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This property is currently closed for hurricane-related repairs.

Peter Island is “an oasis of tranquility,” known as much for its five flawless beaches as its word-class spas and luxurious ocean view villas. The island is the largest of the private islands and the fifth largest of the 60 islands in the BVI. Visitors can hop a ferry to reach the island from Tortola or opt for booking a helicopter, water taxi, or private yacht.

Nuzzled up against the Arizona border about 100 miles west of Four Corners are some 30 square miles of the most iconic scenery in the American West. Monument Valley is one of those places that you’ll recognize as soon as you see it, even if you’ve never been there before, as dozens of movies, TV shows, and even video games have used the area as a setting. It’s made up of mesas both small and large reaching up from the valley floor, some rising as high as 1,000 feet into the sky. Part of the Navajo Reservation, the area charges a $20-per-vehicle entrance fee to drive the dirt-road loop. Once in, however, you can also enjoy a number of hikes, or hire a guide for a horseback tour.

Why we love it: A top Cabos stay with low-key sophistication and activity-focused fun

Highlights:
- Multi-bedroom villas for easy family vacations
- Activities like water sports, beachfront fitness classes, golf, and more
- One of the best restaurants in Los Cabos, right on property

The Review:
Esperanza has become something of a hospitality legend in Los Cabos, so it makes sense that Auberge Resorts’ sister property, Chileno Bay, has style and substance right out of the gate. Located on one of the area’s only swimmable beaches, the resort makes use of its prime location with a water sports center that offers glass-bottomed kayaks, snorkel gear outfitted with GoPro cameras, and more. If you’d rather stay on dry land, the property also provides access to hiking on UNESCO-protected mountain, camel-back rides through the Baja Outback, and dune buggy excursions on the shoreline.

Of course, no one would fault you for laying low by the triple-tiered pool, which winds down like a river to the beach; relaxing at the holistic spa with a salt inhalation room and reflexology pool; or even simply staying in your room. Here, the 60 earth-and-sea-hued guest rooms provide comfort in the way of spacious bathrooms with soaking tubs and private terraces with outdoor showers; some suites have infinity-edge plunge pools and outdoor hot rubs, while 32 multi-bedroom villas include fully equipped kitchens and expansive rooftop terraces with fireplaces. When it comes time to eat, there’s French Laundry alum Yvan Mucharraz’s modern Mexican restaurant Comal, plus a beachside taco bar and a courtyard coffee shop.

Opened in 2010 by a Dutch couple, Baoase Luxury Resort is an intimate spot with fewer than two-dozen rooms. Despite its size, however, it has all the amenities of a larger property, including a spa, health center, boutique, and more. A 10-minute drive from the center of Willemstad, the Balinese-style spot feels secluded and tranquil, especially when swimming off the lagoon-like beach or sitting next to the banyan tree in the lantern-lit garden.

Privacy and a high level of service are very important here. Only during low season are non-guests welcome at the resort, and even then, they must have a reservation for a beach-day pass. All rooms come with outdoor space overlooking the gardens or pools, and half feature private plunge pools. For something even more discreet, book the exclusive island in the Spanish Water Bay, which features its own four-bedroom retreat. When not relaxing in your room, you can ask the hotel to arrange a motorboat and permit to use during your stay, or visit the on-site restaurant, which is known for beachfront fine dining and a weekly Asian cuisine night. If all the privacy leaves you feeling extra romantic, you can even have the restaurant set up a picnic dinner to enjoy on the beach or under a gazebo.

• Neighborhood: Dupont Circle
• Why we love it: Recently renovated—and thoroughly stylish—public spaces that attract the best and brightest
• Loyalty program: I Prefer (Preferred Hotels & Resorts)
• From $215
• Book now

Fortunes and friendships change quickly in D.C., but the Dupont Circle Hotel has yet to go out of style. Set right on the roundabout itself, the eponymous hotel assumes a place of pride. Within, the site’s Martin Brudnizki–designed restaurant, The Pembroke—with its coral velvet banquettes, marble tables, and expansive outdoor terrace—has birthed a scene. Thanks to its location around the corner from Embassy Row, everyone from tony locals to visiting diplomats gather here to enjoy its mid-Atlantic-inspired menu, while the walnut-and-brass-clad Doyle is a whiskey bar fit for Ireland (home base of the Doyle Collection).

