BEACH
WHERE Grand Cayman
WHY The Ritz-Carlton drafted the equivalent
of the NBA Dream Team for its new Grand Cayman resort, scheduled to debut this month. The
starting lineup: celebrity chef Eric Ripert, opening two restaurants (one formal, one casual);
champion golfer Greg Norman, designing an environmentally sensitive nine-hole course along
a saltwater lagoon; explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau, running an aquatic education program;
and legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, presiding over the courts. As if that weren't
enough, La Prairie was also brought in to create a 20,000-square-foot spa—one of the
largest in the Caribbean—featuring treatments inspired by the tropical setting.
HOW Seven Mile Beach; 800/241-3333 or 345/943-9000; www.ritzcarlton.com;
doubles from $699.
WHERE Mexico
WHY Celebrate three holidays in one aboard the Crystal Serenity.
The special 14-day cruise departs December 21, sailing round-trip from Los Angeles to Mexico's
Pacific coast with stops in Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and La
Paz. The itinerary incorporates a wide range of festivities and adventures—from a Hanukkah
dinner (complete with latkes and matzoh-ball soup) and Christmas-tree lighting, to a zip-line
adventure in the Sierra Madre mountains, to a Bloody Mary brunch on New Year's Day.
HOW 800/804-1500; www.crystalcruises.com; from $6,245 per person, all-inclusive.
WHERE Southern Maine Coast
WHY York Beach is even more atmospheric off-season—its
deserted boardwalks, shuttered arcades, and often misty shores are perfect (albeit chilly)
for walks in the salty air, with only intrepid seagulls for company. Just down the shore,
the historic Cape Neddick lighthouse is at its most photogenic, shrouded in snow; in nearby
Kennebunkport, Santa Claus arrives by lobster boat during the annual Christmas Prelude (December
111). Warm your beachcombing toes before a flagstone fireplace in one of the three
Arts & Craftsstyle Wharf Cottages at the White Barn Inn.
HOW 37 Beach Ave., Kennebunkport; 207/967-2321; whitebarninn.com;
cottages from $525.
WHERE Paradise Island
WHY Watching movies from a beach chair just might be the perfect antidote to the
winter blues. Designed for cinéastes and snowbirds alike, the Bahamas International
Film Festival (December 811) showcases more than 50 films from around the world,
including features, shorts, and documentaries, with a special category for Caribbean productions.
Screenings of films such as the underwater documentary Deep Blue and Turtles
Can Fly, an Iraqi war drama, take place not only in theaters but also, after sunset,
on the sand. Plus, director Spike Lee will be in attendance as this year's honoree for career
achievement.
HOW www.bintlfilmfest.com. Atlantis, Paradise Island Resort, 888/528-7155 or 242/363-3000;
www.atlantis.com; doubles from $270.
WHERE Ambergris Cay, Belize
WHY Get away from it all at Azul, a secluded, two-villa beach resort
opened this year by a pair of expats from San Francisco. Located six miles north of San Pedro
on one of the island's most idyllic stretches of sand, the property's meticulously crafted
open-plan villas combine modern perks (plasma TV's, Viking kitchens) with rustic design elements
(bamboo railings, cabinets carved from ziricote wood). Take a dip in the rooftop hot tub overlooking
the jungle and use the old-school walkie-talkies to summon frozen mojitos from Rojo Lounge,
Azul's beach bar.
HOW North Beach, San Pedro, Ambergris Cay; 011-501/226-4012;
www.azulbelize.com; doubles from $695.
MOUNTAIN
WHERE Swiss Alps
WHY To experience off-piste glacier slopes without the crowds, spend the night on
the mountainside at Whitepod, five geodesic domes high above the town of
Villars, just east of Lake Geneva. Although the tents have no running water or electricity,
they're the height of eco-chic, with wood-burning stoves, high-tech insulation, organic linens,
and iPods. Campers can join expert mountain guides on excursions—ice climbing, skiing—or
stop by the 19th-century alpine chalet, where the resident chef prepares a fondue dinner.
HOW 41-79/744-6219; www.whitepod.com;
doubles from $330 (two-night minimum).
WHERE Aspen
WHY There's nothing like making fresh tracks down a mountain—and with the opening
of the Deep Temerity lift at Aspen Highlands, skiers now have 180 previously
untouched acres to play on. The new terrain is expert only, but neophytes are not to worry:
the mountain still offers 465 acres of beginner and intermediate runs and, perhaps most important,
the best après-ski scene in the state. Little Nell's high-wattage Bar and Living Room
were recently redesigned by David Easton, who added even more space for snow bunnies to see
and be seen.
HOW www.aspensnowmass.com. The Little Nell, 675 E. Durant Ave.; 800/843-6355; www.thelittlenell.com;
doubles from $270.
