Vibe: One of six properties in the Library Hotel Collection, which includes Hotel X Toronto, the Aria is a bright and bold, bottomless pit of quirky luxury, with each room celebrating the work of a star from the worlds of jazz, classical and contemporary music. An eccentric elegance permeates throughout, from the hurricane lamp-lined entryway along a piano-key pathway, through a glass-enclosed courtyard, past gold sconces and a grand piano, right on up into a sumptuously simple rooftop patio.

CRUISE: THE DANUBE RIVER

Rooms: Large rooms face the city or the courtyard, ranging from studios to three-bedroom suites. Expect caricature-style portraits of your particular musician or composer lording over bold colours and unexpected patterns, from stripes to toile. Marble bistro tables and mantels mix with oval-shaped velvet furniture, colourful tables and cabinets, coffered ceilings and Kartell lamps. Five-piece Italian onyx bathrooms have heated towel racks and Molton Brown amenities. Sun rooms on the top floor let in the light.

F&B: Presentation is absolutely everything here. Liszt Restaurant promotes rich, historical dishes with a modern twist—smoked trout, venison tartare, pumpkin carpaccio, roast goose. The chef’s table is particularly satisfying. The blue and green Mirror Room out front is perfect for lunch or cocktail hour and the seasonal street-side patio prompts plenty of people-watching. Free wine and cheese afternoons in the courtyard are a nice touch. The High Note SkyBar with its bright yellow and rattan seating is a sea of gorgeous with a full view of St. Stephen’s Basilica next door.

Extras: Yoga on the roof, anyone? The sexy, jazzy pool area is fun and fanciful, attached to Finnish and infrared saunas, steam rooms and whirlpools. You can even have breakfast there. Harmony Spa carries on with the musical theme with an “orchestra” of sensory experiences to indulge in.

Off-Site: This is the city centre on the Pest side of the Danube River steps from the Danube Promenade, so nothing is very far away. The Budapest Eye ferris wheel and the cafés and bars of Elizabeth Square is a short walk away, as is the lovely Liberty Square park. Buda Castle and many of the art museums are a 20-minute stroll across the river.

Rate: $$$
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Vibe: Tucked away on quiet and unassuming Mercer Street, Le Germain is more hideaway than hotel. Comfortable and unstuffy, it plays host to business travellers from the creative industries, local staycationers and brand-loyal French Canadians. Nature-inspired colours, patterns and textures bring a little bit of the outdoors inside, creating a Zen, walk-in-the-woods atmosphere.

Rooms: With dark furnishings, plenty of rich wood, grey concrete ceilings, thick wooden Venetian blinds and forest floor-patterned carpet, the 123 rooms exude style. Recycled felt wall covering dampens the sound. Even sexier is a white moulded-Corian bathroom sink and vanity, and a mirror backlit with flattering, brilliant-white light. Accoutrements include a baby Bose stereo, espresso machine, kettle and minibar.

F&B: Sporting an American bistro vibe, Victor Restaurant Bar is open all day, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in a soothing room filled with soft grays, blue leather banquettes and dramatic dark grey drapery. A swirling gold metal light fixture doubles as an art installation. A classic menu is kept simple, leaning on comfort: things like root vegetable cassoulet, butter roasted scallops and braised lamb shoulder.

Extras: Early adopters of the no-checkout-time policy (when you book direct), Le Germain is ahead of the curve in terms of fitting themselves into the rhythms of the guests, rather than the other way around. A sumptuous lounge-library a few steps up from the lobby has sofas so deep they almost swallow you whole. A mezzanine boardroom holds up to 100 people and a 24-hour fitness centre with a great view is located on the 11^th floor. Repeat guests can arrange to leave items like workout wear behind for their next visit.

Off-Site: With so much within walking distance, including the subway, the location couldn’t be better. Rogers Centre, the CN Tower and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada are a five-minute walk away, as are two of Toronto’s top live-theatre stages and the Toronto International Film Festival Lightbox. A few blocks east sits Roy Thompson Hall, home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the famous Second City comedy club is just at the end of the street.

Rate: $$$
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Vibe: The Broadview Hotel is hit with creative industry business travellers who want to be close to downtown but still enjoy a local experience in a cool part of town. The history of the building is cleverly incorporated into the design and construction, the décor a mix of time periods. Each space has a different feel—modern but reflective of the 125-year story without focusing on any particular era. The lobby bar wallpaper was reproduced from the original pattern found underneath the layers of a century of wallpaper. The generous use of brass hints at the building’s tenure as a men’s club. Parts of the old fire escape that once covered the east side of the building have been repurposed into a lobby wall installation.

