Far from modern-day Lisbon traffic, perched on a hilltop in the middle of the city’s most civilized district, sits a 19th century palace surrounded by fairytale gardens, fountains, flowers and century-old trees in whose branches birds are encouraged to nest.

Opulence reigns at the Lapa, with the neo-classical pink- and gold-frescoed splendor of the Columbano Room as its aesthetic heart. Each of the rooms in the palace wing is decorated in seriously different style—the combined effort of four designers. Choose between Art Deco, Orientalist, and Louis XV rooms, all of which sport grandiose features, from gold muslin curtains to hand-carved Indian headboards. The new wing, on the other hand, has a quieter, more unified charm. But every room has its own balcony, with a marvelous view of the grounds and the city, as well as sublime bathrooms with hand-painted Portuguese tiles, massive tubs, and heaps of towels. And Lapa Palace has Lisbon’s only outdoor heated pool that you can swim in all year long.

Some think it’s a shame that the former Portuguese restaurant has been replaced by the gastronomic Ristorante Hotel Cipriani, but the fine Italian cuisine draws in the locals by the dozens, making this a perfect place to catch some authentic, well-heeled Lisbon buzz.

But it’s in the warm, unpretentious service that Lapa positively glows, which is why it’s a favorite with society A-listers, businessmen, and families alike. Execs like the warmth and efficiency of their message service while children like the pint-sized bathrobes and slippers. It’s the rare business hotel that doubles as a leisure hotel. At the Lapa, many executives choose to have their families join them on the weekends.

Just over a half-hour’s drive from Barcelona, in the Penedes wine region, the Can Bonastre Wine Resort sits near the foot of the Montserrat mountains, on a 250-acre estate that produces several varieties of red and white wines, and a bit of olive oil on the side. And these days it’s producing hospitality as well; the 400-year-old villa has been renovated in a contemporary style and turned into a twelve-room high-end boutique hotel, complete with spa, meeting rooms, and gastronomic restaurant — a far cry from the humble little vineyard inn of days gone by.

In the rooms and suites the style is as contemporary as can be, sleek and clean but far beyond minimalism. The hardwood floors and timbered ceilings giving a sense of the history of the old house, while the high-tech room amenities and the glassed-in bathroom pods are absolutely modern.

Can Bonastre adds an indoor swimming pool, a small and stylishly designed spa and two restaurants, one chic upscale Catalan and another casual and rustic. And while it’s a relatively new one, it is a working winery, and an environmentally conscious one to boot, fueled by solar power and purified rainwater.

How to get there:

Can Bonastre is approximately a 35 minute drive from Barcelona.

With a name like that it’s not hard to guess where they’re coming from. The Luxe Hotel Sunset Boulevard is luxe indeed, with a location that’s more upscale retreat than downtown hipster haunt — it’s spread over seven acres of parkland in Brentwood, near the Getty Center, where Sunset Boulevard is a winding mountain road, not a neon-lit urban strip.

Some stylish hotels are a little disappointing once you get past the lobby, but this is not a problem the Luxe has. If anything the rooms are even more stylish than the public spaces, and they’re long on comfort as well. The look is sleek and contemporary, the interiors clearly designed rather than just decorated, but they’re warm rather than edgy, in rich earth tones and classic materials and finishes. The smallest room is a vast 550 square feet, and the amenities are luxury through and through: flat-screen TV, iPod docking stereos, and massive Roman-style baths in the suites.

A full-service spa completes the urban-resort package, and there’s a lighted tennis court with an in-house pro, definitely a rarity in Los Angeles hotels. And all of this just minutes from the Getty Center or UCLA, with Santa Monica an easy drive away.

The Spa

Among the few, The Spa at L’Ermitage is open to hotel guests only, offering a sense of seclusion and intimacy away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Arrange a treatment poolside in a cabana on the rooftop, or request a private suite which allows you to choose your own music while getting pampered on a hydraulic massage table. Those looking for a highly detoxifying body treatment, try the Ancient Volcanic Ritual. Followed by a Mandarin Orange body scrub, a mask consisting of Volcanic Ash and China clay will be applied to your body prior to a massage to end this revitalizing indulgence.