WHERE Italian Dolomites
WHY Set to open this January, Matteo Thun's modern 15-acre steel-and-glass Merano
Thermal Baths, 200 miles from Milan, will have sulfur-infused pools, saunas, and
steam rooms, all fed by deep thermal waters. Natural therapies will be offered in the 30 treatment
rooms, surrounded by bonsai-perfect gardens. A hotel, also designed by Thun, is scheduled
for completion this spring. In the meantime, stay at Thun's nearby Pergola Residence.
HOW Piazza Terme, Merano; 39-0473/252-000; www.termemerano.it; treatments
from $73. Pergola Residence, 40 Via San Cassiano, Merano; 39-0473/201-435; www.pergola-residence.it; doubles from $186.
WHERE Dubai
WHY A new indoor resort located in the Mall of the Emirates is bringing a bit of
Telluride to the Middle East. Ski Dubai has five snowy slopes (including
an indoor black diamond) and covers an area equivalent to three football fields. Downhillers
can rent all the necessary equipment to enjoy a day on the "mountain." After a snowboarding
lesson, grab a cup of hot chocolate at the Avalanche Café. Ready to defrost? Five minutes
away and 50 degrees warmer is the wave-shaped Jumeirah Beach Hotel.
HOW Sheikh Zayed Rd.; 971-4/340- 3392; www.skidubai.ae. Jumeirah Beach Hotel,
Jumeirah Beach Rd.; 800/223-6800 or 971-4/348-0000; www.jumeirahbeachhotel.com; doubles from
$600.
WHERE Washington State
WHY Cross-country skiing's popularity is soaring, especially in Methow Valley,
a group of secluded alpine hamlets in the upper Cascade Range, four hours north of Seattle.
Over a hundred miles of groomed trails make this one of the largest (as well as most scenic)
Nordic systems in the country. The Rendezvous circuit, which gives way to vistas of the glacier-carved
lowland and granite peaks beyond, has a string of rustic lodges, perfectly suited for inn-to-inn
touring. (Leave the luggage behind: it will be awaiting your arrival at the next stop.)
HOW 509/996-3287; www.mvsta.com; day passes from $18. Sun Mountain Lodge,
604 Patterson Lake Rd., Winthrop; 800/572-0493; www.sunmountainlodge.com; doubles from $150.
FOOD
WHERE Queenstown, New Zealand
WHY It's summer in New Zealand and food lovers can study the art of cooking Aotearoa
style at Punatapu, an exclusive, five-suite lodge with its own culinary school
beside Lake Wakatipu. Chef Jenny Stewart is on hand to teach in the Whareumu, a glass-sided
kitchen equipped with a wood-fired oven, teppanyaki plates, and wok-burners. A typical day
starts with an invigorating power walk on the property; afterward, guests forage for wild
produce before creating the ultimate organic meal. Also on tap: visits to nearby olive groves,
orchards, and wineries.
HOW Glenorchy Rd.; 64-3/442-6624; www.punatapu.com; doubles from $563, all-inclusive;
cooking classes $88 per person per day.
WHERE Park City, Utah
WHY Forget the one-horse open sleigh. A Sno-Cat takes adventurous types up the slopes
above Park City Mountain Resort for an intimate dinner at 8,725 feet in a
candlelit, rustic yurt. Start with a glass of wine on the heated terrace under star-filled
skies before heading inside for a meal worthy of a mountain man: creamy butternut-squash soup,
prime rib au jus, and bread pudding filled with cherries.
HOW 800/222-7275; www.parkcitymountain.com; doubles from $100; dinner $125 per person.
WHERE Healdsburg, California
WHY The French Laundry has some new competition. Cyrus, run by chef
Douglas Keane and maître d' Nick Peyton (the team behind St. Helena's popular Market
restaurant), serves up innovative dishes such as Thai marinated lobster with fresh hearts
of palm and bourbon-glazed pork belly. It's the little details, though, that have won over
diners—a champagne-and-caviar cart, on which roe is weighed against a gold bar, is rolled
out to greet you upon arrival, and a small box of handmade bonbons is bestowed with the check,
a sweet forget-me-not to bring back to the adjacent Les Mars Hôtel, modeled after an
18th-century château.
HOW 29 North St.; 707/433-3311; dinner for two $116. Les Mars
Hôtel, 27 North St.; 877/431-1700 or 707/433-4211; www.lesmarshotel.com; doubles from
$495.
WHERE Milan
WHY Recently designated the hotel of the Teatro alla Scala, the Carlton Hotel
Baglioni offers the exclusive chance to dine at the hotel's Baretto al Baglioni with
the famed players of the Orchestra Filarmonica. Before dinner, you'll be driven via limo to
the recently restored La Scala, where a guide takes you on a tour of the rarely visited backstage.
The ensemble then performs a private concert led by one of the company's guest conductors.