The 327 sleek guest rooms take similar advantage of their surroundings, most with large windows overlooking the circle. Upstairs, Irish designer Clodagh refreshed the penthouse suites, where spaces for relaxing include deep soaking tubs and private terraces with sun loungers. Clodagh also redesigned the lobby, which has the look and feel of a high-end apartment, thanks to details like a cozy fireplace and a look-through bookcase with brass accents. Best of all, though, is the feeling of walking out the front door in the morning and knowing that the capital is at your doorstep.

Read Afar’s full list of top hotels in Washington, D.C.

A landmark since the 1920s, this glamorous resort at Monaco’s easternmost border with France still evokes the glory days of Monte Carlo, when high-society scenesters were frequent guests. The rooms, airy and bright after a makeover by designer India Mahdavi, have an elevated Deco-meets-nautical vibe with porthole windows, Mediterranean stripes—in turquoise, white, brick red, and beige—tailored furnishings, and artsy line drawings on the walls that recall Matisse and Cocteau. The superb, all-organic restaurant Elsa (named after Elsa Maxwell, the American columnist and hostess who was instrumental in attracting the beau monde to the hotel) is another throwback, while the Olympic-size heated seawater pool—open to guests and Beach Club members who swan around on weekends with their children in tow—remains a draw now as it was then.

Tucked away in tiny Parc D’Egmont, just minutes from busy Avenue Louise, is L’Orangerie. Through the week, this restaurant is popular with the ‘ladies who lunch’ and the office tower executives. However, on Sunday the atmosphere changes, when it becomes one of Brussels best brunch spots. The champagne brunch at L’Orangerie definitely wouldn’t qualify as a ‘cheap eat,’ in Brussels. At close to 30 Euros a head, it’s a splurge, but well worth it for a rare treat. The buffet-style offerings include pastries and breads, cheeses, cured meats, smoked salmon and mackerel, a wide variety of salads and grilled vegetables, hot pasta, and an omelette and crepe bar. Juices are also included in the price but hot drinks are not. In the summer, you can sit in the shade of the park’s huge, leafy trees. It’s a great way to spend a decadent, sunny, Sunday afternoon in the heart of the city, and yet still feel like you are away from it all. More Information at: http://cheeseweb.eu/2011/10/sunday-brunch-lorangerie-du-parc-degmont-brussels/

Tucked away in the heart of downtown Seoul is the quaint Insadong district, where a Korea of yore comes to life in the form of traditional artists and musicians, shops selling Korean crafts and souvenirs, and street performers dressed in native costumes. This is the place to go if you’re set on buying the wooden masks, paper lanterns, and tea sets that the country is famous for. Two other stores also stand out from the crowd in Insadong: Gounjae Handcraft can be smelled before you even enter the door. This handmade soap shop, in the small brick courtyard of Ssamji Gil Center, offers sumptuously scented soaps, lotions, and bath products in scents like avocado, ginger, and almond. I love the tiny, traditional mask-shaped soaps that make inexpensive and lightweight souvenirs. The Ee Gee boutique is a veritable treasure chest bursting with glimmering necklaces, bracelets, and other one-of-a-kind baubles–it’s located on Insadong’s main drag.

Despite being just a 40-minute drive away from the airport, the Mandarin Oriental is located in the heart of Hong Kong’s Central district, surrounded by major business hubs, the thriving art scene, and cultural sites.

Inside the 432 rooms and 67 suites, the decor nods at the hotel’s Chinese heritage, and there’s high-speed Internet and an interactive entertainment system. A SMART lighting system and pillow menu make sure you have a restful night’s sleep, and butler services are on hand as well. For an ultimate indulgence, the stunning 3,843-square-meter presidential Mandarin Suite provides a stay that you will never forget.

You’ll have to spend quite of time in Hong Kong to work your way through the hotel’s many gastronomic offerings: 10 on-site restaurants, including three with Michelin star accolades, will satisfy every craving. Meanwhile, the award-wining spa specializes in traditional Chinese medicine therapy to ease post-travel muscles. A 24-hour indoor pool and fitness center allows you to keep to your exercise routine while away from home.

The Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, is truly representative of contemporary luxury, and has remained one of the most iconic hotels in Hong Kong for over 55 years.

Rare in Tahiti, Manava sits on a white-sand beach on the island’s west coast, offering dazzling sunset views across the water to Moorea. Beyond its romantic vibe, however, the resort is actually great for families, as rooms feature full kitchens that make cooking a breeze, plus modern amenities like free WiFi and flatscreen TVs with DVD players. There’s also a gorgeous infinity pool fronting the beach and lagoon as well as an onsite restaurant, Vaitohi, which offers an extensive à la carte menu of Polynesian and international cuisine. When you need a break from the kids, head to either the Taapuna Pool Bar or the contemporary Punavai Lounge Bar.