• Treatment: Holistic
• Massage Types: Custom, Swedish, Deep Tissue, Thai, Ayurvedic, Prenatal
• Open to Public: Yes
• Offers in-room services: Yes
• Prices: Budget
• Products: Aromatherapy Associates
• Hair Services: Yes. In-room.
• Other Spa Features: Sauna, Outdoor Pool, Fitness Center

From humble beginnings as the quintessential SoCal beachside bungalow town, Manhattan Beach has gone upscale. Expensive homes, swanky restaurants, luxury retailers, and now, just now, a boutique hotel. Though just three blocks from the beach, Shade is about interiors; these spaces, by the Discovery Home Channel’s Christopher Lowell, are designed to appeal more to this new generation of aspirational travelers than to the surfers and beach bums who once made up the bulk of Manhattan Beach’s population.

As you’d expect, then, they’re cosmopolitan, urbane, a touch minimal, and more than a touch luxurious — rooms are packed with creature comforts like goosedown duvets, flat-screen TVs (some rooms) and Lavazza espresso makers. Two-person spa tubs and private balconies are ideal for lounging, second-floor rooms come with fireplaces, and the lighting cycles through the color spectrum — call it chromatherapy, or just do-it-yourself decorating.

Shade’s owner, Michael Zislis, is a successful local restaurateur, so it’s no shock that there’s an emphasis on eating and drinking. The Zinc Lounge serves small plates and fine wines by the glass, and the Skydeck offers cocktails with a view, beside a small dipping pool. Spa services are available in-room or at the Trilogy spa next door — it’s enough to qualify as a genuine escape, in spite of the fact that you’re still in Los Angeles County, and just ten minutes from LAX airport.

About Shade: Shade is a luxury boutique hotel located in hip Manhattan Beach. Only 2 blocks from the beach and 10 minutes to LAX, Shade is a great place to relax and unwind whether visiting for work or play.

“Nothing” is the motto here. There’s no tennis, no TV, not even a phone. Located on a strip of beach in nowhere, Puerto Rico, this four-acre haven is dedicated to the sweet, slothful life. It also happens to be one of the most elite spots in the Caribbean.

The Horned Dorset is tastefully Spanish colonial—all adobe and white with tiled floors—and all rooms but four have an ocean view. The new super-luxe Casa Escondadia suites are just that but somehow lack the charm of the old buildings. The best room, however, is Villa 19 which is original to the property and, like the Casa Escondadia suites, sports its own private plunge pool.

In the mornings tropical fruits and freshly baked breads are brought to your room. Days are spent on the beach or by the pool. In the evening the library is a popular spot and napping ranks among the most popular activities. Remember, there’s no phone, so there’s no room service. Leave a sign on the door if you want ice for your mini bar—for anything else, you’ll have to walk.

Do try to take someone. The same qualities that make Horned Dorset a perfect place for lovers can be devastating to those who come alone. People are not here to socialize, so your chances of making friends are few. In fact Meryl Streep, who came to be alone a la Greta Garbo, attracted so little attention that she became quite chatty after a few days—so unless you are the type who really relishes the solitary life, you may find yourself itchy after two days, insane after four.

The one social activity is dinner, when silver cutlery is laid on white tablecloths, and chef Aaron Ratten, of Daniel and Aureole, is allowed to star. Dress appropriately—after all, those who frequent Horned Dorset are the cream of jetsetters (with everyday social schedules so crammed that nothingness is the only luxury left). You might want to hurry, though, as the resort is adding rooms as we speak, and it’s already compromised itself by building a fitness center. Surely a golf course and scuba classes can’t be too far behind.

