Located in the Golden Triangle of Beverly Hills, this former Montage now has a modern California levity, while still holding true to the luxury touch points of five-star service for which one of the world’s most exclusive neighborhoods—and hotel brands—is known. It’s not unusual to experience celebrity sightings on the Terrace, where agents from the nearby buildings mix with a well-heeled jet set crowd. For a traditional ritual with a stylish twist, you can indulge in Prêt-à-Portea, a haute-couture afternoon tea hosted in the elegant Terrace Tea Room. Sipping on the perfect gin martini from The Connaught—the sister hotel from Across the Pond—while gazing out at the plaza’s oversize fountain, you’d swear that you were in Europe, but the pooches in Prada are a dead giveaway that you’re most definitely in Beverly Hills. The indulgence continues at The Maybourne Bar, discreetly tucked away adjacent to check-in, which features Beverly Hills’ only dedicated caviar and oyster bar experience. When you’re not luxuriating in your room, make use of the 20,000-square-foot spa, which includes a stunning riad-style mineral pool, saunas, Turkish steam rooms, and Balinese inspired relaxation rooms. To top off the evening, head up to Dante Beverly Hills. Perched on the 9th floor adjacent to the rooftop pool, this first West Coast outpost of the NYC restaurant and aperitivo bar offers incredible Italian-Mediterranean fare alongside sweeping views of the Hollywood Hills.

Since it opened in 1930, The Carlyle has become something more than the sum of its extremely alluring parts. A living legend that embodies, if not the spirit of NYC, at least one of her spirits: her brightest, most sparkling, most elegant self—witty, worldly, and nostalgic. An entire movie has been made about this property—Always at The Carlyle—in which George Clooney, Sofia Coppola, Wes Anderson, and Naomi Campbell discuss their fondness for the joint. Broadly speaking, the rooms get better the higher the floor. Plus, you get to spend more time in the elevators—not an activity to enjoy in everyday life, but this is not everyday life. The ones at The Carlyle are the stuff of legend, as much admired as the astounding Dorothy Draper lobby or Bemelmans Bar. Imagine if you had been there when Princess Diana, Michael Jackson, and Steve Jobs all piled in (true story). You would have been in awe. Not of them, of course, but of the real superstar—the unflappable, icy-calm, white-gloved Carlyle elevator operator. —Steve King

As one of downtown Vegas’s most popular properties, Circa combines fresh design and entertainment value at rates well below Strip competitors. The place has distinguished itself as an unapologetic, adults-only temple of fun. It plays to a pretty specific demographic: mostly sports lovers, who come for the Stadium Swim pool complex, complete with a pool, lounge seats, sports bar, and bungalows all facing a massive, 40-foot-high TV that always has a major game playing. For dining, it has the obligatory Las Vegas steakhouse, but also a pan-Asian eatery, which is an ode to both the Midwest and Las Vegas, and a fantastic (if very expensive) deli.

There’s plenty to keep you inside this resort for days, but you could easily venture out to check out the funky dive bars, the people-watching, and the galleries of the 18b Arts District, all just steps out the front door. And if it’s views of the Vegas Valley you want, Circa’s Legacy Club, a partly open-air lounge on its 60th floor, has some of the best. You can enjoy them next to 500 custom gold bars and a ticker that shows their fluctuation in value in real time.

Morea House’s contemporary, angular facade faces right out onto the beach from where the lively V&A Waterfront is a 20-minute drive north, with Sea Point, another popular stretch of seafront, just 11 minutes away by car. But if you’re coming to Cape Town, trendy Camps Bay is really where you want to be. Its cold, clear Atlantic waters stand out against the dramatic backdrop of the Twelve Apostles mountain range, and a wide, bustling promenade runs its length, where you’ll find a host of bars, restaurants, and boutiques. Inside the hotel, a soothing palette of timber, stone, and bronze tones, layered with sculptural forms and soft textures, reflects its surroundings. Voguish Lebanese restaurant Omri attracts discerning locals as well as guests, and an indulgent in-house spa helps make it a must-book.

