The makers of Louis XIII cognac have opened their elusive doors to the public, offering visitors access to the Rémy Martin private estate and cellar in the Cognac region of France. The 10-hour Louis XIII Experience, which includes tastings and a visit to the resting oak barrels that house the …

Sasso by the Sea is a new beachfront property in the tiny town of Marmorata, Italy, along the Amalfi Coast, that provides exclusive beach amenities such as a restaurant, relaxation rooms, swimming pool, and private terraces with lounge beds cut directly into the side of the cliff walls. The beachfront …

This modern Montreal gem has won several highly coveted hospitality awards; It was listed under “Where to Stay" in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2009 Canada Now! Issue, and was named one of 2008’s "Top Business Hotels" by Fortune Magazine. Luckily, OPUS manages to live up to these accolades, and the expectations of a youthful but discerning clientele. Located on the prime corner of Sherbrooke and St Laurent, near the trendy Latin Quarter, the luxurious 136-room OPUS features a sleek wood and marble lobby, along with colorful, minimalist guestrooms that boast sweeping city or garden views, flat screen LCD TVs, Egyptian linens and down-filled duvets. Upscale extras like a spacious lobby lounge—outfitted with mod white leather chairs and an espresso machine—allow guests to mingle, relax, or check their email (free Wi-Fi is available). And while most hotels quiet down at night, OPUS draws a trendy, well-heeled crowd to its gorgeous, Asian-themed KOKO restaurant and bi-level SUKO nightclub. If you happen to be a guest who prefers not to party in Montreal, the hotel graciously offers complementary earplugs—a cheeky touch.—Alexis Korman

Fun Facts: OPUS Montreal features a spacious 24/7 gym complete with a trainer, along with complimentary continental breakfasts.

OPUS Hotel

www.opushotel.com
10 Sherbrooke Ouest
Montréal, QC H2X 4C9, Canada
(514) 843-6000

At the new Eau Spa at the Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach, you will find something called a MENu, which, instead of listing low-calorie appetizers and entrées, offers icebreakers—questions intended to promote conversation between you and fellow guests. "What is the best sports comeback of all time?" reads one entry. "If you …

Some 450 miles east of Château Cheval Blanc, the Saint-Émilion producer of one of France’s most celebrated wines, is Bernard Arnault’s other Cheval Blanc. Arnault, chairman of LVMH and France’s richest citizen, opened the latter property—a 34-room ski-in/ski-out chalet—in 2006 as his mountaintop palace, a winter retreat in his favorite …

Amid the unspoiled wilderness of Botswana’s vast Okavango Delta, on a roughly 62,000-acre parcel of land, in September 2008 &Beyond (formerly CC Africa) opened Xaranna Tented Camp, a safari camp that immerses you in nature without asking you to sacrifice any comforts, including private plunge pools. Xaranna’s nine spacious tented …

The Little Nell, the only ski-in/ski-out property on Aspen Mountain, is getting a makeover. When the hotel reopens in December, it will do so with freshly appointed rooms designed by Holly Hunt. Along with such expected amenities as down comforters and fireplaces, all 92 rooms will be outfitted with a …

The pavilion-style villas on the windward side of Qualia—a 30-acre resort on Hamilton Island, off the coast of Queensland—are surrounded by eucalyptus trees and offer private 9-foot-deep plunge pools and egg-shaped soaking tubs that overlook the Whitsunday Islands. Those on the leeward side (Qualia’s owner is an avid yachtsman) feature …

On a hill next to the Clos Apalta vineyards and winery, the Lapostolle Residence consists of four opulent casitas that are so private you can sunbathe nude on your terrace while gazing at the nearby vines and valley. The residence’s dining room serves gourmet meals paired with Lapostolle’s acclaimed Clos …

When Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress was exiled at the height of South Africa’s decades-long apartheid struggle, the leader accepted an offer of shelter from insurance tycoon Douw Steyn—long before it was acceptable for a white person to make such an offer. Decades later, Mandela still lives part-time at Steyn’s …