Why we love it: An all-American dude ranch where guests can play cowboy in luxury

Highlights:
- A superb riding program that brings over 150 horses to the mesquite corral each morning
- Luxury amenities like an outdoor pool and spa to balance out the adventure
- Regular dining events like private-chef dinners and barbecues

The Review:
Founded in 1868, this Tucson guest ranch sits below the Rincon Mountains, overlooking the rolling foothills of Saguaro National Park. It’s often ranked among America’s top resorts and wedding destinations—and for good reason. Not only does it deliver Southwestern charm in the form of pink adobe architecture, but it runs one of the nation’s top horseback-riding programs, with everything from team penning and mountain adventure rides to the signature “Harmony with Horses,” which teaches interspecies communication. The ranch also offers a host of other activities, including yoga, hikes, mountain biking, photography courses, and naturalist-led walks to explore the desert’s edible and medicinal plants. There’s even a kids’ day camp for ages four to 12 with tennis, arts and crafts, swimming, and more.

Rooms here feature exposed beams and brick, punctuated with dark wood furniture and pops of Southwestern fabrics. Each has a desk, coffeemaker, and small refrigerator, while the biggest suite also includes a fireplace and sleeps up to six. When guests start feeling saddle sore, they can rejuvenate with a full-body massage in the spa, or grab a prickly pear margarita at the Dog House Saloon. For a full meal, head to the on-site restaurant, which serves Southwestern cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or attend one of the specialty dining events held each week, including private-chef dinners and cowboy cookouts.

West Randolph Street in Chicago’s West Loop has become a new home to the city’s culinary talents. Stephanie Izard first drew crowds cooking dishes like roasted pig face at Girl & the Goat (the restaurant pictured above). She then opened Little Goat, a retro diner, across the street. Graham Elliot Bowles keeps it simple at his casual g.e.b, where each dish has no more than three ingredients. On a more elegant note, the prix-fixe menu at Grace, from chef Curtis Duffy, features dishes such as kampachi with coconut, lime, basil, golden trout roe, and pomelo presented in a cylinder of frozen ginger water.

New York City’s Chinese and Chinese American populations total around 570,000, making this the largest concentration of Chinese outside the mother country. The first Chinatown in Manhattan dates to the 1870s, and while it continues to grow, it has also been joined by other Chinatowns, including one in Flushing, Queens. That is where Joe’s Shanghai opened its first location, in 1995—though the two in Manhattan, on Pell Street in Chinatown and West 56th Street in Midtown, will be more convenient for most travelers. You can expect a wait for a table, and when you are seated you may be sharing it with strangers. The restaurant can be noisy, and as soon as you have finished your meal, you’ll be encouraged to settle up and leave. In other words, people don’t come here for the atmosphere or the service. Instead, the excellent and generous renditions of favorite Chinese dishes, especially the restaurant’s signature soup dumplings, are the draw. The dumplings are served in bamboo steamer baskets and each one holds a pork or crab meatball in a hot broth, all wrapped up in a doughy package. It may prove to be the most flavorful moment of your trip to New York.

Few places can beat MAP Café for atmosphere. Located in the courtyard of Cuzco’s Pre-Columbian art museum (itself housed in a colonial mansion), the restaurant features all-glass walls for a privileged view. The fusion menu matches the ambience, including unique takes on local favorites such as adobo cusqueño—the tenderest of slow-cooked porks—as well as signature dishes like chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and raisins. The desserts are such works of art you’re sure to want a photo before digging in. After six, the prix-fixe menu provides the perfect way to sample different flavors.

This large, modern hotel on the Lapad peninsula—about a 15-minute bus ride from the Old Town—overlooks the green hills above Lapad Bay, the Adriatic, and the beachfront. Completely refurbished in 2015, its lobby and lounge feature floor-to-ceiling windows, low furniture, and white decor, so nothing distracts from the views of the sparkling sea and sky. For even more gorgeous vistas, guests can go just below the hotel to the long pedestrian boulevard, which is filled with cafés and restaurants with plenty of outdoor seating. Guest rooms here are done up in restful tones of sisal and cream, with oversize charcoal sketches by a Croatian artist hung on wall panels behind the beds. The full-service spa has an indoor pool, Finnish sauna, and steam room, while a large deck features a bar and outdoor pool. Also on site is a restaurant with a wide terrace, and the top-floor Zenith Bar, which is best for sunset views.