It sits on an unassuming avenue in the historic San Telmo neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Walk too quickly or space out for a second and you’re sure to miss it.

1890 B&B blends in perfectly on the block with its stately, wrought iron gate set in a 19th-century building on a quiet street called Calle Humberto Primero. But 1890 B&B has something special. In fact, it has a lot of things that are special and well worth the bargain $90 USD per night to stay there.

The Argentine economy suffered a major crash in 2001, putting one American dollar on equal footing with three Argentine pesos. But even as the economy continues recovering, 1890 B&B is a must for travelers, even if the nightly rates doubled.

Our research told my boyfriend and I that San Telmo was the heart of Buenos Aires, home to the city’s tango roots and some of its oldest and most photographed churches. Being less tourist-heavy - save for the most popular milongas, or venues, which showcase tango shows - it seemed like a natural choice for our home base in Argentina’s capital city. Maybe it was the charming, polite e-mails assuring us we’d have a driver, not a cab, pick us up from Ezeiza International Airport and bring us to their front door. Or maybe it’s the outpouring of personal touches without the potentially nagging presence some may dislike about the bed-and-breakfast experience. More on 1890 B&B: A Taste of Europe at a Fraction of the Cost

No trip to Istanbul, the cultural capital of Turkey, is complete without treating yourself to the full works at one of the many historical Turkish baths dotted around the ancient city. Whether you are traveling first class, or backpacking around the world, a visit to a hamam is an exotic, invigorating and unforgettable experience which will not only give you an insight into the secrets of Turkish culture, but will also demonstrate the fact that, since the day you were born, your skin has never been truly clean.

Enter the camekan; a central courtyard lined with changing cubicles surrounding an ornamental fountain, and step through the hamam entrance, and you will find yourself in an entirely different world. Steam rises from the slick marble floor, filling the air with romantic visions of times past. The whole room smells of fragrant soap and aromatic massage oils. Warmth permeates your skin like a mother’s enveloping embrace.

Naked flesh abounds, sleek and sweaty, partially wrapped in flimsy checkered pestamals; a cloth worn around the body like a sarong. Random bodies stretch out lazily on the göbektaski or naval stone; a heated marble platform in the center of the room. On occasion, after a particularly good massage, snores echo throughout the hararet; the high-domed, octagonal steam room, its rounded ceiling punctuated with opaque oculi allowing soft beams of diffused sunlight to penetrate the clouds of steam. The sound of cool water splashing from elaborately crafted and ornately designed basins dotted around the walls adds harmony to the atmosphere of total relaxation.
More on Steam, Camel Hair and Lather - The Turkish Bath

There are two ways to get to Hali’imaile General Store. The most common, and perhaps the most sensible, is by car or motorcycle. The second, as I obstinately accomplished, is by bicycle. I left the small sea level town of Paia on Maui around 10:30 a.m., giving myself enough time to climb 1,200 feet up the fertile slopes of Haleakala, the largest of Maui’s two volcanoes.

I wanted to arrive at Hali’imaile General Store a good half-hour before hungry droves of sightseeing tourists started lining up at the door. The climb up to Hali’imaile was a good one, despite the sweat dripping off my nose and down my back. I kept stealing quick glances over my shoulder to take in the beautiful spread of turquoise waters and ragged hills that make up the North Shore. Drivers headed for Hali’imaile should give themselves enough time to stop and snap a photo or just enjoy the view.

Hali’imaile General Store is not actually a general store. To put it modestly, the restaurant is a golden egg among Hawaiian cuisine. Chef and owner Beverly Gannon and her husband opened the restaurant in 1988 without any previous restaurant experience. She now boasts several acclaimed awards including a nomination for the James Beard award for Best Chef in northwest Hawaii. The Store is also ranked as one of Gourmet’s top ten restaurants and has been mentioned in publications such as Travel and Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Food and Wine Magazine, Bon Appetite, Gourmet, and National Geographic Traveler. More on Hali’imaile, the General Store That is Really a Restaurant

I’m not much of a business traveler. Even when business demands travel, I’m still a strict pleasure seeker. Sometimes the hotel is the destination itself (Vegas!), but when I booked a room at Seattle’s Hotel Max, the hotel wasn’t the point - in hindsight, it’s what I recall the best.

