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The peak called Monserrate towers over central Bogotá and lends its name to the church that tops it. Perched more than 10,000 feet above sea level, the sanctuary—dedicated to the Passion of Christ—has beautiful gardens showcasing marvelous highland vegetation, and the city views from here are spectacular (sunsets are especially recommended). Ascend Monserrate by cable car, via railway, or on foot (this last is only for the fittest and those already acclimated to the altitude). That beautiful white house on the mountainside is Casa Santa Clara restaurant, a better-than-expected, special-occasion-suitable venue at which to try traditional Bogotá favorites like ajiaco, a thick potato-and-chicken soup.

Due to its prime location and sophisticated design, one thing you’re guaranteed to get when you stay at The Cosmopolitan is a stellar view. Every room has a balcony — a wonderful vantage point for viewing the city’s lights. Though the views are certainly a selling point for The Cosmopolitan, you don’t just check into the average hotel room when you stay here. Rooms are spacious with casual seating, a desk, and an incredibly comfortable bed. Every bathroom has a roomy tiled shower and deep sunken tub — also with a stunning view. To complement the resort’s edgy, avant-garde feel, a number of visually stunning and thought-provoking coffee table books are scattered throughout the room as well. Open since December 2010, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas has quickly become a favorite for those visiting from out of town and locals looking to spice up a few hours of their day. In true to Las Vegas fashion, the property has everything you need and those checking into The Cosmopolitan don’t have to leave the property during their stay given the many dining, entertainment, and shopping options on site. But once they walk into their rooms and settle in, they might be tempted just to hunker down in their private oasis.

When I first stepped into the blue folds of the ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi I thought this must be what Superman’s Fortress of Solitude looks like. It’s that blue found in the water of higher latitudes, a blue that looks photoshopped although no photograph seems to be able to reproduce it with fidelity. Most of the time you and the other hotel guests are dressed in the hotel-issued technical gear: snow suits, balaclavas, moon-boots, mittens, caps. But when you sleep in the cold hotel you strip down to your long underwear, lock your things in a locker, carry a sleeping bag and sleeping sheet to your room, and try to get as comfortable as possible on the reindeer skins. One tip to remaining comfortable is to go easy at the hotel’s ICEBAR. The drinks, inspired by and named after the rooms in the cold hotel, come in hollowed cubes of ice and go down a little too smoothly. The bathrooms, contrary to the supposition made by my friend on Facebook, are not made of ice but you do have to walk outside to reach them at night. We dressed and went to straight to breakfast when we woke. (It is busy in the locker and shower area in the morning.) I ate a protein-rich meal to restore the lost kilojoules and then sat for forty-five minutes in the sauna. When you check out you receive a diploma (write out the name of each guest if you want individual diplomas) perfect for you to share it with the very friends who thought you were nuts for wanting to sleep in the ice and snow and the cold.

California’s original Holiday Inn has come a long way. After several iterations—former owners include singer Gene Autry and producer Merv Griffin—the property reopened as Parker Palm Springs in 2004. The hotel underwent a major refresh in 2017, with designer Jonathan Adler combining an electric color palette with irreverent, stylish details like an antique DRUGS pharmacy sign and a full wall of macramé owls. Couples love the rooms featuring private outdoor patios and hammocks that hang above their own sandpits. The 12 stand-alone villas work best for families. But the many shared spaces are what make this a Palm Springs playground for all ages: Wandering around the 13-acre grounds, you’ll encounter a life-sized chess set, a labyrinth of bougainvillea-lined garden paths, three pools (one is adults only), and hanging rattan chairs aplenty. The food ranges from breakfast all day at the upscale diner Norma’s to escargot and steak au poivre at the hushed French restaurant Mister Parker’s. Escape the activity on the ground at the Palm Springs Yacht Club spa, where every treatment is customized and you can easily spend an entire day.

Mount Kilimanjaro is a treasure of Tanzania and a popular attraction for tourists wanting to conquer Africa’s tallest mountain. Because of its fame and relatively easy ascent—if you don’t count the altitude sickness—this hike attracts more than 16,000 climbers a year. If you want to climb in relative peace, take the Northern Circuit detour, which avoids the busiest trails.

