, it’s easy to dream.

At this contemporary wine bar with an outdoor patio and bocce ball court, patrons can enjoy more than 100 wines from all over the world, along with a full menu devoted to locally sourced produce and ingredients. Vinoteca hosts a weekly live flamenco night; wine classes for small groups in the upstairs lounge; and happy hours with wine flight samples to support local nonprofit organizations and causes.

Once a place where the dining experience was an afterthought (and was often enjoyed in the form of a steak and a martini), Vegas has become a destination for the restaurant-obsessed. Come and make a wager on the freshest crab legs, the newest cocktail, the most refined wine list, and yes, the biggest ribeye.