If you’re like me, and can find sex appeal in the mere act of walking into a hotel, take a few deep breaths before entering the provocative Hotel Max. It’s an art gallery with a come-hither stare. It’s minimalist - with maximum suggestiveness. It’s masculine and feminine all wrapped up together, enticing to anyone who isn’t offended by a little sexy whisper in the ear.

A few moments at the glossy red check-in counter and I knew Hotel Max - a child of the ultra-cool Provenance Hotel collection - had an identity, and was sticking to it. The staff was coy about the long-haired mega-rockers I recognized in the lobby. I couldn’t get confirmation or denial of their identity, though I knew full well who they were. And the “don’t tell” approach wasn’t peppered with snickers, winks, or other confirming non-verbal cues, it was handled with admirable grace. I was impressed with the professionalism already; an impression that didn’t waver through my short, action-packed visit.

The elevator doors opened and I was stunned by dueling black and white door-sized photos of Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain. Love is bent over her guitar with a mash of blond locks obscuring her face, and Cobain is angling slightly away from the camera, but together, you spot their identity instantly. The photos, presumably taken at different live shows, are smartly placed in a face-off, where the torrid couple plays to, for, and in spite of each other. The door to every room on this level is done top-to-bottom with the gorgeous, blown-up black and white photography of rock photog Charles Peterson. Further investigation revealed each floor reflects the work of one single photographer (different on each level), and all photos are black and white, life-sized or larger. More on The (Hotel) Max Factor

A three-tiered silver tray with champagne grapes, petit fours, and chocolate-dipped strawberries wrapped in cellophane, tied with the hotel’s gold and black monogrammed ribbon welcomes you to your suite. A card addressed to you wishes you an enjoyable stay, personally signed by this floor’s housekeeping staff.

This could be the suite where Celine Dion, Mikhail Gorbachev, Elton John, Sophia Loren, Don Johnson, Bill Cosby, or Dolly Parton stayed. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip stayed on this floor in 1990. Chosen to host Olympic VIPs during the XV Olympic Winter Games in 1988, the Fairmont Palliser in Calgary is among the city’s oldest and most luxurious hotels.

Built almost a century ago, it is the oldest downtown hotel. In the 1970s and 80s, millions of dollars were spent restoring the hotel to its original splendor. If you appreciate Renaissance Revival style, be sure to stroll through the lobby, lower level guest rooms and other public areas.

Rimrock, the hotel’s fine restaurant, boasts an old fireplace the architecture of which can rarely be found elsewhere today. In fact, couples holding engagement or wedding parties hold photo shoots by this fireplace. Even those who marry at City Hall come here for pictures after their civil ceremonies, according to General Manager Brigitte Fritz. More on Royal Pampering at Fairmont Palliser in Calgary

I must admit, when my mother came to me asking if I’d like to backpack around Italy with her and my sister I got a swell of nervous energy. My mind ping-ponged around from food to men to wine!

Exotic travels are always exciting when first tossed around in one’s mind, then comes reality: summer heat, lugging around a backpack, dealing with my mom’s pre-menopausal neurosis’ and my sisters mood swings… I calmed my mind and agreed to the adventure, because how often does a 26-year-old single woman get offered a free plane ticket out of the country?

Our first stop was Lake Como in Cadenabbia, Italy. George Clooney lives there, you know? But no George Clooney was to be found, unless you consider a hairy-chested, rotund man named Giuseppe to be Clooney-like. We encountered many Giuseppe-type characters as we stepped off the plane and onto the bus.

Yes, it was our first day and we were anxious to arrive in The Como of the lake. As we made our way around the highway into Lake Como we were told that we would need to travel about 45-minutes further, out of the city, into one of the smaller towns to find our hostel.

The bus took us onto a tiny road and as each tiny corner approached I felt my stomach climb to my throat. It wasn’t just the fact that the bus driver was traveling on what seemed to be a one way road high above the land and lake below, but also that he was on his cell phone screaming at some person I could only assume was his wife, we shall call her Filomena, because what he was calling her is not appropriate for this article. More on Rescued by La Marianna on Lake Como, Italy

Located in the heart of the bohemian paradise of Bellavista, the ten-room Hotel Del Patio is a hip, boutique alternative to Santiago’s larger hotel chains.

