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Building on Montreux’s growing popularity as a tourist destination in the early 1900s, two Swiss hospitality pioneers joined an existing hotel with a newly constructed palace section, creating what was then one of the most cutting-edge hotels around—with such “modern” touches as electricity, heating, and private bathrooms. Officially opened in 1906, Le Montreux Palace went on to host everything from glamorous masquerade balls to the signing of international peace treaties, and everyone from New York tycoons to Indian maharajas.

The history lives on in today’s incarnation, which has been under the Fairmont umbrella since 2007. Following several years—and stages—of renovations, the Palace is as majestic as ever, with the 236 rooms and suites all featuring classic décor and balconies showcasing the lake or Alps. The hotel’s location at the edge of Lake Geneva is echoed in the seafood dishes at on-site restaurant MP’s Bar & Grill, where fresh catches (and fine cuts of meat) pair well with top Swiss wines. Additionally, both La Palmeraie and the seasonal La Terrasse du Petit Palais offer flavorful menus backed by spectacular views. Nightlife is big here, particularly at the Montreux Jazz Café and Funky Claude’s Bar, both of which serve casual cuisine, potent cocktails, and a good time. As a partner to the famous Montreux Jazz Festival, Claude’s also hosts live music six days a week, including jam sessions with festival members. Recuperate at the lakeside spa, which has indoor and outdoor pools, a gym, saunas, and a lengthy menu of face and body therapies.

On the Dominican Republic’s northern coast, near the tip of the Samaná Peninsula, this unpopulated Atlantic beach stretches three miles from Cape Samaná to the cliffs of Cape Cabrón. To get here, you’ll need to take a four-wheel-drive vehicle or a boat charter from the small fishing village of Las Galeras, but once you arrive, you’ll find a nearly empty stretch of sand. The west end of the beach features calm waters ideal for swimming and snorkeling, while the east end has great waves for surfing. You’ll also find spots to rent kayaks, snorkeling gear, chairs, and umbrellas, as well as a few food vendors serving rice, beans, and seafood cooked over an open-hearth fire. This is the place to go when you want to get away from the crowds.

Occupying 28 ocean-front acres on the northwest coast of the Bay of Culebra, Andaz Peninsual Papagayo evokes its natural surroundings at every turn. Costa Rican architect Ronald Zürcher took an organic approach to the design of the buildings, modeling rooflines on shapes found in the shells and cocoons that appear on local shores and in the jungle canopy.

Even standard rooms—which are sprinkled over a hillside that’s bookended with beaches—elicit a strong sense of place with hand-carved artifacts, forest views, and walk-in rain showers that open to large balconies, blurring the line between indoors and outside. (Luxury seekers can upgrade to a suite to take advantage of soaking tubs and private plunge pools.)

For the actively inclined, there’s a golf course, tennis course, and access to nearby zip-lining, though no one would blame you for kicking your feet up by a pool overlooking the bay; there’s an adults-only infinity pool as well. Ostra serves fresh seafood caught in local waters, while Chao Pescao offers the ultimate expression of pura vida with tapas and small plates, a first-rate mixologist, and live music and dancing on Saturday nights.

Do you have a preference for Racoon, Bear, or perhaps Native American? Ski down the ‘Last Chance Run’ in Deer Valley and you’ll have your pick. Money will buy pretty much anything, and apparently that includes an entire theatrical production of wild creatures crawling about your million dollar ski chalet. Friendly or ostentatious competition? Who cares, it provides a little humor to the unsuspecting skier. A warm thank you for my Park City experience — courtesy of Park City Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau (http://www.visitparkcity.com/). #VisitParkCity

La Bretxa shopping center houses the usual trappings of a modern-day shopping mall, but below ground one can find the city’s largest and best market for the fruits of the sea. Cold, wet and crowded, this is the spot where you will find both renowned chefs and housewives of the city vying for the best anchovies, calamari, and cod of the day’s catch.

The Harbor House is the best place to eat if you want a good view of the Milwaukee Art Museum. Rely on the valet parking as public parking is quite limited. Try eating in the bar area as the tables are more available than the dining room.