How to get there:

From San Juan International airport, Horned Dorset is a two hour drive. From San Juan, take Expressway #22 (west) to its end where you will yield into road #2 (west) towards Mayaguez. Drive on #2 all the way to Anasco. In Anasco take route #402 to your right. Follow #402 all the way to route #115. Make a right on #115. Drive on #115 1/2 mile and you will come pass the restaurants El Coche, El Rafael and Kaplash, located on your left. After the restaurants you will turn left on
route #429. Drive on #429 1/2 mile and you will see El Quijote to your left. 1/8 mile after the hotel will be located to your left on km 3.0 on #429. Look to see a black iron fence with a Relais & Chateaux emblem and a guardhouse next to it.

Miami Beach is home to more than a few slightly over-the-top hotels, and it can be an unsettling experience trying to reconcile the total design excess with the pervasive atmosphere of high seriousness. Fortunately there’s one place that seems utterly self-aware; the Pelican is as flauntingly ostentatious as they come, but with an almost Warholian wink—this is a fantasyland with no pretentions to authenticity, a playful and almost pranksterish put-on, with the guests fully in on the joke.

And what else would one expect from the Diesel fashion group? A hotel owned by an old-school fashion dynasty would paper its walls in its own logo, and emboss its label on every flat surface. Here the approach is a bit more theatrical; each of the Pelican’s rooms looks like it could have been a backdrop for one of the iconoclastic label’s highly artificial advertising shoots. The Psychedelic(ate) Girl room is as faithful a rendition of the Sixties London fantasy as we’ve seen, and the Born in the Stars & Stripes room does Americana kitsch the way it seems only a Swedish decorator could do it. The ever-popular Best Whorehouse room, though, may be Magnus Ehrland’s magnum opus, a masterwork of boudoir chic that’s liable to make you feel a bit dirty just walking through the door.

The list goes on, and there’s something for almost every taste, from the ultra-feminine Power Flower to the leather-and-stripes Executive Zebra suite. Everything, that is, except the norm—if you’re a diehard fan of white-on-white, or fussy Art Deco revivalism, try just about anywhere else. If you’re looking for character, though, then the Pelican may be your place. The restaurant is casual and hip yet really rather good, a bit like its denim-empire ownership; and the bar is remarkably relaxed considering the velvet-rope madness at many Miami nightspots. This is the perfect antidote to the pretentiousness and self-satisfaction of the Miami Beach hotel scene—it’s impossible to take yourself too seriously when surrounded by photo-quality jungle-print wallpaper.

The location is something special: Nafplia Palace is within the walls of the old fortified city of Acronapflia, under an hour outside of Athens. Today’s visitors will appreciate the panoramic view of the Bay of Argolis and the Aegean Sea for its beauty rather than its strategic importance, and will fret over whether to stay in the main hotel or one of the private villas, rather than whether or not invaders will breach the walls. The hotel has managed quite an impressive degree of integration, with a stone exterior that seems an extension of rather than an imposition on the original structure. Inside, however, the aesthetic fast-forwards to modern luxury.

The appropriately monolithic slab of a main entrance gives way to a sparkling, unpretentious lobby, where the stone walls and cream-colored furniture hint at the décor of the fifty-one guest rooms. Each room has the airy, open-plan feel of the best seaside resorts, and most come with balconies or terraces. Spacious marble bathrooms feature all the amenities for high-end pampering, from jacuzzis and hydrotherapy jets to hammams. Thirty-three private villas ramp up the luxury, with fully equipped kitchenettes and walk-in closets. Each villa’s private outdoor space offers more than just a plunge pool and a view: lounge chairs and an assortment of trees and shrubs turn each terrace into a personal oasis hewn from ancient stone.

Meals can be enjoyed in-villa, or at the hotel’s Amimoni Restaurant, which pairs fresh, locally sourced dishes with regional wines, and delivers spectacular views from floor-to-ceiling windows facing the sea. To expand your options, take the elevator down through the ancient rock, Batman-style, to the hotel’s sister restaurant, Circle.

How to get there:

-140 km (87 miles) from Athens International Airport “Elefterios Venizelos” (approximately 90
minutes by car).

