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Only accessible by foot or horseback, Grand Gulch is a tributary canyon where water eventually flows to the San Juan River, which then ultimately flows into the Colorado River and Lake Powell. Home to the Anasazi people between 700 and 2,000 years ago, the area is rife with artifacts, from dwelling structures to artwork—all in impressive condition thanks to the cautious and respectful treatment of those who visited before you. Baskets were among the earliest relics to be found and potsherds can still be discovered here, hidden in the right spots to protect them from the weather.

Overshadowed by its larger and more well-known cousins, Palenque and Chichén-Itzá, Uxmal (“Oosh-mahl”) is the ruins of an ancient Maya city located near present-day Campeche. In its heyday, Uxmal was one of the largest cities of the Yucatan peninsula with a population of about 25,000 Maya. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Ancient Maya architecture in this part of Mexico is referred to as Puuc architecture, and Uxmal is a prime example of this style. Though there are some Puuc structures in Chichén-Itzá, Uxmal is unique in all of Mexico. Puuc design is most notable for buildings with a plain lower façade and a richly decorated upper façade. Carvings most commonly found include serpents and latticework. Uxmal is dedicated to the Maya rain god, Chaac, and you can see his image everywhere. On the day we were here, it was blisteringly hot and humid; I could’ve used some rain! When I first laid eyes on the four buildings that make up the complex known as the Nunnery Quadrangle, I thought they were the most elegant Maya ruins I had ever seen. The clean lines of the buildings give them a modernity that is surprising considering Uxmal was built more than 1,000 years ago! The carvings on the upper facades are just spectacular and give the entire structure a very delicate feel. Uxmal is located close to Chichén-Itzá, so if you go to Chichén, consider going a bit further to visit Uxmal. You won’t regret it!

Why we love it: A business hotel offering upscale comfort and unconventional charm

The Highlights:
- Elegant guest rooms with dashes of whimsy
- A pet-friendly policy
- An on-site art gallery with original paintings and historic images

The Review:
A 10-minute drive from Buffalo Niagara International Airport, this swanky property is named for Frank and Dolly Reikart, a vaudevillian couple who became the nearby town of Amherst’s “first family of hospitality” in the 1900s. A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, it won “Hotel of the Year” from its parent company, JW Marriott, in 2018. The 92 guest rooms and 12 suites blend classic decor with distinctive style. While no two are alike, each one features some mix of wood and leather furnishings; a neutral palette of white, beige, and brown accented by bold blue; and 50-inch flat-screen TVs wired for streaming content. Guests can also expect complimentary bicycles and a warm welcome for pets, though a surcharge does apply if you want to bring your furry friend.

When not in your room, explore the lush, campus-style grounds; work up a sweat in the club-style fitness center; or browse the on-site gallery, which features original paintings by local artist Peter Fowler. There’s also the Main Lobby restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the Fireside Lounge for drinks. Should you be traveling for work, know that Reikart House especially excels as a conference host, thanks to its fully equipped executive boardroom and new Jazzboline Restaurant and event space, which includes a lounge, restaurant, and ballroom—and draws its name from the guitar-like instrument invented by the hotel’s namesake, Frank Reikart.

As there’s a near continuous stretch of sand between Danang and Hoi An, it is sometimes tricky to define separate beaches. One of the nicest areas to kick back for a day is Non Nuoc Beach, which is situated roughly around the same area as the Marble Mountains.

Opened in 2003, Carlisle Bay is set on a lush, isolated section of Antigua’s south coast and has a 21st-century design that feels more contemporary than Caribbean. With muted shades of grays, whites, and greens, the hotel projects an uncluttered, understated luxury. Its most remarked-on feature, though, is the way it appeals to both couples and families by keeping the two separate. Each group has its own cluster of rooms at its own end of the beach, and never the twain have to meet, except perhaps for lunch at Ottimo, the poolside Italian restaurant. The crescent of beach is tucked into a sheltered bay, so the waves seldom do more than whisper up onto the white sand, against a backdrop of forested hills. It’s all very restful, but the long list of free non-motorized watersports and the extensive kids’ club ensures everyone has plenty to do.

Before you even leave for Telluride, the staff at Madeline Hotel & Residences can help you arrange itineraries, transfers, and equipment rentals or book activities like snowmobile tours and alpine hikes. Once you arrive, however, you might be content to never leave the property. Guests can get acclimated with an altitude oxygen treatment at the spa, browse the 80 original paintings chosen by the in-house art curator, or find their Zen during a yoga class at the fitness center. There’s also an outdoor heated pool, a kids’ club with games and movies, and the Black Iron Kitchen and Bar, which serves local comfort food like Colorado bison chili and warm Camembert with honey and figs. Outdoor fire tables offer the perfect place for après-ski cocktails but the Madeline’s pièce de résistance is its Sky Terrace—a 9,500-square-foot outdoor lounge with fire pits and two hot tubs. Should you actually tear yourself away from the hotel, you can take the nearby gondola to Telluride’s nightlife and shopping, or use the slope-side valet to get on the mountain quicky and easily.