Rooms: Spacious rooms sport sumptuous fabrics, high thread-count bedding, custom-built dark-wood furniture, laminate flooring and marble-top tables. Thick red velvet curtains and quirky brass pole stands carry through the strip-club motif. All-marble bathrooms with contrasting matte-black finishes exude luxury. TVs stream content from your phone app, and at the opposite end of that scale, a record player and a selection of vinyl albums give guests a tactile music experience. Some rooms include a private outdoor seating nook.

F&B: The pink neon-lit circular bar of The Café + Bar off the lobby is a hit for pre-dinner or after-work drinks and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Main-floor restaurant The Civic is a destination in itself, the chefs embracing local and the menu not pricing itself out of the neighbourhood. The stunning 100-seat Rooftop is an indoor-outdoor space sporting 360-degree views of the city via an L-shaped patio, floor-to-ceiling glass walls and a pyramid skylight. A sharing menu and smart cocktail list make it a hotspot.

Extras: The 3,000-square-foot Lincoln Hall on the second floor is connected to a 1,000-square-foot outdoor terrace, which, when used together, can accommodate 270 people. The 700-square-foot Dominion Suite is available for small cocktail receptions or meetings. The private seventh-floor Tower can suit up to 30 people for drinks, and the adjacent Rooftop holds up to 240 reception guests. No gym or spa facilities available.

Off-Site: The Broadview sits on the corner of Queen Street East and Broadview Avenue at the edge of downtown, just a few minutes’ drive from both the Don Valley Parkway and the Gardiner Expressway, Toronto’s major motorways. An entrance to the Don Valley hiking and biking trail is a five-minute walk away and the heritage Distillery District is a 20-minute walk away.

Rate: $$$
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Vibe: Managed by Loews Hotels, the Bisha takes over the first eight floors of a 44-storey tower, which it shares with 350+ condos. Visitors are welcomed into a lobby that exudes sex appeal via black marble, crushed velvet and etched gold. The chic public spaces are bold, lavish and textured, with panelled walls, natural stone, soft leathers, lacquered wood trimming and rich textiles. The whole hotel has an art-gallery vibe, complete with dozens of Warhol prints and more than 3,000 pieces of art.

Rooms: Old-school opulence and jet-set glamour are mixed with modern yet eclectic aesthetics in the decently sized rooms and suites. The overall approach to the design of the rooms was “Your Coolest Friend,” hence the bar cart, patent-leather sofas and Instagrammable salon-style art. The prints and photos, which are different in every room, look like they were collected over time, adding to the design cohesion. Deco-inspired lacquer armoires are over-the-top gorgeous, as are the bathrooms replete with Nero Marquina marble and satin nickel finishes. Lenny Kravitz brought a rock-and-roll sensibility and soulful elegance to the design of 14 rooms, including the 2,000-square-foot Bisha suite, which features a 1,000-square-foot terrace.

F&B: Internationally renowned Iron Chef contestant Akira Back lends his talents and his name to the Bisha’s main restaurant, his first in Canada. Hot and cold sharing plates run the gamut between tartare, tataki, tacos and tempura. The list of sushi, sashimi and signature rolls is long and tantalizing. Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served on the 44^th floor at the white oak-panelled KOST, a bright beach house-style space sporting porcelain table tops and a modern Mexican menu. Mister C. Bar Room off the lobby is dark, sexy and subdued, with plush, low furniture, a smart cocktail menu and a lengthy whiskey list, all inspiring tasteful tête-à-têtes.

Extras: Facilities include a very large fitness centre that also caters to building residents and a 2,300-square-foot event space on the 43^rd floor with state-of-the-art audio/visual. An outdoor infinity pool and patio off KOST restaurant on the 44^th floor sport a stunning view of downtown.

Off-Site: At the epicentre of Toronto’s Entertainment district, the Bisha is a five-minute walk to both Rogers Centre (home of Blue Jays baseball) and the CN Tower. Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, Roy Thompson Hall (home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra) and King Street West nightlife are a 10-minute walk away. You can reach both the Business District and the Toronto Harbourfront on foot in 15 minutes. The Second City comedy theatre is across the street.

