Four Seasons Hotel, Buenos Aires

This Buenos Aires landmark—situated smack dab in Recoleta, the city's most exclusive shopping barrio—occupies a modern 13-story tower and a handsome Belle Epoque mansion, connected by immaculately landscaped gardens. Each room reflects the era of the building that houses it: the 161 tower rooms are bright, airy, and understated, with bursts of color (red flowers, orange throw pillows), texture (plaid curtains, print chairs), and sheen (Italian marble in the expansive bathrooms); the seven sprawling Mansion suites embody 19th-century French opulence (glass chandeliers, floral rugs, gilded mirrors, and original antique tea sets). The in-house spa is constantly updating its menu of treatments (up now: Luz del Mediterraneo, which incorporates warm candle wax). And so is the Mistral restaurant: in 2010 the hotel launched an organic garden and the new head chef now seasons his succulent cuts of Kobe beef with farm-fresh herbs and spices.