If you were in Barcelona ten years ago and came back for a visit, you’d never recognize the Raval district. Once populated by squatters, prostitutes and drug dealers, it’s now a trendy, up-and-coming area, and like the neighboring El Born, it is attracting designer boutiques, wine bars and expats buying expensive apartments.

But because El Raval had always been the home of  Barcelona’s “alternative scene”, it still retains a gritty, bohemian character. So I’m not surprised to find a new 186-room design hotel called Hotel Barcelo Raval in the neighborhood that locals and visitors once shunned.

The location is perfect: it is on a beautiful tree-lined street and is within walking distance from El Born, which has a lot of good restaurants, tapas bars and wine bars, especially around the Plaza Santa Maria del Mar. The hotel is close to the Plaza Catalunya and the Boqueria market (which one must not miss). They have a swimming pool and bar on the roof, so if you don’t feel like hanging out on the beach (which is only 20 minutes away), you can sip cocktails and take a plunge while enjoying a 360-degree view of the city.

Hotel Barcelo Raval
Rambla del Raval, 17
Barcelona, Spain
+34 93 320 1491
www.barceloraval.com

Check out our Google map of Barcelona hotels and the map of our favorite Barcelona restaurants.

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Related articles:

Mapplr’s favorite budget-friendly hotels in Barcelona

Mapplr’s favorite restaurants in Barcelona

Mapplr’s favorite hotels in Barcelona

Recent Barcelona favorites: wine bars, tapas and out of town finds

Atmospheric Barcelona Internet cafe: Bornet

There are so many good places to eat in and around Montepulciano, so where to go? Ask the locals, of course. Cinzia Caporali, owner of La Locanda di San Francesco, a boutique hotel in Montepulciano, recommends five places:

Montepulciano

(1) La Grotta: in Cinzia’s opinion, the best in the Montepulciano area for the quality of food and service. It’s perfect for a romantic dinner, but also for business meetings. The menu is based on fresh local products. Excellent wine list (French and Italian wines and champagne). Garden view of San Biagio Cathedral. Tasting menu for approx. 48 EUR per person.

La Grotta
Via Di San Biagio, 15
53045 Montepulciano (SI), Italy
+39 (0)578 757607

(2) Logge del Vignola: Cozy and intimate, less than 20 seats, in the historical center of Montepulciano. Attentive service, extensive wine list, menu based on local products. Tasting menu is between 40-45 EUR per person (cooking classes for small groups of two to four people on request).

Logge del Vignola
Via Delle Erbe, 6
53045 Montepulciano (SI), Italy
+39 (0)578 717290
www.leloggedelvignola.com

(3) Osteria Acquacheta: popular meeting place for the locals in the off-season, famous for the steak (fiorentina alla brace) and for the quirky character of the owner, Giulio. Handmade pasta and bread, and extensive offerings of vegetables as side dishes. The osteria also serves traditional Tuscan dishes that have been “lost” to memory and are very difficult to find elsewhere (for example, cibreo - a dish made of chicken innards and coxcombs). About 40 seats set along two long tables. Average price: 20-25 EUR per person.

Osteria Acquacheta
Via del Teatro, 22
53045 Montepulciano (SI), Italy
+39 (0)578 717 086
www.acquacheta.eu

Monticchiello

(4) La Porta: Family -run restaurant at the gate of the village boasts of a beautiful terrace.

La Porta
Via Del Piano, 3
53026 Monticchiello (SI), Italy
+39 (0)578 755163

Pienza

(5) Latte di Luna: Family -run restaurant with a lovely outdoor space, great “pici” pasta; famous for “maialino al latte”.

Latte di Luna
Via San Carlo, 2
53026 Pienza (SI), Italy
+39 (0)578 748606

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Related articles:

La Locanda di San Francesco: boutique hotel in Montepulciano, Tuscany

Mapplr’s favorite hotels in Florence

Mapplr’s favorite restaurants in Florence

Hotel Una Vittoria: stylish, high-tech wonder in Florence

Floroom: Florence B&B offers a stylish cozy alternative to hotels

Google Maps

Google map of favorite restaurants and hotels in Tuscany (except Florence)

Google map of favorite Florence restaurants

Google map of favorite Florence hotels

If you are planning a trip to Tuscany, check out La Locanda di San Francesco, an intimate (4-room) boutique hotel set in a 14th century palazzo in the historical center of Montepulciano in Tuscany. It is a family-run hotel which has been written about in magazines such as Food & Wine and Condé Nast Traveller. The owner, Cinzia Caporali, can arrange private wine tours and tastings in the family winery, Tenuta Valdipiatta, which makes Nobile di Montepulciano wine. The bistro/wine-bar offers artisan cheeses, salumi, and other simple delicious dishes. You can also buy locally produced olive oil, honey, pasta and other Tuscan foods.

The area around Montepulciano has so much to offer people who love food, wine, nature and history. The atmospheric little town of Pienza, which lies next to Montepulciano, was the birth place of Enea Silvio Piccolomini, later Pope Pius II, who rebuilt the town in Renaissance style and used it as his home away from Rome in the 1400s. Pienza has wonderful small food stores that sell fresh pecorino cheese, which one must consume immediately. You can find pecorino cheese, plain or mixed with truffles, hot red peppers, etc. in Montepulciano as well. Don’t miss the ancient spa towns of Bagno Vignoni and Chianciano Terme, whose thermal waters were once thought to have cured diseases. The hilly area is perfect for long walks, especially after all the eating and drinking that inevitably accompanies a stay in this region.