• Neighborhood: Marina Bay
• Why we love it: Classic and glamorous accommodations with views of Marina Bay
• Loyalty program: I Prefer (Preferred Hotels & Resorts)
• From $545

What was once Clifford Pier, a landing point for immigrants arriving in Singapore, is now a snazzy hotel welcoming well-heeled travelers. Located right on the water and clad in glass and metal, the 100-room Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore feels glamorous with a heady scent of gardenias and lilies wafting through its dramatically arched hallways. The plush rooms designed by Andre Fu boast views of the Marina Bay Sands, Customs House, or Clifford Pier; the Premier Bay View rooms offer a private deck and Jacuzzi overlooking Marina Bay.





Come sunset, wind down with a cocktail at the rooftop bar Lantern—named in honor of the pier’s past moniker “Red Lantern Pier”. Order the tequila-spiked Red Lantern or Lime Garden Gin Fullerton Sling and sit back to enjoy the sparkling lights of the waterfront.

San Diego’s first food hall is housed in the city’s former naval training center, a 361-acre site in Point Loma that now features a lively business district with wide lawns, a waterfront park, and historic Spanish Revival–style buildings. Here, vendors serve everything from coconut-curry chicken sausages to ahi tuna poke bowls, providing the makings of a casual lunch or dinner. Take your food to the patio, or sit inside at the high-top tables near the bar and enjoy the untouched murals that line the upper walls. Painted by naval recruits in the 1950s, they depict various vessels, from a late 18th-century sailing ship to a World War II aircraft carrier.

Built into rocky cliffs that tumble down to the sea, Hotel Santa Caterina is the embodiment of Amalfi Coast dreams. Bougainvillea blooms adorn corners of the 19th-century mansion, while lush terraced gardens teem with citrus trees and vine-covered pergolas. Public spaces are decorated in an elegant Mediterranean style, peppered with antique pieces and sweet details such as hand-painted majolica tiles, while light-filled guest rooms and suites feature Bulgari toiletries and balconies with sea views. Elevators are on hand to whisk guests down to the beach and a saltwater pool, where chic loungers and parasols line a stone sundeck and uninterrupted vistas lurk around every corner. You’ll find classic Italian fare and fresh seafood on the menu at the beachside bar as well as two restaurants, both of which spill out onto terraces. Even the spa offers a dose of local flavor with a signature Amalfi gold lemon massage. The Gambardella family has owned the property for generations, which may account for the consistently charming service and the loyalty of guests, who return year after year.

The Carmel Market is the largest outdoors market in Tel Aviv and sells everything from toiletries, clothes, meat, fruit and vegetables and some delicatessen cheese. Like in a lot of outdoors markets, the fruit and vegetables are displayed in such a way you can touch, smell and sometimes even taste it before you buy. The outdoors markets (shuk) are busy, noisy and crowded but they are also a micro-cosmos sometimes of the country’s nation. Markets in Israel are opened quite early in the morning and close around 7 or 8. Friday before the Shabat, is mostly the most busiest days as people in a hurry to get food for the weekend. Saturday Shabat the markets are closed. Almsot every city in Israel has an outdoor market (shuk). Some of the well known ones are: Kerem Hateymanim, a a small neighborhood named after the immigrants from Yamen. The most famous shuk in Jerusalem is Machne Yehuda, which is quite a big outdoor place, very busy with a mix crowd of Jews, Muslim, Christians, Orthodox and seculars. In Haifa the shuk is in the arab quarter in Vadi Nisnas, the market has bakeries, fish and seafood stores and grounded arabic coffee. In recent years some main cities have Farmer markets, which take place mostly on Fridays.

I favor several hotel brands in certain parts of the world. It’s The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota for a Florida beach location perfect for family fun and here’s why: The airport is a short ride from The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota and serviced by several carriers. The hotel will pick you up by prior arrangement (fee) making it even easier for you. The hotel’s Jack Dusty restaurant offers a beautiful breakfast but dinner is even more special with a seafood-focused menu that is creative and done right. Nearby, the upscale-casual Shore on St. Armands Circle is great too. A free shuttle to this appealing area famous for shopping and dining is provided by the hotel. The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota has a Ritz Kids (club) to keep the littles engaged. Or hop on the free scheduled shuttle to the Beach Club to enjoy a day at the kid-friendly pool or under an umbrella at the beach. Enough sun? Visit the inspirational Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, or see the Ringling Museum’s depiction of a circus and encampment via thousands of handmade figures created by one man over 50 years, or tour the Ringling mansion Ca’d’Zan to see a gilded slice of life. Parents should relax. Rooms redone in soothing ocean tones, an inviting lobby, a sleek Club Lounge, and sparkling event spaces invite you to slow down. Swim in the pool or paddle a SUP or kayak on the bay. The Spa has created a package of several treatments to relax you, so take advantage of it. For family fun, walk the Downtown Farmers’ Market. Don’t miss fresh-squeezed orange-strawberry juice from Jordan’s Farm. For lunch, try the locals’ favorite, Nancy’s Bar-B-Q, to get down with some of the best barbecue ever. Sun, beach, and making fun family memories, it’s all here in Sarasota.

