The resort was built during a time when large-scale land acquisition and development was more feasible than it is today, with modern restrictions on land use and environmental protections. As such, it is definitely one of a kind – and larger than life.

Vibe: Life’s rich pageant is on full display here, and they definitely have a bit of cash. These are “resort people,” who are fully versed in the ins and outs of Marriott life, poolside lunches, tennis lessons, tee times and all. I saw young marrieds, families with small children, multigen groups, gaggles of girls, wedding parties and a few business travellers. Nicely dressed bunch, too.

The lobby lounge is quite possibly the biggest I have ever encountered, the hub of the hotel, a gargantuan space creating an eight-floor atrium. It abuts an indoor pier, where you can hop on a wee boat and be driven through sliding glass doors into a large freshwater lake. A bevy of black swans will follow you around. Guests also enjoy a massive pool, world-class tennis facilities, an exclusive spa sanctuary and nice views of the Santa Rosa Mountains.

THINGS TO DO: IN PALM SPRINGS

Rooms: Nothing is out of place in the spacious rooms, which have a desert-chic California look and feel. The decor is comfortable and not too “out there,” so as to appeal to the majority. Expect natural colours, wood floors and mountain-inspired artwork, plus plush pillowtop beds. Bathrooms are equipped with quartz vanities and rain-style showers. Pets are welcome.

F&B: Ten dining outlets eliminate the need to go out for dinner – from poolside fare to five-course tasting menus, food is all around you, with the perfect scenery to go with it. Highlights include the patio (and the excellent service) at Rockwood Grill, the Blue Star Lounge and the Mikado Japanese Steakhouse. Aquifier65 & The Sushi Bar are situated in the above-mentioned lobby lounge, while Fisherman’s Landing provides a more casual, pub-style experience.

Spa: OMG the 3500-square-metre Spa at Desert Springs – I could have moved in. Massages, body treatments and facials, saunas and steam rooms, but the coolest thing is the private outdoor pool, a quiet sanctuary. The spa has its own bistro, plus a new coed Wellness Lounge where you can relax in fancy massage chairs, throw on a pair of headphones and indulge in a little sound therapy.

The spa’s Sanctuary Suite lends a VIP experience that can be book for two to 10 guests. This is for groups that can spa together, enjoying treatments, rain showers, high-definition TV, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, a courtyard with a whirlpool and waterfall, and your own butler.

Off-Site: About a half-hour drive from downtown Palm Springs, the resort complex is on the classy-sounding Country Club Drive near Cook Street just north of Palm Desert. It is adjacent to the Desert Springs Golf Club.

Rate: $$$ Breakfast not included. Daily resort fee of C$60 is applied to each guest room. Amenities include daily fitness classes for two, golf range access, court and equipment rentals, and a two-hour bicycle rental.

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The hospitality here is sublime. Guests get a feeling they’re at Grandma’s house and can do as they please. As a charitable, socially conscious business, the Inn reinvests profits in the Fogo Island community.

Vibe: Sweeping contemporary architecture is contrasted with interiors based on the history, traditions and cultural icons of Newfoundland. The result is an upscale take on the fishing village leitmotif, an unfussy prettiness that is understated yet sumptuous—a meeting of new and old. Colourful furniture, quilting and crafts punch up white-painted wood floors, walls and ceilings. A thought toward the essence of Newfoundland culture can be found at every turn.

Rooms: Ranging in size from 35 to 100 square metres, the 29 rooms and suites sport floor-to-ceiling North Atlantic views, handy binoculars, heated wooden floors, hand-crafted quilts and rugs, and locally produced furnishings. Toile wallpaper designs spotlight local architecture. Bathrooms feature electronic toilets and walk-in showers. Twenty-one rooms have wood-burning stoves and 11 rooms have soaker tubs.

F&B: The local Fogo Island flavours never stop. But don’t expect a larder full of the usual North American staples—you eat what is available in Newfoundland at that particular time of the year, with limited outside ingredients involved. Think foraged berries, mushrooms, wild greens; produce procured from neighbourhood community gardens; the freshest seafood, including the province’s ubiquitous and delicious cod; salt-cured meats and some wild game. Absolutely everything is homemade with menus changing frequently.

TASTE TO TRY: LAMB BELLY

Extras: The Inn features a lobby lounge and bar, tea room, art gallery, library and cinema. Wellness facilities include a gym, and rooftop saunas and hot tubs.

Off-Site: This part of the province is famous for parading icebergs, cavorting whales, wild storms and the Northern Lights. The resort’s Community Host Program matches local people with incoming guests to help orient them to the region and to its heritage. Free excursions include a range of natural, cultural, marine, and artistic activities: things like guided geological hikes, berry-picking and jam-making, boating and fishing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling, bike rides and bonfire nights.

Rate: $$$$$

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Petit St. Vincent (PSV) is legendary within travel circles for its stunning and secluded one- and two-bedroom villas, for the five-star service and food, and for not changing a damned thing in 50 years, including its signature flag system for room service.