Given its proximity to the Atlantic, it’s no surprise that cold water therapy forms part of the hotel’s wellness ethos. On arrival, guests are supplied with a hand-drawn map of the surrounding area detailing the best places to take a cold plunge, from local lidos to tidal pools. There are 90 rooms here, spread throughout the upper four floors. Some have an oceanfront view, some face towards the mountains, but all follow a similar, tasteful design aesthetic: pale, stone-colored walls, blonde wood flooring, and light, marble-clad bathrooms. The food here is in a class of its own, its Lebanese menu honoring the heritage of one of the hotel’s owners and helmed by highly skilled, fellow countryman Joe Estello. Smoky grilled meats pair with delicious dips from muhammara to baba ganoush, accompanied by piles of puffy pita bread. —Laura Millar

Neighborhood: Launiupoko
Things to do nearby: Launiupoko Beach Park, Maui Chocolate Tour, Ka’anapali Beach

Set on a hill just 15 minutes from the beaches in Ka’anapali, with panoramic views of the Pacific in the foreground and the West Maui Mountains in the back, adults-only Ho’oilo House is an elevated bed and breakfast with a breezy island energy. The Balinese-inspired open-air layout keeps you connected to Maui’s natural beauty, and all of the rooms have outdoor showers, wooden accents, and a blend of island elements and Asian-inspired furnishings, such as seashell stone sinks and antique Chinese wedding beds. Luxury here is about the quiet beauty—the earthy color scheme, the open spaces, the sound of birdsong—not over-the-top service and fine dining you might find at sprawling five-star resorts. Several beloved Lahaina eateries, including one of my favorites, Sale Pepe Pizzeria e Cucina, are only 10 minutes away, and Whaler’s Village is just a 15-minute drive. Catch sunset by the pool and don’t forget to turn around; Maui’s magical rainbows often appear near the mountains at golden hour. —S.F.

Number of guests: 4–6
Bed and bath: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths (in the Luxury Suite)
Why we love it: Resort pool, labyrinth, yoga lawn, sensory garden, spa, juice bar

As the only five-star wellness resort in North America, this all-inclusive spa tucked into Boynton Canyon is for the bachelorette gang that is serious about restorative mindfulness. Choose between the 3-, 4-, 7-, or ambitious 10-night program and fill your days taking in true R&R at the property’s world-class spa, hiking and biking the surrounding trails, or discovering a new favorite creative outlet in the Artist Cottage, where you can learn how to hand-pour candles, make pottery, or design your own jewelry. Recap everyone’s adventures over dinner at Hummingbird, the resort’s Southwestern-inspired fine-dining restaurant, before returning to your two-bedroom suite equipped with a cozy fireplace, heated bathroom floors, and your own outdoor courtyard perfect for toasting the bride under a canopy of stars.

Neighborhood: Boynton Canyon
Things to do on-site: Morning yoga on the yoga lawn, meditate in the Crystal Grotto, join a fitness class, lounge at the pool, shop the boutique, dinner at Hummingbird, evening stargazing session with the resort astronomer

This princely albergo on the Ligurian coast was built as a Benedictine monastery and is now adorned with pink azaleas on almost every balcony from which guests can take in postcard views of Portofino Bay, glimmering and viridian. The landscape looks just as it did in the 1960s, when the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Ava Gardner first checked in to this seaside hideaway. But the hotel has been updated since then; last year, Splendido reopened with the main building completely renovated, after a multi-year floor-by-floor update led by designer Martin Brudnizki, whose signature maximalism takes on a gentler, subtler play—more perfume than syrup—by using lavenders, celadons, and Alice blues to paint the interiors with a pleasingly soft handsomeness. Outside, the redone saltwater pool shimmers with new tiles color-matched to the sea, and the open-air restaurant La Terazza is as perfect a spot as ever, serving trofie al pesto and spritzes on its perch high on the hill. All told, Splendido’s sensibility is elegantly understated, allowing its people and environment to shine. The staff is composed of charismatic good-time ragazzi, and nature seeps so easily into the rooms that sunrise and birdsong became my morning alarms. —Matt Ortile

Address: Viale Baratta, 16, 16034 Portofino GE, Italy