Rate: $$$
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Portugal’s south coast is awash in the most fabulous beaches, and the eastern side of it is the country’s best-kept secret. Right in the thick of all this bliss sits the 77-room Ozadi Tavira Hotel, which was built in the 1970s and renovated to the nines in 2014. It manages to maintain the original character of that swingin’ decade, blending on-trend colours, cork design details and local traditional homewares into its hyper-mod space.

Vibe: The crowd is a leisurely one, primarily special-occasion celebrants, wee families, retirees and honeymooners. Everyone seems to fit in here and everyone has come specifically to relax and enjoy the scenery.

Rooms: A modern mix of local craftwork and retro embellishments dress up the public areas and the rooms. Finishing touches like cork end tables, colourful ceramic light fixtures and headboard artwork add a local link, fusing the hotel with the surrounding region. Rooms come equipped with a mini bar, free Wi-Fi, air conditioning and a room safe, plus natural, marine-based bathroom amenities. Furnished balconies with views of the gardens, the hotel pool or the countryside amp up the luxe factor.

F&B: Two restaurants here: The Ozadi Terrace, serving buffets with a view of the sea, and the Orangea Bistro overlooking the pool. Both offer Mediterranean and regional cuisine heavy on the seafood (naturally) and both have outdoor patios that are open at different times of the day. A third-floor cocktail bar and a pool bar are often home to live music and sunset get-togethers.

THINGS TO DO: IN THE EASTERN ALGARVE

Extras: The Ozadi’s wellness offerings are considerable considering the hotel’s smallish size, with massages and facials, detox and weight-loss programmes, and personal trainers. A Padel court come with equipment and classes. The pool is superb—beautifully designed, quiet yet glamorous—like you’re an extra in a spicy European movie. Shaded areas, grassy expanses and the restaurant patio are all steps away.

Off-Site: The Ozadi is mere minutes from the region’s iconic beaches, world-class year-round golf and quaint seaside villages. Tavira itself dates back to 2000 BC, so there’s plenty of history to sink your teeth into, including 37 churches. Cacela Velha, a small fishing village overlooking the Ria Formosa, is a great spot to wander through before or after a nice, three-hour lunch. Medieval castle ruins at Castro Marim date from 5000 BC. Visitors also take advantage of loads of nature tourism, horseback riding, cultural tours, kitesurfing and windsurfing.

Rate: $$
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Designed by noted Central American architect Ronald Zürcher, the stunning Andaz at Peninsula Papagayo is inspired by nature, buoyed by local art and crafts, and folded into its surroundings with a keen attention to the lay of the land and the wildlife that surrounds it.

Vibe: The Andaz Papagayo was big on sustainability and developing local cultural programs long before it was a trend. Visitors tend to be well-heeled yet down to earth, with interests in wildlife and nature, as well as good design and good value. And so many critters! You’ll spot tons of birds, moths and butterflies, howler monkeys and white-faced capuchin monkeys, and the coatis, who can get quite bold—surprise, surprise, they’re related to raccoons.

THINGS TO DO: IN GUANACASTE

Rooms: The 150+ spacious rooms are exquisitely designed, blending right into the bamboo trees and white- and black-sand beaches. Expect loads of low furniture, natural wood and many wildlife-influenced décor and furnishings, including basket-like light fixtures, which were inspired by the nests of the oropendolas that call this neck of the woods home. My bathroom gave way to a balcony with a shower, which was quite heavenly.

F&B: There’s a proper restaurant and bar in the thick of things at Andaz Papagayo, but the highlight is Ostra restaurant, just a little walk away from the main buildings. You feel like you’re dining in a private villa, enjoying iconic Peruvian dishes with a Costa Rican twist. A whole page of the menu is devoted to ceviche, where you choose a fish and a style of ceviche and it is then mixed to order.

Extras: The series of pools was designed to mimic the riverside, drawing a parallel to the Costa Rican culture of spending family time at the water’s edge. And during my massage at the Onda Spa on the hilltop, I felt like I was tucked into a little treehouse overlooking the bay. Each treatment room has its own bathroom and mini-balcony for a serene post-treatment cool down.

Off-Site: Papagayo is a lush peninsula of protected parkland jutting out into the Gulf of Papagayo with basically just one road in and out. But it has several multimillion dollar homes and villas, for rent by the Kardashians or Beyoncé—or you. While The Four Seasons sits on the tip of the peninsula, the Andaz looks out over Culebra Bay on the south coast, with the main Costa Rican coastline in sight along with a dazzling new Marina Papagayo. (Let’s play count the yachts!) The 35-minute drive from the region’s international airport is one of the top reasons Papagayo is favored by Hollywood celebrities flying down for the weekend. An Arnold Palmer-designed golf course is not that far away, either.