The Madeline is surrounded on three sides by the San Juan mountains, so many of the guest rooms offer stunning views. They also feature contemporary but comfortable furnishings, plus access to a “bath barista,” who will draw you a customized soak in your spacious tub. Suites have heated bathroom floors and a separate living area with a kitchenette and gas fireplace, while residences include full kitchens, laundry facilities, and balconies.

I walked into my hotel room and there on the bed was my personal invitation to rock. I picked up the turquoise blue and white Fender Telecaster (already plugged into a floor amp and head phones), strummed a few chords and in a flash I was Joan Jett: Live and In Concert! Hard Rock Hotels are all about comfort, excitement, relaxation, and most definitely about the music. Their latest experience offering is the AMPLIFIED package born from their deep connection and commitment to music especially rock and roll. The experience is available at all 23 Hard Rock Hotels worldwide. As part of the package, guests pre-reserve a guitar out of a collection of Fender telecasters, starcasters, stratocasters, and jazz bass guitars. The guitar is guaranteed to be in the room ready to play when guests arrive. To add to the music experience, AMPLIFIED guests are given a VIP behind-the-scenes tour of the extensive music memorabilia collection within the hotel which is part of the Hard Rock collection, the largest music memorabilia collection in the world. Each guest also receives a limited edition “I Got Plugged in @ Hard Rocks Hotels” hat and collectible pin. At the HRH Orlando, after rocking with their Fender guitar, guests are just a short 5-minute walk from Universal Studios/Island of Adventure where all HRH guests are entitled to early admission and an express fast pass on theme park rides. When it’s time to relax, the HRH Universal Orlando offers a palm-lined pool and oasis-like rooms perfect to recharge in for the next round of fun whether that is checking out the music scene at nearby CityWalk, dinner at The Palms located within the hotel, or a bit more rockin’ on the Fender.

As if floor-to-ceiling Inner City views from an 18th-floor space weren’t enough, the 21,500-square-foot illuminated ceiling by Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist will wow you at Das Loft restaurant. With strict historic preservation building codes long in place that dictated nothing be built higher than the city’s iconic Stephansdom cathedral tower, Vienna was rather late to the game of splashy starchitect buildings. In 2010, however, Jean Nouvel’s Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom opened across the Danube Canal, an area that had been plagued by banal postwar stucco buildings. Now, guests at the hotel’s Das Loft penthouse and panoramic restaurant can not only enjoy beautiful urban vistas, but a popping cocktail scene and modern takes on Austrian dishes.

Why we love it: A secluded safari camp offering Old World luxury and connections to the local community

The Highlights:

• An ideal location for witnessing the Big Five and Kenya’s famous wildebeest migrations
• Classic safari style that recalls Out of Africa
• Access to bush walks, hot air balloon safaris, community excursions, and other unique activities

The Review:
Romantic and luxurious, this tented camp transports guests to the Kenyan safaris of the 1920s and 30s. On the edge of the gorgeous Masai Mara, the secluded property was completely renovated in 2018 and now comprises two camps, each with nine tented suites featuring polished wooden floors, en-suite bathrooms with indoor and outdoor showers, and copper bathtubs with views of the night sky. Classically elegant, the tents also come with private wooden verandas overlooking the vast, game-filled plains; personal butlers who attend to every whim; and thoughtful details like handcrafted artifacts, map-inspired wallpaper, yoga mats, and a butler hatch for delivering morning coffee or tea.

Elsewhere on site are two swimming pools; a common sitting area outfitted with leather Chesterfield sofas and fine antiques; a state-of-the-art gym with views of the Mara; a massage room; a gift shop stocked with local handicrafts; and a stylish bar for Kenyan coffee and top-shelf gin. Of course, guests are really here to see the Mara’s magnificent wildlife, and while they can spot several animals on site, they also enjoy twice-daily game drives, as well as night excursions and bush walks (permitted because the lodge is on a private concession). Additionally, guests have access to breakfast and sundowners in the bush, Maasai talks and fireside dances (much of the staff is from the local Maasai tribe), the educational WILDChild program for kids, and visits to nearby schools or villages for an authentic look at life in the African bush.

Even in a city with picturesque scenes around every corner, the Petit Champlain area, located along the waterfront in the Lower Town, stands out as an especially charming corner of Old Québec. The heart of the neighborhood is the Place Royale while its spine is Rue du Petit-Champlain. While the area claims the distinction of being North America’s oldest commercial district, for most of its history its buildings housed the offices of fur traders and stevedores lodged in the tenement apartments. Today, while it’s still a bustling neighborhood, the boutiques and bistros are what draw visitors to the cobblestoned lanes. In the summer, café tables spill out into the streets; in the winter, the neighborhood exudes a Québecois sense of coziness, especially at night after a snowfall, when every restaurant offers a tempting shelter from the cold.

Why we love it: An apartment-style hotel designed by acclaimed architect Jean Nouvel

The Highlights:
- Individually decorated rooms with modern appliances created for longer stays
- A thoughtful mix of modern and historic design elements
- A rooftop lounge that looks out over the Roman Forum

The Review:
When the Fondazione Alda Fendi-Esperimenti acquired the Palazzo Rhinoceros—a 17th-century palace near the Roman Forum—and handed renovations over to Jean Nouvel, something special was bound to happen. The renowned French architect transformed the historic palace a stone’s throw from Rome’s birthplace on Palatine Hill into a 24-apartment sanctuary for guests staying anywhere from one night to one year.