Going to dinner at Little Ochie is as fun as it is delicious. Pick your dinner—from a cooler of freshly caught fish—by species and by weight, then pick the style in which you’d like it cooked: jerk, grilled, escoveitch, and more. Pick a side of bammy, a thick round of cassava bread, to go with it. Your next decision is where to eat—head outside and choose a picnic table under one of the thatched huts carved in the shape of a fisherman’s canoe. The combination of beachy atmosphere and great fish makes this relaxed yet lively slice of Jamaica well worth the hour-long drive from Treasure Beach.

Four Seasons might have spruced up the property slightly when it took over management from Viceroy in 2016, but the original clean lines and sharp angles of the midcentury modern architecture coupled with Kelly Wearstler’s playfully eclectic interiors are still unmistakable at this stunning property overlooking Meads and Barnes bays. Epitomizing tropical modern luxury, the property is awash in marble, natural stone, and wood, with dramatic views of the Caribbean Sea from dining rooms and infinity pools that seem to hover from their cliffside perches. Spanning 35 acres, the resort is home to 166 spacious, serene, and stylish accommodations ranging from suites to townhomes and private villas. Indulge at five dining venues, including the aptly named alfresco Sunset Lounge for sushi and the fine-dining Cobà, where fresh seafood is paired with choice cuts of meat and an impressive wine list. With three swimming pools and two distinct beaches to choose from, the most stressful part of the day is deciding where to lounge.

For evidence of the “everything is bigger in Texas” trope, look no further than this urban resort, which—with 1,606 Asian-accented guest rooms and suites spread out over 45 acres—is one of the largest in the south. Its location in the Design District, not far from the Dallas Convention Center and the office towers of downtown, makes it popular with the business-meeting crowd (as does the 600,000 square feet of on-site event space), but there’s plenty to tempt leisure travelers, too. Paired with an outdoor sculpture garden, more than 1,000 international works displayed throughout the property make up one of the biggest hotel art collections in the world. Guests can dine on everything from steak and seafood to pizzas, salads, and grab-and-go snacks at the eight restaurants and bars, or make a night of it with specialty cocktails and fine wines. They can also relax with treatments at the VSpa, or work off indulgences at the whopping 80,000-square-foot Verandah Club & Fitness, equipped with indoor and outdoor pools; basketball, squash, and racquetball courts; a cross-training and boxing gym; and more. In the summer, the sprawling Jadewaters pool complex—with lazy river, swim-up bar, 180-foot water slide, and kids’ activities—is as close as you can get to a water park in the heart of the city.

Just inland from Ensenada, Baja California exists a wonderland of fine wine, haciendas and Provencal restaurants. There is an energy here that is worth dawning the bullet proof vest and heading a couple hours south of the Mexican boarder to check out the excitement and culinary innovation. In the Valle de Guadalupe wineries and restaurants are redefining where fine wine comes from and what Mexican cuisine can be. The Valle de Guadalupe sits in a valley that warms through the day and is cooled every evening by the onshore flow off the ocean, allowing perfect conditions for grape growing; which has been going on here for over a hundred years. Additionally, the valley is a source of fine olive oil, locally grown herbs and produce, local farms and seafood from the nearby ocean. The best way to experience this culinary movement is to stay at a winery like Adobe Guadalupe or Vinedos Malagon in the heart of the valley. These wineries offer more than just wine tasting and luxury, they offer activities, ranging from horseback riding to cooking classes, deep sea fishing or dirt biking. The best part of it all is you can still fill up on classic Mexican tacos and mariscos when the fine dining and wine becomes too much.