Rate: $$
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Built in 1895, The Warehouse Hotel was actually a spice-trade route warehouse, back in the days when this area of Singapore was filled with gangsters and their lackeys. Fast-forward to January 2017, when the loved-up version of this grand building opened as an independent 37-room boutique hotel, featuring a destination restaurant, a glam lobby bar and a cool clientele.

Vibe: Expect a fairly international, sophisticated crowd from Korea, the United States, the Philippines and Europe. Young couples, lots of business creatives, solo business executives and the semi-retired young-at-hearts all find a home here.

THINGS TO DO: IN SINGAPORE

Rooms: Sexy, modern rooms have an industrial feel, with muted tones of taupe and grey mixed with green marble, wooden flooring, black metal framing and original brick masonry. It feels like the slick apartment of your coolest friend. Find lots of attention to detail, right down to the coffee mugs designed by a local ceramic artist. Minibars are filled with Southeast Asian-specific products, such as Vietnamese chocolate and egg-yolk potato chips. The Bang & Olufsen Bluetooth speaker is a nice touch, as are the eco-certified Ashley & Co bath amenities.

F&B: The bar and restaurant at The Warehouse Hotel are big, big draws, for both the visitors and the locals. The 52-seat Pó Restaurant is managed by noted Chef Willin Low, a trailblazer in the homespun Mod-Sin food movement, which takes the flavours and recipes of traditional Singaporean dishes and gives them a modern twist. The name Po is both an homage to popo, the Mandarin word for grandmother, and to the classic spring roll, popiah. The spacious, 70-seat Lobby Bar whips up incredible concoctions using Asian flavors like kaya, kaffir lime, star anise and cinnamon, with all its infusions and essences made in-house. Try the Madame Butterfly.

TASTE TO TRY: RIBS FOR BREAKFAST
HOW-TO: ORDER KOPI COFFEE

Extras: Though small and not really overlooking much except a busy street corner and a gas station, the little infinity pool on the side of the hotel is quite fun. The clear acrylic pool walls will make for more than a few Instagram-worthy moments. Take a sun hat.

Off-Site: The Warehouse is situated on the Singapore River on Robertson Quay, blending in with the Riverwalk restaurants, cafés and shops. It is just a short walk from both Chinatown and the pubbier districts of Clarke Quay and Boat Quay.

Rate: $$
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Vibe: Formerly a Holiday Inn, the Kimpton looks more like a residence than a hotel, full of fun quirks, clever details, and arched doorways, hallways and mirrors uniting the design of the public spaces. A cool shade of blue-green replaces the regular hotel beige. Expect lots of wood, patterned rugs and many other earthy colours and textures, including loads of natural light. A fireplace warms up a cozy and comfortable living room-like lounge off the lobby, a fine spot to settle in with the newspaper.

Rooms: The design of the 188 rooms, including 21 suites, is meant to capture the essence of the Annex neighbourhood’s heritage homes, with sculptural furnishings like moulded walnut desks and rounded mirrors, plus gold light fixtures and locally sourced art. The colour palette mimics Canadian nature with a mixture of blues, greens, grays, browns and rusts—practically every shade of a Group of Seven painting. A record player comes with a new selection of Canadian vinyl. White oak armoires feature natural caning at the door faces and a white resin squirrel sculpture inside, a nod to Toronto’s famous west end albino squirrel. Frette sheets, robes and towels add a distinct touch of luxury. Grey-tiled bathrooms feature a marble vanity and natural Atelier Bloem amenities. A yoga mat can be found in every closet. The standard room size is 300 square feet.

F&B: The sole restaurant is The Fortunate Fox, a lively, third party-owned gastropub doing breakfast through dinner and on to late-night snacks. An elevated pub menu features all the basics, including fried chicken, a curry, fish and chips, burgers, pizzettes, sandwiches and salads. Everything is made from scratch.

Extras: The Peregrine Room is the main event room on the ground floor with 1,500 square feet of space in total, including a break-out area. Natural materials, natural light, warm tones of peach and gray, locally sourced furniture and cheeky artwork make for a very non-businesslike atmosphere. An airy, state-of-the-art fitness room also sports an adjacent exercise/yoga room. Bicycles are available for those who want to hop on the Bloor Street bike lane right at the front door.