Bougainville Park is a tranquil, tropical oasis in the middle of the Papeete’s concrete jungle. Stretching from Boulevard Pomare to Rue du General de Gaulle, it makes for a lush and cool picnic (or roulettes take-away) spot. If you’re traveling with the kids there’s a playground here, and there are often floral, cultural and artistic displays on the grounds.

A church—or, at least, a small chapel—has stood on the site of the Basilica of Notre-Dame since shortly after Ville-Marie (Montréal’s predecessor) was founded in 1642. The current building, however, dates to 1829 and was constructed in a soaring Gothic Revival style. At the time, that aesthetic choice raised some eyebrows—Gothic designs were associated more with Protestant churches than Roman Catholic ones. (Perhaps the fact that the architect was an Irish-American Protestant didn’t help the situation.) Whatever initial resistance there was evaporated in the face of the beauty of the completed building. In the decades that followed, Gothic became the popular choice for churches in Canada of every denomination in large part because of Montréal’s basilica. In the 1870s, in what was perhaps a case of gilding the lily, the basilica became even more stunning when its interiors were painted in bright colors to resemble Paris‘s Ste-Chapelle.

The Hong Kong-based Swire Hotels launches in the U.S. with their 352-room EAST, Miami, located in city’s bustling financial district. L.A.-based Studio Collective and New York’s Clodagh Design paired up to design the interiors, which mix intricate woodwork with sleek furnishings. Original artwork from notable names such as China-born Zha Songgang and Miami-based Alexander Mijares hangs throughout the hotel, along with photographs that highlight Miami’s colorful scenery and Modernist architecture. Quinto La Huella, an outpost of a famous seafood restaurant in José Ignacio, Uruguay, promises to draw locals and visitors alike, while the hotel’s rooftop space serves Asian-inspired tapas with views of the skyline. From $259

Why we love it: A bit of serenity in Sin City

The Highlights:
- Signature Jacques Garcia design
- Standout eats and drinks from chef Daniel Humm
- A pool deck right out of Morocco

The Review:
The award-winning team behind the NoMad hotels in New York and L.A. landed on the Las Vegas Strip in 2018, opening an outpost of the boutique brand at the larger Park MGM complex. With the NoMad Las Vegas’ arrival, guests have the option of staying somewhere with a warm, residential spirit and intimate spaces, while also enjoying easy access to all the facilities and attractions of the greater resort—think a hotel-within-a-hotel for those that might want a respite from the action. Jacques Garcia’s signature design translates here into sophisticated, muted rooms that range from classic kings and queens to four types of suites. Each is outfitted with custom furnishings and artwork, walk-in Carrara marble–tiled showers, free WiFi, Bellino linens, Argan bath products, and mahogany writing desks; as with other NoMad locations, some rooms have freestanding tubs in the main bedroom, so be prepared if you’re sharing the space.

While the majority of the dining, drinking, spa, and pool scene options are part of the Park MGM at large, the NoMad has its own key standouts. Chef Daniel Humm and restaurateur Will Guidara’s NoMad restaurant and NoMad Bar continue to showcase the much-lauded team’s dedication to comfort-gourmet fare and exceptional drinks, while the Moroccan garden–inspired NoMad Pool serves as a lush oasis during the day, then transforms into the JEMAA pool party—complete with DJs and table service—on the weekends. Also of note: the very first NoMad Casino, with intimate, Old World-inspired spaces for roulette, blackjack and Baccarat, set under a Tiffany glass ceiling and around the cocktail-centric Casino Bar.

In 2016, Ace added another link to its chain of ultracool hotels when it opened an outpost in a renovated 1928 building in the Central Business District of New Orleans. While the Ace employees here are just as edgy as their counterparts elsewhere, they temper that cool with the warm ease of New Orleans’s locals.

Guests enter the hotel through a lobby of mismatched low-slung sofas and vintage coffee tables set in conversation-friendly groupings beside a lovely and ornate wooden bar. Most of the furnishings and artwork complement the hotel’s dominant forest green hue, which itself seems to have been inspired by the color of the streetcars that trundle past on Carondelet Street. Afternoon and evening and late at night, the lobby bar is kept busy by hotel guests as well as a stream of others drawn here by the stylish vibe.