Vibe: While the air conditioning and the Balinese spa may be new, the vibe is still strictly 1960s, a delicate balance of luxury and nature, of old-school charm and posh amenities. The lo-fi nature of the place well suits the unstuffy attitude of the guests despite the cost. The cast of characters is well-heeled for sure.

Rooms: The 22 private cottages at Petit St. Vincent have a rustic feel—brick walls, exposed ceilings with fans, wooden lamps, sideboards a bit tacky from the varnish and the humidity. It’s island living with a dash of ritz and a ton of aircon—or not: Two walls of a spacious living room open out onto my private veranda overlooking the ocean. Guests are attended by butlers who drive little mini jeeps around the property, bringing you lunch or fresh towels or bottles of rosé, whatever you want.

ALSO EXPLORE: GRENADA

F&B: At both the multi-terraced main pavilion and the toes-in-the-sand beach restaurant, I devour melt-in-my-mouth tuna ceviche and beautifully grilled snapper. The kitchen grows as much of its own food as possible. Besides the chef garden, there are eggs from organic chickens and banana, almond, papaya and citrus trees. You can also request a picnic and enjoy it anywhere on the island, beach or bluff, or ask for a little spot on the beach to be set up for a romantic dinner for two.

Extras: The Jean-Michel Cousteau Caribbean Diving Center is a sister branch of the diving legend’s famous scuba program in Fiji. The team opens visitors up to about 20 dive sites, all within a relatively short distance of the main pier.

Off-Site: After a ride on the Petit St. Vincent sailboat the Beauty on a day excursion to nearby Tobago Cays Marine Park, a five-island grouping about an hour’s sail away, I snorkel the reef and then spot a turtle the size of an ottoman. No guff.

Rate: $$$$$

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Vibe: This is a fairly moneyed, pineapple mojito kind of crowd, but laid-back enough to enjoy the boho-tinged vibe. At sundown, an Eventide ritual gathers guests together for shoreline cocktails and music by the fire pits, some right from the pool, some already dressed for dinner.

Rooms: The 177 modern-traditional rooms, suites and bungalows are comfortable and luxurious, featuring natural colours and dark wood, tufted chairs and headboards, plus a few nautical touches to remind you that you’re actually at the beach. Amenities include a mini-fridge, iPad, free Wi-Fi and premium cable.

F&B: The open-air oceanfront restaurant Sol by the Sea has a beach house flavour, all driftwood décor with brightly coloured accents. The great views of the bay set you up for American coastal cuisine, things like crab fries and curried black grouper—and pineapple bread with molasses butter. Lobby bar Las Olas features Peruvian style ceviche, washed down of course with Pisco Sours. Steaks and seafood can be found at the fine-dining venue La Marea.

Extras: Ocean Spa and Lounge is spacious and modern, combining modern cosmetic tech with tropical wellness wonderment. Watersports include all the paddles, personal watercraft, parasailing, eco tours and private charters. Triple hammocks are strung out on triangular metal frames so as to give the poor trees a break.

Off-Site: The Playa Largo is 65 miles from Miami airport and 100 miles from Key West, so almost halfway down the Overseas Highway. Watersports like diving and reef snorkelling are close at hand, with glass-bottom boat tours and kayaking to be found in nearby John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, just five miles away.

Rate: $$$

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Vibe: At The Crane, you will meet well-heeled American, Canadian, British and European couples, groups of friends, retirees and families who have been coming back year after year for years, including the timeshare guests who make you feel at home by being at home themselves.

THINGS TO DO: IN BARBADOS

Rooms: Mahogany absolutely everywhere. Even the one-bedroom suite feels like a small condo, your two kids bunking down in the large living room. A dining room and full kitchen (fridge with ice dispenser, dishwasher, washer-dryer) is perfect for families who want to have at least a few meals in. Bedrooms have a four-poster king-size bed and a writing desk, leading into a big bathroom with two wardrobes, whirlpool bath, separate toilet, separate shower and double vanity.

F&B: The Zagat-rated Zen restaurant is the island’s go-to for Japanese and Thai food, its private booths elegant and inviting. D’Onofrio’s Trattoria bills itself as casual family dining, but I must have dined when the children had all gone to bed. It serves the best Italian food I have ever had in the Caribbean, full stop. Sun-worshipers flip-flop into the palm grove behind the beach for hearty lunch plates at The Grove Bar & Grill.

TASTE TO TRY: TRADITIONAL COU-COU

Extras: Swimming pools for days! Even the swimming pools have swimming pools. Many ground-floor suites have private pools up to 28 feet long. Corner rooms have plunge pools in the turrets on every floor and penthouse suites have 12-foot pools with rooftop garden decks. The Crane is also equipped with a full-service Serenity Spa, a fitness centre and a kids club. (Yes, there’s a swimming pool for adults only, too.)

Off-Site: The serene beaches of the east coast are a 30-minute drive north. The south coast beaches are a 20-minute drive and you can reach the beaches and nightlife of the west coast in 40 minutes. The airport is just 15 minutes away.

Rate: $$$
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