Though surrounded by the breathtaking Andes with their vertiginously snowy peaks, and ambling along the trickle of water known as the Mapocho River, Santiago does not have the charms or character, say, of other South American cities like Buenos Aires or Cusco. It is not as messy or chaotic or friendly. At times, it even feels just like being in Denver. Most people simply use it as a quick jumping off point to Chile’s other points of interest. But Santiago has a lot to offer the patient traveler, and now there is a wonderful new hotel to stay in while exploring this most underrated of South American metropolises.

Hotel options in Santiago can seem dry and charmless, until one comes across the delightful Hotel Del Patio in the bustling, sociable Barrio Bellavista—onetime home to poet and communist Pablo Neruda and much of Santiago’s artistic community. Think of it as the Montmartre of Santiago, nestled into the wooded slopes of Cerro San Cristobal, its quaint streets lined with vendors and cafes where the young people of the city gather in the evenings to share drinks, cigarettes, and friendly discussion. More on View the Andes from Chile’s Hip Hotel Del Patio

Just 45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta, on the still unspoiled coastline of the state of Nayarit, lies a small surf town that’s soon to be on everyone’s list.

San Francisco, affectionately known as “San Pancho” to locals, is a true Mexican pueblo complete with mules toting goods and people, including fishermen, hard at work.

Nestled among the hills of this coastal town, the Café del Mar is an exciting find among otherwise distinctly Mexican tastes. Winding your way through this newly revitalized fishing village, you wouldn’t expect what lies at the top of the hill. A terraced patio, hanging lanterns; tropical plants and birds galore; an eclectic soundtrack; and incredible sunsets in the distance all adorn this already fabulous restaurant known in the area for its daily fish and sashimi specials.

Described as “cocina tropical” by the owners, be prepared to experience new tastes and creative presentations from the outdoor kitchen of Eugene Ong, a chef who believes in the artistic value of each plate. More on Café del Mar, San Pancho: Off the Beaten Track and Worth the Effort

Up until recently, trips to Kings Cross have been for business rather than pleasure, with commuters doing little more than changing from one line to another. However, now that the St. Pancras International terminal has been revamped and christened with the arrival of the first Eurostar train, this looks set to change.

St. Pancras will not only be a key destination for the Eurostar and high-speed rail in the UK, but also a haven of chic shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. By early next year, the station will be home to branches of La Senza, Marks & Spencer, Hamleys, LK Bennett, Yo Sushi, Foyles and many more.

Prestigious British catering company, Searcy’s, are involved with many of the new venues opening at the station. Project Director, John Nugent, described their involvement as “the project of a lifetime” and explained that being involved from the outset has enabled them to deliver “a service that is both bespoke and beyond compromise.”

Searcy’s – who already have bars and restaurants at the Royal Opera House, The Barbican and The National Portrait Gallery - will be opening a restaurant, bar and private dining room at platform level in Spring 2008. Fortunately, their Champagne Bar – adjacent to Eurostar Track Five – is already open for business, having been unveiled on November 14th and officially launched with a party hosted by GQ Magazine.

At 96 meters long, it is Europe’s longest champagne bar - complete with a breathtaking view of the entire terminal and it’s historic vaulted ceilings. The bar itself is an illuminated cube in the middle of the impressive space, while the seating stretches out into the distance on either side. Bar stools, high tables and a dozen leather banquettes provide seating for 110, and there is plenty of standing room too. More on The Champagne Bar, St. Pancras International

Consigned to the style of a fast vanishing world - at least around Britain’s most self-conscious cities - lager and flock wallpaper curry houses have given way to a new wave. Rasoi Vineet Bhatia, in the heart of London’s Chelsea area, is literally a step into that new era.

Rasoi meaning ‘kitchen’ and Vineet Bhatia meaning ‘fabulous, award-winning, bravura cook’. Vineet Bhatia is the chef who won Zaika the first Michelin star ever for an Indian restaurant, and now he’s opened this intimate, charming, upmarket restaurant off London’s uber-cool King’s Road.

In last year’s Egon Ronay Guide, Rasoi Vineet Bhatia was ranked as one of the seven best restaurants in London; and just sitting down and taking in the splendor of the ultra-exclusive restaurant gives you a sense why. The restaurant’s interior design is striking, with walls resembling a cross between an old African castle and a 1920’s Indian rickshaw: mysterious African masks, and splashes of colorful Indian saris and artwork (which we are told are all hand made by Mr. Bhatia’s extremely creative wife). More on Rasoi Vineet Bhatia Joins London’s Magic Seven