WHERE TO STAY
I told you when to go. Now, where to stay.
A curated list of hotels worldwide — book on Booking.com
21 curated hotels
Paris, France
A small hotel in a 19th-century mansion on Avenue Gabriel, near the Champs-Élysées, with views toward the Eiffel Tower from some rooms.
Insider tip: Book well ahead: it has only a few dozen rooms and suites.
Book on Booking.comView Paris guideMilan, Italy
A hotel in a former 16th-century seminary on Corso Venezia, in the fashion district, built around a large public piazza.
Insider tip: The courtyard piazza is open to the public, so you can see it before you decide to stay.
Book on Booking.comView Milan guideAmsterdam, Netherlands
A hotel spread across 25 connected 17th- and 18th-century canal houses between the Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht.
Insider tip: Ask for a room facing the canal rather than the inner garden if the view matters to you.
Book on Booking.comView Amsterdam guideMadrid, Spain
A hotel on Paseo de la Castellana in Salamanca, reopened by Rosewood in 2021 after a full renovation. Close to Serrano and the Prado.
Insider tip: Its restaurant, Amós, is run by chef Jesús Sánchez and serves Cantabrian food.
Book on Booking.comView Madrid guideLisbon, Portugal
A small adults-only hotel (16+) in Alfama with a brick-red rooftop pool over the Tagus. The terrace bar is open to non-guests.
Insider tip: Swim in the morning. Cruise ships can block the river view until early evening.
Book on Booking.comView Lisbon guideIstanbul, Turkey
A hotel and members' club in the 19th-century Palazzo Corpi in Beyoğlu, with a rooftop pool and a hammam in the spa. Hotel rooms are open to non-members.
Insider tip: It's a short walk from Şişhane metro and from Galata, so you can skip taxis in Beyoğlu.
Book on Booking.comView Istanbul guideBali, Indonesia
A cliffside resort near Uluwatu built largely from reclaimed wood and bamboo, with two pools and ocean views. Padang Padang Beach is a minute's drive.
Insider tip: Dugong, the restaurant, faces west. Book a table for sunset.
Book on Booking.comView Bali guideKyoto, Japan
A hotel in Higashiyama built around Shakusui-en, a centuries-old pond garden, on the quiet side of the city near Sanjūsangen-dō.
Insider tip: The garden is the reason to stay. Walk it before breakfast.
Book on Booking.comView Kyoto guideTokyo, Japan
A ryokan-style hotel in a tower in Otemachi, with a hot-spring bath on the top floor. You take your shoes off at the entrance, like in a traditional inn.
Insider tip: Tokyo Station is a short walk, so it's easy for Shinkansen days.
Book on Booking.comView Tokyo guideBangkok, Thailand
A riverside hotel on the Chao Phraya in Dusit, the old royal quarter, away from the busy hotel strip downtown. It has its own boat to central Bangkok.
Insider tip: Go to the Grand Palace by boat at opening time, before the tour buses.
Book on Booking.comView Bangkok guideKuala Lumpur, Malaysia
A hotel in the Golden Triangle with a 25-meter infinity pool cantilevered off the building on the sixth floor, looking toward the Petronas Towers.
Insider tip: KLCC Park is a short walk. Go at 7am, before the heat.
Book on Booking.comView Kuala Lumpur guideHo Chi Minh City, Vietnam
A colonial-style hotel on Lam Sơn Square, next to the Opera House in District 1. Most sights are walkable from here.
Insider tip: Walk to Bến Thành Market at opening time, before it fills.
Book on Booking.comView Ho Chi Minh City guideDubai, United Arab Emirates
A low-rise resort on the West Crescent of Palm Jumeirah, with a private beach and views back to the Dubai Marina skyline.
Insider tip: Ask for a beach-facing room. The Marina skyline view is at its best at night.
Book on Booking.comView Dubai guideMexico City, Mexico
A 17-room hotel in a colonial building on Isabel la Católica in the Centro Histórico, with a concrete rooftop pool over the old town's domes.
Insider tip: Walk to the Zócalo early, before the street vendors set up.
Book on Booking.comView Mexico City guideCartagena, Colombia
A hotel in three connected colonial houses inside the walled city, built around a courtyard pool next to a 300-year-old aqueduct.
Insider tip: Alma, the hotel restaurant, is known for its cocktails and ceviche.
Book on Booking.comView Cartagena guideMiami, United States
A beachfront hotel on Collins Avenue in South Beach with three pools and an Asian-inspired courtyard.
Insider tip: Use the pools early. Afternoons are busier.
Book on Booking.comView Miami guideNew York City, United States
A hotel on Madison Avenue at 77th Street on the Upper East Side, a few blocks from Central Park and the Met.
Insider tip: Walk to the Met at opening time on a weekday.
Book on Booking.comView New York City guideChicago, United States
A hotel just off the Magnificent Mile, with a top-floor spa and pool looking out over the city.
Insider tip: Swim at sunset. The pool's windows face the skyline.
Book on Booking.comView Chicago guideAustin, United States
A 20-room hideaway off South Congress, with suites, bungalows and a heated pool under old live oaks.
Insider tip: The pool is heated, so it works in winter too.
Book on Booking.comView Austin guideLos Angeles, United States
A hotel in Stone Canyon in Bel Air, set in gardens around its own swan lake, away from the noise of the city.
Insider tip: Walk the gardens in the morning, when it's quiet.
Book on Booking.comView Los Angeles guideCape Town, South Africa
A small hotel in an Edwardian mansion in Bantry Bay, on the Atlantic side of Cape Town, with its own art collection and wine gallery.
Insider tip: Watch sunset over the Atlantic from the terrace. It faces west.
Book on Booking.comView Cape Town guide