Just west of Strasbourg, this modern deluxe hotel de charme is conveniently located for visiting villages on the wine route. Rooms are spacious, offer all the basic amenities plus a few extras, and the common areas are open and bright. A small landscaped garden sits behind the hotel, and the spa area includes a heated indoor pool with massage jets. Wi-Fi,...

Fairplay bills itself as the trout fishing capital of Colorado. The South Platte River, streams, and reservoirs around Fairplay are well known to Colorado fishing folk. If you’re interested in a day of guided fishing in this state, check out Colorado Trout Hunters located in Morrison, CO. A license is required to fish in Colorado streams and rivers.

You can play golf where dinosaurs roamed 64 million years ago. Fossil Trace, ranked among the best golf courses in the Denver area, delivers unusual opportunities for golfers of any level. The Jim Engh design incorporates part of an old quarry where you’ll see the remnants of old clay mining equipment. Fossils of plants and Triceratops footprints are visible near...

Guanella Pass Scenic and Historic Byway (Guanella Pass Rd/Co Rd 381) goes 23 miles from the Georgetown, an historic silver mining town, over the mountain to the town of Grant on US 285. The road follows an old wagon route, so expect lots of tight curves and steep drop-offs from the edge of the road. The road climbs to 11,700...

No posh or glitter, just a relaxed vibe coming from friends and families who flock to Winter Park Resort. The resort, which has been owned by the City of Denver for over 50 years, is in the Rockies approximately 70 miles from the city. The ride alone, when the weather is good, is worth the trip. Skiing “The Park” is...

This forbidding-looking Georgian mansion lies in 20 acres of formal gardens and attractive woodlands where deer graze and the crash of waves along beautiful sandy beaches is not far away. The setting makes the hotel a great retreat and inside things are very comfortable too. The relaxing public rooms are hung with local art and a great gym and spa...

This slick hotel in a baronial-style mansion on the banks of Loch Lomond doesn’t seem to loose character for being part of a chain (the DeVere Group) or having furnishings that are more contemporary boutique than antique country-house. Instead the place does manage to reflect the “majestic world of heather-dappled glens and roaring open fires” as its marketing blurb puts...

This superb country-house resort has oodles of time-worn style and staff who excel at warm unpretentious personal service. Everything is five-star and possible leisure activities include shooting, riding, fishing, 4×4 driving and a fantastic spa. But the really big draws here are the adjoining group of world-class golf courses (no handicap required) and Scotland’s finest restaurant (according to Michelin) under...

To properly explore luxury Scotland you’ll need to stay in one of its many top-end hotels. A good number of these trace back to the Victorian Golden Age of tourism, explaining why they’re attached to venerable golf courses. But if you’re after contemporary luxury then you’ll find a growing number of boutique hotels, particularly in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Other ways...

Of Turnberry’s two championship courses it’s the Ailsa Course (6976; Par 70) that’s more famous. Numerous world greats have graced this coastal Ayrshire course, doing their best not to be distracted by the beauty of the place. With eponymous granite monolith Ailsa Craig and the isle of Arran on horizon, and with the dramatic Turnberry Lighthouse in the foreground, it...

This is Thailand’s premier luxury resort, and one of the top stays in all Asia. More reminiscent of an upscale African safari experience, the Four Seasons Tented Camp is hidden in the jungle of the Golden Triangle, along a branch of the Mekong River just next to Laos and Myanmar. Guests arrive by the hotel boat, and accommodations are in...

Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay in Bali pioneered the concept of ultimate luxury and  privacy in a self contained, walled villa with private gardens and individual plunge pools and has just launched its fully renovated Premier Ocean Villas and Family Premier Villas. Romantic couples, honeymooners and singles, as well as families, enjoy the opulence of over 3,000 sq. feet of indoor and outdoor...

Pricing starts from and average of Rp5,771,250++ (USD434++)/night for a suite and Rp11,340,000++ (USD853++)/night for a one bedroom villa. (++ indicates an additional 21% government tax and service charge) Walking across a wooden footbridge, past a “floating” lotus pond and down a sweeping wooden staircase to the lobby and restaurant of Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, one is immediately...

Cost: Accommodation prices start from around Rp1,900,000 (USD142)/room  per night but can be less or more depending on availability.  Spa prices start at Rp80,000 (USD6)/person for in-house guests and Rp110,000(USD8) for outside guests, for a half day spa. Built into the side of the hill overlooking the place where the Sungai Wos and Campuan rivers become one, this legendary hotel...

This impressive Scottish Baronial flight of Victorian fancy is Banff’s greatest landmark. Work on the turrets and cornices and the thick nine-story granite walls below began in 1888, but things were massively rebuilt in the 1920s. All this resulted in a labyrinthine pile that both celebrates the bygone days of the genteel travel and somehow mirrors, maybe even enhances, the...

This imposing landmark hotel – whose interior is a bizarre fusion of alpine and neo-colonial furnishings – is famous above all for its commanding views over Lake Louise from its 511 suites. Rates are reduced significantly outside of holidays and weekends and in the off-season (Oct–Dec), and good value ski packages are offered too. The hotel’s battery of five-star facilities...

Trails start and wildlife graze in the secluded woods around this low rise collection of wood-clad condos and chalets on Tunnel Mountain. Accommodation choices vary widely but basically divide into stand-alone chalets and suites which sleep up to ten, making it an excellent choice for families and groups. All units have a kitchen and lounge with fireplace as well as...

A short walk from the Lake Louise Village mall, the venerable Post Hotel has a wide variety of room types – hotel rooms to one-bedroom condos, lofts and chalets – all have a contemporary rustic feel, and many have a whirlpool and fireplace. Rates vary according to the view. Amenities include an indoor pool, steam room, library and a complimentary...

No big surprise in a college town, there may be more bicycles in Boulder than cars. But, look at the ages of people riding bikes and you’ll see that many are adults heading to work or for an after-work spin. Bicycles are a great way to get around town and to experience the area. Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks....

The National Center for Atmospheric Research is a non-governmental entity that collaborates with universities and institutions in the areas of weather and earth sciences. I. M.Pei designed the fabulous Mesa Laboratory, building, located 600 feet above the city. Tours daily at noon. You can see their supercomputers and learn about global warming, weather patterns, weather satellites, see a simulated tornado...