Off-Site: The Kimpton Saint George is right in the middle of town, between the west and east ends, and equidistant from uptown and downtown. Hotel guests can walk to The Royal Ontario Museum and The Gardiner Museum (Canada’s national ceramics museum) in under 10 minutes. The famed Bata Shoe Museum is directly across the street.

Rate: $$$

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Vibe: Opened in 1880 as the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane, the building was designed by famed architect Henry Hobson Richardson in Romanesque Revival style. Hotel Henry is the first tenant in what will be a major renovation of the whole complex, injecting large open spaces with an art-gallery atmosphere over five floors. At any given time, the hotel exhibits about 100 pieces of art. Dramatic white corridors feature massive windows bringing in buckets of natural light with a river of blue carpet injecting a swirl of colour.

Rooms: As with any revamped building, the layout of the 88 rooms and suites vary throughout. Décor is pared-down and modern, the 18-foot ceilings,14-foot windows (with motorized blinds) and recessed lighting adding a dash of drama. Wedge pillows dress up a comfortable platform bed and an adaptable wall system keeps things orderly acting as an open “closet.” Sunny bathrooms are equipped with European-style Porcelanosa fixtures.

THINGS TO DO: IN BUFFALO

F&B: Just off the hotel’s second-floor lobby, 100 Acres: The Kitchens at Hotel Henry is a restaurant, bar, bakery and coffeehouse for hotel guests and neighborhood locals, offering many different seating and service options centred around one common menu. New American cuisine highlights regional products and produce with a made-from-scratch credo. Standard hotel staples are given a Mediterranean twist—marinated chicken with raita, yellowfin tuna with skordalia, seared scallops with a raisin caper vinaigrette, roasted beets and tahini. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options cover the bases.

Extras: The hotel has a variety of spaces for workstation setups and more than 20,000 square feet of meeting and event space, much of which is also filled with art. A 24-hour gym and a running path among the surrounding 42 acres of parkland keep guests in top form.

Off-Site: Hotel Henry is in Buffalo’s north end, within walking distance of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Burchfield Penney Art Center. Delaware Park is a five-minute drive away, as is the hip neighbourhood of Elmwood Village. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House is a 10-minute drive away.

Rate: $$

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Vibe: The majority of Magnolia guests are week-day travellers from the realms of finance, law (the courthouse is nearby), government and IT. Traditional décor is elegant but not overstated and modern touches keep it from getting mumsy. Vaulted ceilings, gleaming glass, gold accents and orchids dress things up nicely. Grey felt sofas and a gas fireplace warm up the lobby lounge area, where floor-to-ceiling wood paneling is propped up with equally dramatic patterned curtains. Tourists change seasonally, with the shoulder seasons seeing more regional guests from Vancouver and Seattle.

Rooms: Spacious rooms (starting at 300 square feet) feature multiple patterns and textures, with colours borrowed from the rest of the hotel décor—taupe, pearl, silver, grey, gold. Modern marble bathrooms all have a shower and tub, plus plenty of vanity space. Ask for a Signature corner suite for a view of the parliament buildings, a gas fireplace and a cozy corner for reading.

F&B: Opened in 2018, The Courtney Room is bright and white, an airy French bistro-style neighbourhood hub with a more casual main-floor brasserie and bar, and a smaller, upscale upstairs dining room. Expect local fish and meat with a bit of a French twist. The tasting menu is highly recommended. For breakfast, the Egg, Avocado and Crab salad will last you to lunch and beyond.

Extras: Repeat guests have everything as they like it, thanks to detailed notes from their last stay. Spa Magnolia sports seven treatment rooms, a relaxation lounge and well-equipped change rooms, its signature treatment being a 90-minute body scrub, facial and massage. The hotel also has bikes to lend guests, and has created a series of seasonal and theme-based biking and walking maps to show visitors the best of Victoria.

THINGS TO DO: ON VANCOUVER ISLAND

Off-Site: With 20 restaurants within a five-block radius and the cream of Victoria’s shopping within just seven blocks, there’s little need to get on a bus or in a cab. Victoria Conference Centre, The Royal BC Museum, the Harbour Air Seaplanes dock and the BC legislature are all a five-minute walk away. Both the Dallas Road beach and Holland Point Park are a six-minute drive away.

Rate: $$

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