Diamant Hotel, Canberra

As Australia’s capital, Canberra has plenty of clout, but it has never been known for style. The recently opened Diamant adds much-needed panache to the town’s formerly fusty accommodation options. Its Art Deco shell has been dressed up with contemporary panes of glass and zinc; the 80 rooms are quirky and eclectic—riotous wallpaper on the ceilings, mother-of-pearl bathroom tiles—and include 21st-century amenities, like Bang & Olufsen plasma TV’s. In the Parlour Wine Room, you can mingle with the local power brokers who are making this scene their own.