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Along its Atlantic and Caribbean coastlines and in its mountainous interior, the Dominican Republic rolls out the welcome mat for all types of travelers. Whether you feel most at home in a clifftop villa with a private butler, a treehouse in the jungle, or a thatched-roof bungalow on a pristine beach, you’ll find your ideal hotel on this magical island.

The majority of Kyoto’s lodgings tend toward the traditional, ranging from ryokans offering kaiseki dinners to zen-like inns on the river. Of course, there are also more modern options, including big-name brands that still offer a dose of local culture.

The best hotels in the Bahamas make it easy for you to spend less time worrying about where to stay and more time plotting your next pink-sand beach adventure. Here, you’ll find some of the finest boutique hotels and luxury resorts in the Caribbean, from the humble (a seaside cabana with views to swoon over) to the plush (think private island escape).

Imagine the best hotels in Montana, and you’ll imagine nights under starry skies in luxury tents, ranches of the Old West, and boutique inns and Victorian manors. Montana’s best hotel options are unique and exciting, with each offering a glimpse of a different aspect of life in the Mountain West. From glamping it up in some of the most rugged terrain in the USA to five-star trappings at world-class ski lodges, Montana’s hotels are as unique as they come.

The capital of the state in which it takes its name, Oaxaca is a destination for both art and food. Casa de Las Bugambilias, a bed-and-breakfast inn in Oaxaca’s Centro neighborhood, features locally-made artwork and crafts throughout its rooms. Travelers with more modern tastes might prefer the nearby Azul de Oaxaca Hotel + Galeria, which is housed in an 18th-century building but decorated in modern furnishings. Foodies should stay at Hotel Casa Oaxaca and book a chef-led food tour.

Belize is that rare combination of Caribbean sea and Central American jungle that allows for unrivaled adventures. The hotels and lodges here specialize in showing visitors the best side of their enchanted country so whether you’re in Belize for zip lining the jungle canopy or diving into a blue hole, you can find a place to stay that will give you the best, wildest, and most comfortable experience.

When Southern Ocean Lodge, the flagship property of Australian hotel brand Baillie Lodges, opened in 2008, it was Kangaroo Island’s first true luxury lodge, known for its cinematic spot atop grass-covered limestone cliffs, with curved guest suites facing the namesake seas. Surrounded on three sides by national parks, Southern Ocean Lodge connected travelers with Australia’s powerful natural landscapes. Then in early January 2020, wildfires consumed more than half of Kangaroo Island, reducing the ecological paradise to sandy hills and blackened branches. Southern Ocean Lodge was a casualty of the blaze.


As AFAR’s Katherine LaGrave reported in her feature on the island, rebuilding began in earnest in February 2022, with the goal of becoming more sustainable: “The new lodge will use 25 percent less energy than the original lodge, and diesel fuel consumption will be halved. There will be rainwater harvesting, reliance on a hybrid solar-and-battery system, and elevated boardwalks to minimize impact on the health of coastal plants. Smart landscaping will create a sort of buffer around the lodge.”



Along with the new sustainable choices, the lodge has replicated the footprint of the original property, with 25 guest rooms slightly reoriented to optimize sea views. A new ultra-premium suite, the Ocean Pavilion, has up to four bedrooms and bathrooms (or two separate suites) with an outdoor terrace and private pool. And the ever-popular main lodge still has a Great Room with a suspended fireplace and a deck with a plunge pool that juts toward the sea.

The scenic drive to Poás National Park alone makes a stay at El Silencio Lodge worth it, but you don’t need to leave the grounds to see the country’s largest active volcano. The 16 Zen cottages enjoy serene views of the steaming mass from private decks and also have gas fireplaces, outdoor whirlpool tubs, king beds, and an earth-hued color scheme that evokes the tropical setting in streamlined luxury. Fruits and vegetables from a 5,000-square-foot organic greenhouse on site are used to make continental fare (osso buco risotto, parmesan-crusted chicken) and Costa Rican favorites (cassava croquettes, tamarind pork), which are served in two elegant glass-walled restaurants. An open-air yoga studio invites you to reflect on the beauty of your surroundings, while locally sourced treatments at the spa incorporate healing ingredients like Costa Rican clay and chocolate. Those who prefer more active leisure can join the designated eco-concierge for guided hikes along the property’s private cloud forest trails, spotting waterfalls, hummingbirds, and seasonal quetzals along the way.

The sustainably designed andBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge on the edge of the NamibRand Nature Reserve captures the raw beauty of the world’s oldest living desert. The otherworldliness of the environment has been consciously translated into every aspect of the experience. The off-grid design factors in the extreme climate and harsh elements, and the desert’s forms, colors and textures are reflected in sculptural stone and steel lines that give way to soft, organic shapes. Throughout, glass walls slide away to amplify the big-sky views. The 10 guest suites are self-sufficient, solar-powered private retreats, each generating ample energy to run on photovoltaic power for everything from the AC and the deep swimming pools to the water harvesting and recycling systems.


