VIENNA
This year may be Mozart's 250th birthday, but Vienna's most fashion-forward hotel isn't buying
into Amadeus schmaltz. At Le Meridien, all is as mod as the nearby MuseumsQuartier—from
the lobby's light projections to chef Michel Rostang's Cuisine Mondiale in the Shambala restaurant.
T+L TIP Snag one of the six top-floor back rooms: their big terraces
have heavenly rooftop views. 1315 Opernring; 800/543-4300; www.vienna.lemeridien.com;
doubles from $381.
PALMA DE MAJORCA
Palma's Old Town, a warren of narrow alleyways, ancient mansions, and lively bars (not to
mention fantastic shoe shops), has recently been revived, and at its heart lies the Hotel
Tres. Behind the 16th-century façade you'll find 41 modern rooms—with
cowhide benches and platform beds—and couples lingering over breakfast beneath a shady
palm tree in the courtyard.
T+L TIP Book a massage and meal at Purobeach, a stylish seaside hangout
10 minutes by taxi from the city center. 3 Calle Apuntadores; 34-971/717-333; www.hoteltres.com;
doubles from $206, breakfast included.
DAMASCUS
In an ancient city crowded with historic mosques, museums, and Silk Route bazaars, designer
Pierre-Yves Rochon pays homage to the Persian empire with locally crafted mother-of-pearl
inlay mirrors and hand-painted ajami doors at the Four Seasons Damascus.
T+L TIP Ask the concierge to arrange a day-long excursion to Palmyra,
an early Roman oasis on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Shukri al-Quwatli St.; 800/223-6800
; www.fourseasons.com; doubles from $155.
SAVANNAH The Mansion on Forsyth Park
In this Victorian house in Savannah's Historic District, each of the 126 rooms mixes the classical
(carved rococo headboards, red velvet curtains) with the sleek (mirrored bedside tables, clear-glass
lamps). Request one on the Bohemian Floor facing Drayton Street, with a freestanding claw-foot
tub draped in taffeta and views of the 100-year-old oak trees in Forsyth Park.
T+L TIP Don't miss a private lesson at the hotel's state-of-the-art cooking
school. 700 Drayton St.; 888/711-5114; www.mansiononforsythpark.com; doubles from $289.
MIAMI
Nothing says hot like Versace, and with the opening of Casa Casuarina, Gianni's
former mansion, anyone willing to pay $1,500 a night can sleep, wine, and dine like a fashionista.
The original structure, built in 1930 in extravagant rococo designs, now houses a 10-room
hotel and club that is a kaleidoscope of colors and tastes, starting with a mosaic-tile pool
and ending at the Caviar Creator Lounge, where farmed roe is spooned onto guests' hands for
$100 a "lick."
T+L TIP Now that the property is part of Leading Hotels of the World,
anyone—not just invitation-only members such as Oliver Stone—can be a guest. 1116
Ocean Dr.; 800/745-8883; www.lhw.com; doubles from $1,500.
SAN FRANCISCO
This cultural capital is guaranteed to make your heart pound—whether from a hike up
one of the staggeringly steep streets (at sunset, head to the top of Twin Peaks for 360-degree
views of the surrounding city and bay), or from a meal made with locally purveyed ingredients.
T+L TIP Carved out of the turn-of-the-century Williams Building, the
new St. Regis Hotel is perfectly placed for artistic outings: the Museum of the African Diaspora
shares the property's ground floor, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is next door,
and the hotel itself has an art collection that rivals those of nearby galleries. 125 Third
St.; 877/787-3447; www.stregis.com; doubles from $539.
PUERTO VALLARTA
Get the best view of the town's cobblestoned streets, tropical gardens, and dazzling plazas
from a suite at the 14-room Hacienda San Angel. Colonial art decorates the
secret patios and nooks, where you can steal away for a candlelit dinner.
T+L TIP Hit the plaza after hours and get caught up in the carnival spirit
of the Vallartenses who stroll the boardwalk. 336 Calle Miramar; 415/738-8220 or 52-322/222-2692;
www.haciendasanangel.com; doubles from $250.
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