The St. Regis Singapore is the first major luxury hotel to be built in this tiny island nation in 10 years.

It took the Rosso family, the owners of several small, exclusive hotels in Italy, several years to convince Milan’s city government to approve their plans to develop the Town House Galleria. Beyond the usual difficulty in getting past one of Italy’s labyrinthine bureaucracies, the boutique property required special consideration because of its proposed location: inside one of Milan’s most famous landmarks, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a massive, architecturally stunning indoor arcade compl

Visitors arrive at the Peninsula Tokyo in green Rolls-Royce Phantoms, the Hong Kong–based hotel group’s signature cars. Managers then usher their guests into the hotel’s cavernous lobby, where Japanese businessmen from the neighboring Marunouchi financial district and women in high heels drink cocktails beneath a transfixing concave light fixture that sparkles with 1,313 bulbs.

Apreamare’s new 82 Maestro combines the nautical heritage of the 150-year-old shipyard with a modern Italian interior. Unveiled at the Cannes boat show in September, the Italian shipyard maintained a classic-looking, expedition-style exterior while inside it’s designed with a surprising sense of openness achieved with details such as a picture window in the master suite and sleek, off-white furnishings.

Depending on engine choice, the blue-water hull can deliver a top end of 31 knots and cruising range of 400 nautical miles. It’s a yacht that is designed for ocean running but is faster than many other explorer yachts in its class.  In addition to spacious interiors, the designers also maximized the exterior three decks: The bridge has three lounges, sun platform, Jacuzzi, and wet bar, while the teak-laden cockpit area below is a good spot for al fresco dining. The new Maestro series will include 51 and 65 models. (www.apreamare.it)

—Michael Verdon