-7 km (4 miles) from Tolo Port, 150 km (93 miles) from Piraeus Port & 176 km (109 miles) from Patras Port, offering connections to nearby islands.

Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for assistance with airport transfers.

It’s a conscious rekindling of the romance once contained in the phrase “going up to the ’Varsity.” Established by a quartet of Cambridge graduates, The Varsity Hotel & Spa is a modern building, but through its floor-to-ceiling windows you’re steeped in the old Cambridge — you’re practically on top of Magdalene College, and you’re not much farther from St. John’s, Trinity or Jesus. And while it’s the views that largely make the atmosphere, the hotel does an admirable job of fitting itself to its surroundings, with rooms named for Cambridge (and Oxford) colleges and decorated with portraits of alumni.

Needless to say, it’s quite a few steps up from typical student digs. The look is contemporary, with a modern English taste in bold accents, patterned wallpapers and antique tubs in modern bathrooms. They’re fully wired as well, with iPod docks and game systems — and you can’t host visiting academics without wi-fi. There’s a spa as well as a pretty remarkable gym in an antique brick-walled space, and the restaurant is of the impressive modern British variety which has finally put an end to the old quips about UK cuisine. All in all it’s a strong package, one that would come top of the class in most any town — that it’s in Cambridge, and this particularly scenic part of Cambridge no less, makes it truly extraordinary.

It’s not the most naturally picturesque tourist district, but there’s a reason people who visit Sydney choose to stay in the King’s Cross district: wildly eclectic, easily accessible nightlife. Whether your particular brand of after-dark fun involves leisurely upmarket dining, wine tasting, all-night clubbing, or racier shenanigans, the Cross delivers. And situated at the top of William Street, the Diamant Hotel presides over the whole lively scene.

If you’re a fan of the effortlessly sleek black-and-white look, consider this hotel a must-stay. The 76 guest rooms feature king-sized beds outfitted with black headboards and flanked by black nightstands, next to which the spotless white linen looks positively radiant. Patterned wall designs keep the look from becoming too stark, and well-appointed bathrooms split the difference with gray tile and spacious glass-walled showers.

Guests who book the courtyard suites have access to roomy private balconies equipped with stylish outdoor furniture, along with views of the Sydney skyline in the distance and the heady bustle of King’s Cross below. The Diamant Penthouse deserves special mention for bringing the hints of silver that are present throughout the hotel to stunning culmination in the form of a massive, fully equipped gourmet kitchen.

The Diamant’s eye-of-the-storm location can make planning an evening of drinking and dining a bit overwhelming, so be sure to ask the concierge for a recommendation. If you choose to stick around the hotel, the Time to Vino Wine Bar on the ground floor offers an ever-rotating selection of wines and interesting variations on the gourmet-bites theme.

It’s about time somebody synthesized Amsterdam’s two divergent stylistic threads. Visitors in search of precious, historical canal-house charm have never had trouble satisfying their needs, and devotees of modern Dutch design likewise find themselves well served — just never at the same hotel. The Canal House squares this particular circle, and while the results might not satisfy purists at either extreme, there are a great many of us who are likely to find its blend of timeless elegance and modern luxury to be just the perfect mixture.

The modern influence is actually of fairly recent vintage, the Canal House having been thoroughly renovated by its new owners, Curious Hotels, the international micro-chain whose other links include Cowley Manor and L’Hôtel. Anyone familiar with their previous work will immediately grasp the concept here: all three are smallish, quite stylish, and though contemporary in aspect, exceedingly well tailored to the locale.

Here in Amsterdam that means a cozy, warren-like floor plan, picturesque canal views in the best rooms, and a design that’s full of contrast between lush materials and austere forms — aesthetic echoes, perhaps, of the city’s dual Catholic/Protestant heritage, if you’ve got your cultural-studies hat on. However you look at it it’s a triumph of moderation, a veritable ode to compromise, and a worthy addition to Amsterdam’s high-end hotel scene.