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The choice of whether to build a church following a Gothic Revival or neoclassical design involved more than just aesthetics in 19th-century Québec. The former tended to be associated with Protestantism, and so the construction of the Catholic Basilica of Notre-Dame in that style raised eyebrows. When the St-Jacques Cathedral was destroyed by fire in 1852, the architects who designed a new church for the site, the Mary Queen of the World Cathedral, opted for the neoclassical style that was more typical of Catholic buildings. Constructed from 1874 to 1895, it is a quarter-scale version of St. Peter’s in Rome, complete with coffered vaults and twisting columns in imitation of those of Lorenzo Bernini’s baldachin in the Eternal City. The building’s green copper dome makes a statement, too, looming as it does over the largely Protestant neighborhood. The stucco crucifix by sculptor Philippe Hébert is one of most important works of art in the church.

As a rule, Bermuda’s sense of sophistication includes a certain level of old-school formality. With the opening of this namesake eatery from the internationally renowned and somewhat hipster chef Marcus Samuelsson, the island’s approach to haute cuisine has taken a chic turn. Housed in the Hamilton Princess hotel with its landmark pink facade, the restaurant boasts a vibe that’s contemporary and airy with an emphasis on the turquoise sea. All tables have excellent views of Hamilton’s harbor, and the menu is—as might be expected—seafood-heavy, with dishes like Oysters with Black Rum Mignonette and grilled salmon. The local catch of the day and island-grown onions, along with other dishes, are prepared on a wood-fired grill that’s visible from the dining space.

The Wine House Hotel of Quinta da Pacheca is the ideal retreat in the Douro, where peace, tranquillity, elegance and comfort are just some of the adjectives to describe the unique facilities prepared for you. Inserted in a 51 ha. (126 ac.) farm full of vineyards stretching down to the Douro, the Wine House Hotel Quinta da Pacheca is an intense and soulful hotel that surprises for its history, combined with an innovative and sophisticated style.


The main building is a typical 18th century house that was completely restored respecting its traditional architecture and original values. The common spaces and its fifteen unique rooms benefit now of a modern and avant-garde image, with sober and elegant features. This is a boutique hotel totally devoted to gastronomy and wine tourism, where well-being and comfort are omnipresent values and where vineyards and wine play a crucial role.


Quinta da Pacheca is the poster child of an ancient winery being adapted to the modern demands of the modern wine traveller. The main houses in the centre of the estate was recently renovated into a chic - boutique - luxury wine hotel. It very elegantly mixes some modern and contemporary elements in a way that one can understand that the owners never lost touch with the Quinta’s heritage. The restaurant is proudly served by Chef Carlos Pires, a man from the interior Northwest of Portugal (Trás-os-Montes - my favourite part of the country) so traditional bold Portuguese flavours are in the main driver in an elegantly plated menu.

The “mountains” in this desert art installation are actually seven neon-colored totem poles made from stacked boulders. Renowned Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone describes his work here as a symbolic and physical midway point between the natural (the desert) and the artificial (Las Vegas, and, farther down the road, Los Angeles). The seven towers, standing from 30 to 35 feet tall, have captured the imagination of art lovers who make the 20-minute drive from the Las Vegas Strip by the hundreds every day. Be warned: Though the piece is clearly marked with signage off the I-15, there are no formal trails or pathways to get up to the towers once you park. Look out for snakes.

An ethnic minority living in the Central Highlands provinces, the Bahnar are as renowned for their musical prowess, achieved with bamboo instruments that include the fiddle and xylophone, as their soaring, thatched-roof rongs (meetinghouses used for community activities), some of which climb as high as 50 feet. The quiet town of Kon Tum, located a couple of hours from the point where the borders of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam connect—and the border-crossing station into Laos at Bo Y—is a good base from which to explore the numerous Bahnar villages nearby. For the less adventurous, there are a few villages within Kon Tum itself. The nearest airport to Kon Tum is in Pleiku, about 25 miles away.

Like all of the best Spanish tapas restaurants, Barrafina has no tables. In London’s Covent Garden, all the eating is done at a long marbled bar, lined with red leather stools, and there are no bookings: you get here first, you get served, all the while watching the chefs at work. The idea is that it’s just like being in Spain (the inspiration for Barrafina was Barcelona’s Cal Pep), and it really is: the atmosphere is chaotic and the food comes from all corners. One minute you’re eating a ortiguilla (a type of sea anemone found in the Balearics) in a paper cone, the next a chicken wing served in a Canarian mojo picón sauce.

Do you fancy tootling around London on a classic double-decker bus whilst sipping tea and eating pastries? Of course you do. BB Bakery adds wheels and a French twist to the tradition of afternoon tea. A uniformed driver zips past London’s iconic sights as you enjoy your tea. ...the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, Hyde Park and more. Book early and get a seat on the top deck for the best view and don’t forget to raise a cup to the Queen as you roll past Buckingham Palace. It’s only proper.

Located in the exclusive Banjara Hills neighborhood, Lamakaan is an open event space that promotes art, literature, and dialogue. The non-profit center hosts concerts, book releases, plays, seminars, and poetry readings. Lamakaan also presents film screenings and exhibitions, including the Queer Art Fest and a monthly flea market held by the Tree Huggers Club. Check out the calendar for upcoming events and experience an eccentric space where tradition meets modernity. Not interested in the art scene? Grab a chai and samosa from the canteen and surf with free wifi.

Home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, this curved glass building is also a premiere venue for the Toronto International Film Festival. During the year, this iconic building in Toronto serves as concert showcase and special event venue. National Geographic’s Live Series, for example, is great for travel buffs. Tours are available by appointment.