The apartments—which all have kitchens designed for longer stays—each have their own unique layout with sliding steel walls so you can close off the living room from the bedroom, or create one massive space. Even though the use of steel materials and contemporary furnishings makes for a thoroughly modern atmosphere, Nouvel kept some old paint intact and installed window panels with photographs of the space before renovations to help tie the property to its historic location. For the best views in the building, head to the six-floor terrace, where you can take in the sunset over the Roman Forum with a cocktail in hand.

Why we love it: A serene stay just beyond the buzz of downtown

The Highlights:
- Guest rooms with amenities like marble bathrooms, balconies, and wood-burning fireplaces
- A mostly adult clientele
- A quiet location that’s still convenient to everything

The Review:
While other hotels rely on edgy decor, the Knob Hill Inn makes a statement with classic elegance and quality details like radiant floor heating in the marble bathrooms, feather bedding on pillowtop mattresses, and balconies with scenic views. A muted palette of neutral shades creates a calming ambience throughout, and the location—just outside downtown Ketchum—contributes to the tranquil vibe. Rooms feel like cocoons, not party zones, but the inn does offer a shuttle to downtown restaurants and Sun Valley’s ski lifts when you’re ready for some action.

If you’d rather stay on site, the Grill at Knob Hill hums with energy come evening, when guests and locals alike crowd into the cozy, fireplace-warmed space for goblets of wine and mountain-inspired meals. Baskets of fresh-baked popovers with honey butter kick off the feasting, while Kobe beef burgers and aged steaks dominate the rest of the menu. Although the inn does allow children—and dogs—it mostly appeals to couples, so the indoor pool, hot tub, and sauna offer spa-like serenity.

Why we love it: A charming European-style inn right in downtown Clayton

The Highlights:
- The kind of friendly service you only get at small hotels
- Complimentary breakfast with farm-fresh eggs and country bacon
- An outdoor patio with fire pits and heat lamps for colder weather

The Review:
Housed in a Tudor Revival–style building from 1926, the Seven Gables Inn sits in the heart of downtown Clayton, surrounded by quaint boutiques, galleries, and restaurants. It stands out among the surrounding buildings, however, for its sloped roofs, large chimney, narrow windows, and decorative half-timbering. Developer Restoration St. Louis recently bought the property and set about revamping the interiors, so now all 32 guest rooms and suites merge historic charm with modern luxuries (think hardwood floors and stately wall coverings complemented by Bissinger’s chocolates, Jonathan Adler bath amenities, and plush robes).

Mornings here start with a complimentary breakfast of homemade pastries, farm-fresh eggs, and country bacon—a nice touch, as are the warm cookies at check-in and the evening cocktail reception, held Monday through Thursday. The charming courtyard is the perfect place to enjoy an afternoon break, while the Restaurant at Seven Gables is ideal for when you’re craving a cozy setting and upscale pub fare like chicken pot pie and filet mignon.

An antidote to hectic modern life, Travaasa Hana, on Maui’s remote eastern coast, feels like a step back in time. There are no televisions, radios, clocks, or air-conditioning (ceiling fans and panoramic sliding doors capture ocean breezes) in nearly all of the 70 cottages and suites, but you won’t miss them. Your days will be spent soaking up Hawaiian culture, whether that means fishing with throw nets, making traditional ti leaf leis, or enjoying an open-air ukulele lesson. Of course, no visit to these parts is complete without a journey along the legendary Road to Hana, which lies to the north and west and promises primordial views of waterfalls, gardens, and secluded swimming holes. Upon your return to the resort, savor the fresh-caught specialties at the Preserve Kitchen & Bar, overlooking Hana Bay.

If you happen to be in town for Cherry Creek’s annual arts festival in July, Halcyon makes a great base for exploring the neighborhood’s shops and galleries. Crisp white guest rooms with masculine touches have Nespresso machines, smart TVs, and sculptural turntables, as well as subway-tiled bathrooms with brass fittings and peekaboo showers; upgrade to a terrace room for a private outdoor space in which to bask in the Colorado sun. In keeping with its surroundings, the hotel displays more than 700 works by local artists, with an original piece in each room, but there’s plenty of reason to linger in the public spaces. A rooftop pool is lined with neutral-hued cabanas and white cushioned chaises, and two restaurants satisfy every kind of craving: Departure Restaurant + Lounge’s Asian-fusion menu covers miso ramen and roasted-duck fried rice, while Quality Italian offers shareable lasagna, dry-aged steaks, and cannoli prepared tableside. Just don’t be put off by the $30 per day amenity fee on your bill. Though it includes standards like WiFi and pool and fitness-center entry, it also gets you snacks and drinks at the Kitchen Counter, plus access to a Range Rover shuttle for stops around the neighborhood and the Gear Garage, which lends out everything from snowshoes and a Piaggio scooter to Leica and Go Pro cameras during your stay.