Activities include climbing the world’s highest dunes at Sossusvlei or e-biking along gravel trails to caves with rock art by the desert’s earliest inhabitants. Back at the lodge, dishes that reflect Namibia’s cultural history include venison and Kalahari truffles and fresh seafood from the Atlantic Ocean. With close to zero light pollution, the Namib is one of the best dark sky locations in the Southern Hemisphere. The best way to end any evening is in the lodge’s observatory. You can also fall asleep counting stars, thanks to a skylight above your bed.

In 2019, Tenaya Lodge became a particularly attractive option for families when it unveiled the Explorer Cabins, 50 two-bedroom cabins for groups of up to six people traveling together. The cabins include a living room with sleeper sofa and fireplace, a partial kitchen (with a fridge, microwave, and sink), and a private deck. Some have bunk beds, and some are pet-friendly as well. The Explorer Clubhouse is a common space for these cabins with grab-and-go breakfast and evening wine and charcuterie.


The cabins are about a half-mile from the main Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, a 353-room property near Yosemite’s South Gate. Families can also stay in the property’s collection of cottages, with the cottage suites featuring a bedroom with a queen-size bed and a separate living room with a sleeper sofa. Or they can opt for a room or suite in the main Tenaya Lodge.



Wherever they’re resting their heads, they will have access to the main lodge and its restaurant, and outdoor and indoor pools, the latter being key for colder weather. There’s also a family game room with air hockey, foosball, and Skee-Ball, plus a pool table, Pac-Man arcade game, and ball pit. On-site family-friendly activities include guided nature walks, ice skating (an outdoor ice rink opens on the property in late November for the winter season), and seasonal offerings like an Elf on the Shelf scavenger hunt, gingerbread-making workshop, and breakfast with Santa for the holidays. Tired parents can book a treatment at the on-site Ascent Spa for a bit of calm and stress relief.

Finally, some quiet time. I spend the sunset on the deck, reflecting on a day’s hard work. It’s warm and humid, even though twilight approaches. Beads of sweat start to form on the bottle of Tusker on the table in front of me. Looking across the Pemba Channel to Wasini Island, a fisherman in a dhow is returning to the village with his catch of the day. The tide begins to rise as the waves start to lap the edges of the jetty below. Brightly colored kikoi and other traditional fabrics cover pillows and chair cushions. The white walls give the interior space a Mediterranean feel and glow a golden hue as the sun begins to set. Vervet monkeys play on the thatched roofs of the cottages in the distance. In Shimoni, it’s as if time bends and slows, allowing you to absorb these quiet moments each evening.

Making a new luxury lodge in Africa stand out is challenging, but Xigera Safari Lodge, on the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana, hits all the high notes as the shiniest new offering in a rising African destination. Run by the Travel Corporation’s Tollman family, the sustainably built lodge has design inspired by the Okavango Delta spearheaded by Toni Tollman, director of design, and the first Tata Harper spa (known for nontoxic and organic products) in Africa. Each of the 12 suites—including one two-bedroom family suite—and public areas will feature artwork by leading African artists. The entire property will sit on two small islands, floating slightly above lily-filled lagoons. And the Tollmans really do take sustainability seriously—they built the Xigera Energy Centre to meet more than 95 percent of their energy needs. The Travel Corporation, today with 42 travel brands, including Red Carnation and Contiki, started in Africa, and it has been the Tollmans’ lifelong dream to open this lodge—a full-circle coming home story for the family and brand. International air travel will open to Botswana as of December 1, and travelers must present a negative COVID test taken within three days of arrival.

The ire of Mount Kilauea reforges the world before visitors’ eyes. Nicknamed “the World’s Only Drive-In Volcano,” it’s produced serious lava every day since 1983 with no signs of stopping. Pele—the fire goddess who lives here, according to Hawaiian lore—is on a roll. Occasionally the lava flows spill into the sea, releasing stunning plumes of steam. Don’t miss the petroglyphs, lava tube, lush rain forest, and more than 150 miles of trail, including the four-mile Kilauea Iki loop. The drive here from Kona or Kohala can take two and a half hours, a bit of a long day, so consider reserving accommodations in the town of Volcano. You’ll have plenty of time to explore this otherworldly landscape, and even see the lava glowing in the dark!

High above Vail Valley, atop Beaver Creek Mountain, is the oasis that is the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch. You can’t beat the hotel’s ski-in, ski-out access, but a major makeover at the end of 2013 means the hotel offers even more perks. The new look (think rustic lodgepole pine beams and huge stone fireplaces) was inspired by the great lodges found throughout America’s national parks. The work of Colorado artists can be found throughout the hotel. In addition to a new restaurant called Buffalos, there’s the new Bachelors Lounge that caters to wine and spirits lovers and cigar connoisseurs. Stylish guests with an expense account can outfit themselves in fancy new gear sold at the outpost of the alpine shop Gorsuch. My favorite perk is returning to the hotel at day’s end and being greeted with a hot cup of cocoa.

At a French Pyrenees mountain retreat in the village of Clermont La Grausse, yoga is practiced in a renovated barn and the top-floor studio of a château that overlooks a lake. Hour-long hatha-based classes are taught twice a day in English and are geared to all levels. Guests stay in converted stone barns and have access to three kitchens. Bikes are available for guests to ride to nearby markets where they can buy groceries. This story appeared in the January/February 2012 issue.