It’s pronounced “Wool-zee,” and it’s a former showroom for the smart old cars that bear its name. Now a restaurant, it’s been restored to its original 1930s glamour with a gorgeous art deco slant. If you want a true taste of old Mayfair and St James—from the days when the streets were full of men in top hats carrying canes, and everyone had a gentleman’s gentleman—then a smart breakfast or lunch at the Wolseley can take you back in time. The food is classic British—and yes, that means there’s grilled kippers and kedgeree on the menu, as well as other retro dishes such as chicken Kiev—and the service is fabulous. Anything with eggs is a must—the souffle is particularly brilliant—and they also do a marvelous afternoon tea.

Set in the former headquarters of a 19th-century bank, Hotel de Rome forms a major part of Bebelplatz, the historic square best known as the site of the Nazis’ infamous book burning in 1933. Across from the stately Opera House and the equally handsome Humboldt University, the hotel has retained the bank’s neoclassical exterior. Parts of the interior are original, too, most notably an elegant staircase that winds up to the fourth floor (the first three floors are also original), and the former bank vault, which has been transformed into a spa that is accessed via the vault’s original steel door. The high-ceilinged guestrooms and suites are suitably sumptuous, with marble in the bathroom and furnishings of mahogany; the color palettes, however, were devised by designers Olga Polizzi and Tommaso Ziffer and are ultra-contemporary. The hotel also has a swanky restaurant, a popular cocktail bar, and a rooftop patio with splendid views of Bebelplatz and the city beyond.

Opened in 1932 in the historic Royal Khmer compound, this landmark hotel was the first luxury lodging in the area, catering to well-heeled adventurers intent on visiting the storied ruins of the temples at Angkor. Everyone from Charlie Chaplin and Charles de Gaulle to Jackie O and, more recently, Angelina Jolie have slept within its dramatic, art deco walls. Just a short walk or tuk-tuk ride to central Siem Reap, the hotel, now part of the Raffles collection, features 15 acres of manicured gardens with more than 20,540 species of tropical plants, making it a relaxing oasis after a day spent exploring the temples. Following a major restoration by David Grace Designs in 2019, the 119 rooms, suites, and villas—some set in the original main building, others overlooking the garden or pool—are now a vision of French windows, hardwood floors, and marble bathrooms with Italian tiling and oversized rain showers. Some have added perks like furnished terraces, high ceilings, or four-poster beds. Elsewhere in the hotel, features like the 1929 metal-and-timber elevator, art deco black-and-white tiles, and classic conservatory have been refurbished but maintained.

The large central swimming pool is ringed by loungers, while the tucked-away spa has a sauna, Jacuzzi, and six treatment rooms for excellent, regionally inspired therapies. Both in-house and outside guests frequent the six drinking and dining options, which include the legendary Elephant Bar, the elegant Restaurant Le Grand (serving both Western and Royal Khmer cuisine), and the completely renovated Apsara Terrace, which offers a dinner-cum-cultural dance show three or five nights a week, depending on the season. The on-site gallery and boutique showcase high-quality local goods.

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.”

This local favorite breakfast spot has quickly become Los Cabos’ worst-kept secret. Far removed from the main tourist zone, Restaurant Bar Campestre has for years catered to local businesspeople, families, and in-the-know visitors. Even after a renovation that upped seating capacity, it remains a no-frills flavor palace well worth the wait for a table and the effort to find it. Come early for a heaping serving of chilaquiles (strips of fried corn tortillas). They’re available with red or green sauce, and topped with chicken or steak. All the breakfasts pair perfectly with just-squeezed orange juice and cup after cup of fresh-brewed coffee.

In a fantastic location just a few minutes walk from the Honky Tonks lining Broadway, Holston House Nashville is a fun new Music City sleep that also happens to be very dog friendly (this author’s service dog, Bobbi, had a fabulous visit). And if you’re traveling without pup, but find yourself in need of a little canine loving, don’t fear, the Holston House has plans to adopt a house dog, who will reside at the property. The hotel, which is part of the Unbound Collection by Hyatt, has partnered with Miranda Lambert’s non-profit MuttNation that promotes and facilitates the adoption of shelter pets and will adopt the pup through this organization. Additionally, MuttNation receives 100% of the fees the hotel charges for your pup’s stay.

Dogs aside, the Holston House is an eye-catching meticulously restored 1920s Art Deco boutique property that comes with a side of modern country flourishes like sliding barn doors. Even the standard rooms are quite spacious for a city sleep with the most delightfully comfortable beds draped in silky sheets and soft duvets and plenty of light streaming in from big windows overlooking the city. The bathrooms are massive with toilets separate from the shower space. There are also four plush one-bedroom suites and two signature 12th-floor Penthouse Suites that are massive and come with stunning views and catchy decor.

The food and beverage program here is excellent with the signature restaurant serving up hearty portions of southern American comfort fare that is hard to stop eating: it is that good. The TENN Bar is responsible for the delightful craft cocktail menu that includes a number of locally distilled spirit choices served in a speakeasy style environment overlooking the lobby with a performance stage for live music. Up on the rooftop you’ll find TENN on Top, the bar next to the vibey outdoor swimming pool — it becomes quite the scene on hot summer weekends, although it is not open to the public — that offers stunning city views and more drinks from the in-house mixologist.

Away from the hotel there is much to experience in Nashville, where country music stars from Taylor Swift to Blake Shelton got their starts, including amazing live music at seemingly every bar on Broadway. And country music aside, Nashville is one of America’s top music cities in general and is home to Jack White’s Third Man Records Studio where visitors can cut their own track on a 33 RPM single using the 1947 Voice-O-Graph recording booth White first debuted with Neil Young on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon for just $20.