It took a 1920s cotton magnate and a 1980s oil heiress to create the city’s most iconic stay, the former incorporating hallmarks of European design into a 10,000-square-foot house the likes of which had never been seen in Dallas—think Italian marble columns, 19th-century Spanish cathedral doors, and a ceiling inlaid with 2,400 separate pieces of wood. The latter transformed it into the Mansion Restaurant, which remains an award-winning favorite, adding a new wing with 143 guest rooms and suites and establishing the first property in the now-global Rosewood chain. Past the signature peach facade, the since renovated accommodations mix modern technologies with gracious amenities, historic touches, and residential-style décor—a combination that’s proved a hit with visiting dignitaries, international business travelers, and privacy-seeking celebs. A small pool, fitness center, and massage treatment rooms round out the facilities in the new wing, while meeting rooms and event spaces are located in the mansion’s gorgeous former living quarters. Young professionals flock to the leather-walled Mansion Bar for after-work craft cocktails and live music on weekends, while the brunch crowd heads to the Terrace restaurant to dine around outdoor fireplaces and oak trees hung with lanterns. Just don’t pass up ordering the legendary tortilla soup at The Mansion.

Occupying what were the Maison Blanche department store and the S.H. Kress & Co. five-and-dime, this stately hotel first opened its doors in 2000 after a $250 million overhaul of the then-shuttered Beaux-Arts buildings. After Katrina, the property underwent a second renovation, which included the expansion of its spa (now a sprawling 25,000 square feet) and the addition of a private entrance for Club level guests.

This is a Ritz-Carlton, so you can expect the same (high) level of service and luxury—think ornate furnishings, sumptuous linens, and a $3.5 million art collection—as at other properties within the brand. But the property isn’t just another Ritz. Bellmen wear seersucker, the bistro serves po’ boys, and there’s live jazz in the lounge (which also serves a mean Vesper).

Known for generations as the Pink Princess, this legend opened its doors in 1885 and remains one of the largest and most celebrated hotels in Bermuda. Fresh off a $100 million renovation in 2016, the 170 rooms and suites are now what you’d expect from a Fairmont-managed property—clean, modern, and comfortably luxurious, all with water views—while public spaces have been elevated by an exceptional collection of modern art (Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, and Ai Weiwei are just some of the luminaries who grace the walls). The new infinity pool has gorgeous views over the harbor, the spa offers treatments and fitness classes in partnership with noted brand exhale, and the marina’s water-sports team can organize everything from kayak and Jet ski rentals to paragliding lessons. Guests also have exclusive access to a private beach club on Sinky Bay—just 20 minutes away from the hotel via complimentary shuttle—which features water hammocks and snorkeling-friendly waters. Back at the resort, dining options include the buzzing Marcus, serving signature dishes from celebrated chef Marcus Samuelsson, and more casual options highlighting fresh seafood and local rum.

One of the few hotels on picture-perfect Grace Bay Beach that can work for both honeymooners and families, Seven Stars sits on 22 acres of lush grounds at the edge of Princess Alexandria National Park and has studio to four-bedroom plantation style suites available. All feel very private. Besides wraparound terraces with awesome ocean views, the rooms here all feature full kitchens, making it easy to cook your own lunch or make snacks for the kids. That said, the house restaurant, aptly named Seven, is very good, so plan on dining here at least a few times. The spa is also excellent - perfect for honeymooners - and there is a dedicated activities concierge that will arrange all sorts of water sports and even a kids’ camp.

You will likely see Bronzino’s famous portrait of Eleonora (or Eleanor) de Toledo, in the Uffizi, during your visit to Florence. The Spanish noblewoman who became the duchess of Florence in 1539 when she married Cosimo I de’ Medici was unusual for her time, playing an active role in politics and as a patron of the arts. Her patronage extended to garden design, in its infancy (at least in Europe) in the 16th century. Eleonora commissioned the Boboli Gardens behind the Pitti Palace as a green escape from the city; they continue to provide a retreat for travelers today.

Among the earliest examples of the formal compositions that would dominate garden design through the 20th century, the grounds are dotted with classical statues and fountains while straight axes run up and down the hillside with an apparent disregard for topography. A moment in design history can be experienced first hand here. There’s a feeling that the man who planned the gardens (Niccolò Tribolo) conceived a formal plan and then simply laid it atop the site. Principles of garden design were later to shape city planning. The allées of the Boboli Gardens were early models for grand boulevards leading the eye to distant monuments. One of the pleasures of gardens, however, is that you don’t need to know their histories to enjoy the flowers in bloom or the sounds of birdsong and splashing fountains.