The evening continues back at the hotel, where you'll rub shoulders with the musicians over
risotto con osso buco or cotaletta alla milanese.
HOW 5 Via Senato; 39-02/77077; www.baglionihotels.com;
doubles $1,425 (two-night minimum), including dinner, tour, and performance.
WHERE Chicago
WHY Skip the traditional turkey and stuffing and celebrate Nochebuena Latin-style
at Nacional 27, Second City's ceviche bar and salsa club. Chef Randy Zweiban
expertly prepares dishes from the 27 countries in Latin America; for his Cuban-inspired Christmas
Eve feast, he pairs inventive mojitos with bacalao fritters, spiny-lobster empanadas,
banana leafwrapped suckling pig, moros y cristianos (black beans and rice), and pumpkin
flan. Sleep off the meal at Amalfi, a small, amenity-rich hotel within walking distance of
both the restaurant and the Magnificent Mile.
HOW 325 W. Huron St.; 312/664-2727; dinner for two $98. Amalfi, 20 W. Kinzie
St.; 877/262-5341 or 312/395-9000; www.amalfihotelchicago.com;
doubles from $229.
CULTURE
WHERE Vienna
WHY The city in which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart spent the last 10 years of his life
commemorates his 250th birthday with music, music, and more music. Mozart 2006 kicks off on
January 8, when tenor Plácido Domingo leads an all-star cast in an inaugural concert
at the Theater an der Wien. The venerable Vienna State Opera follows up with four Mozart masterworks
including The Marriage of Figaro (January 2328). A more intimate perspective
on the composer can be found at the Mozarthaus Vienna, a museum dedicated to his life and
art that's opening January 27.
HOW www.wienmozart2006.at. Grand
Hotel Wien, 9 Kärntner Ring; 43-1/515-800; www.grandhotelwien.com; doubles from $298.
WHERE Los Angeles
WHY In February, Annette Bening takes on the role of Madame Ranyevskaya, the matriarch
of an aristocratic Russian family who struggles to hold on to a debt-ridden ancestral estate,
in The Cherry Orchard (Feb. 12March 19) at the Mark Taper Forum.
Sean Mathias, who revived The Elephant Man on Broadway, stages Chekhov's drama about
the fragility of human nature in the face of change. For more celebrity sightings, call it
a night at the Hollywood Roosevelt.
How 213/628-2772; www.centertheatregroup.org. Hollywood Roosevelt,
7000 Hollywood Blvd.; 800/950-7667; www.hollywoodroosevelt.com; doubles from $139.
WHERE Cologne, Germany
WHY The Old Town glows during the holidays, when the Christmas Market
encircles a 66-foot tree, dwarfed only by the 13th-century cathedral. Warm up with hot mulled
wine, then wander into the new Peter Zumthordesigned Kolumba museum, where the ancient meets
the modern: crucifixes and reliquaries share space with the works of Bauhaus designer and
painter Andor Weininger.
HOW www.stadt-koeln.de. InterContinental Cologne, 1 Pipinstrasse; 888/ 303-1758; www.ichotelsgroup.com=;
doubles from $161.
WHERE Philadelphia
WHY Benjamin Franklin turns the big 3-0-0 on January 17, sending
a jolt of electricity throughout the city. The yearlong celebration begins with "Benjamin
Franklin: In Search of a Better World" at the National Constitution Center, an exhibition
of more than 250 artifacts—from the polymath's chess set to re-creations of his most
famous experiments (Dec. 15April 30). Then, on January 1, the Franklin Institute Science
Museum raises the curtain on "Sparks!", an interactive show complete with real lightning bolts.
How 215/557-0733; www.benfranklin300.org; Rittenhouse Hotel, 210 W. Rittenhouse
Square; 800/635-1042 or 215/546-9000; www.rittenhousehotel.com; doubles from $265.
WHERE London
WHY If theatrical snowflakes tickle your fancy but the Nutcracker isn't the
answer, get a ticket to Matthew Bourne's staged rendition of Edward Scissorhands, playing
at the Sadler's Wells Theatre (Nov. 22Feb. 5). The British choreographer
re-interprets Tim Burton's Gothic film as a ballet, creating a dark winter fantasy as the
oddball hero (with scissors for hands and pure innocence for a heart) shears shrubs, hairdos,
and blocks of ice into fantastical objets d'art.
How Rosebery Ave.; 44-207/863-8198; www.sadlerswells.com. Malmaison London,
Charterhouse Square; 44-207/012-3700; www.malmaisonlondon.com; doubles from $340.
Written by Aaron Barker, Jennifer V. Cole, Amy Farley, Hillary Geronemus, Robert Greskovic, Jaime Gross, Darrell Hartman, Farhad Heydari, Amanda Jones, Xander Kaplan, Julia Klein, Peter Jon Lindberg, Francine Maroukian, Mario Mercado, Clark Mitchell, and Clara Ogden.