La Locanda di San Francesco
Piazza San Francesco, 5
53045 Montepulciano
Italy
+39 (0)578 758 725
www.locandasanfrancesco.it

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Related articles about Tuscany:

Mapplr’s favorite restaurants in the Montepulciano area

Mapplr’s favorite hotels in Florence

Mapplr’s favorite restaurants in Florence

Hotel Una Vittoria: stylish, high-tech wonder in Florence

Floroom: Florence B&B offers a stylish cozy alternative to hotels

Google Maps

Google map of favorite restaurants and hotels in Tuscany (except Florence)

Google map of favorite Florence restaurants

Google map of favorite Florence hotels

I love the neighborhood of Saint Germain des in Paris, so I was thrilled to find out that a lovely boutique hotel called the Villa Madame has opened very close to my favorite park, the Jardin du Luxembourg. Located on rue Madame, it is also only minutes away from the church of St. Sulpice and the cool shops on the Rue Bonaparte. The Left Bank remains an atmospheric place to stay in Paris, despite the influx of chain stores. If you are going to Paris, check out my list of favorite boutiques and restaurants.

Villa Madame
44, rue Madame
75006 Paris
France
+33 (0)1 45 48 02 81
www.hotelvillamadameparis.com

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Related articles:

Opulent, romantic hotels in Paris

Mapplr’s favorite hotels in Paris

Mapplr’s favorite restaurants and cafes in Paris

Shopplr’s favorite boutiques in Paris

Google map of Mapplr’s favorite hotels and restaurants in Paris

There’s no reason to stay in a drab, soulless chain hotel when you are visiting Toronto whether for business or pleasure. I’ve put together a list of my favorite hotels that offer much more than the usual bland interior decor that infests many urban hotels. For example, the Gladstone Hotel’s 37 rooms are designed by artists and each one is very different from the other so if you are looking for quirky artistic accommodations, this one is for you. If your taste leans toward the sleek, international style, you may prefer The Cosmopolitan and the Hazelton.

Drake Hotel
1150 Queen St.
Toronto, Canada
+1 416 531 5042
www.thedrakehotel.ca

Cosmopolitan Toronto Hotel
8 Colborne Street
Toronto, Canada
+1 416 945 5455
www.cosmotoronto.com

The Hazelton Hotel
118 Yorkville Avenue
Toronto, Canada
+1 416 963 6300
www.thehazeltonhotel.com

Hotel Le Germain Toronto
30 Mercer St
Toronto, Canada
+1 416 345 9500
www.germaintoronto.com

The Gladstone Hotel
1214 Queen St
+1 416 531 4635
Toronto, Canada
www.gladstonehotel.com

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Related articles:

Mapplr’s favorite restaurants in Toronto

Google Map of Mapplr’s favorite hotels and restaurants in Toronto

The Miami Beach boutique hotel scene is as hot as ever and it is concentrated in the South Beach area. Many newer hotels are renovated Art Deco buildings whose interiors have been infused with Moroccan and Asian design elements to give them a more international, contemporary look. Check out my favorite hotels.

The Hotel of South Beach
801 Collins Ave
Miami Beach, FL
+1 305 531 2222
www.thehotelofsouthbeach.com

Shore Club
1901 Collins Ave
Miami Beach, FL
+1 305 695 3100
www.shoreclub.com

Delano Hotel
1685 Collins Ave
Miami Beach, FL
+1 305 672 2000
www.delano-hotel.com

Sagamore Hotel
1671 Collins Ave
Miami Beach, FL
+1 305 535 8088
www.sagamorehotel.com

Clinton
825 Washington Avenue
Miami Beach, FL
+1 305 938 4040
www.clintonsouthbeach.com

Wave
350 Ocean Drive
Miami Beach, FL
+1 305 673 0401
www.wavehotel.com

The Tides
1220 Ocean Drive
Miami Beach, FL
+1 305 604 5070
www.tidessouthbeach.com

Hotel Victor
1144 Ocean Drive
Miami Beach, FL
+1 305 428 1234
www.hotelvictorsouthbeach.com

Pelican Hotel
826 Ocean Dr
Miami Beach, FL
+1 305 673 3373
www.pelicanhotel.com

The Standard, Miami
40 Island Avenue
Miami Beach, FL
+1 305 673 1717
www.standardhotel.com

Townhouse
150 20th St
Miami Beach, FL
+1 305 534 3800
www.townhousehotel.com

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Related articles:

Mapplr’s favorite restaurants in Miami Beach

Google map of Mapplr’s favorite restaurants and hotels in Miami Beach

If you are going to Montreal, check out these gorgeous hotels, from the very hip Hotel St. Paul (pictured above) to the stately, more traditional (but still contemporary) Hotel Le Germain. There’s no reason anymore to stay in a charmless, depressing business hotel if you have options such as these. Make sure you check out my list of favorite restaurants in Montreal.

Hotel St. Paul
355 rue McGill
+1 514 380-2222
www.hotelstpaul.com

Opus Hotel Montreal
10 rue Sherbrooke ouest
+1 514 843 6000
www.opushotel.com

Hotel Gault
449 Rue Sainte-Hélène
+1 514 904 1616
www.hotelgault.com

Opus Hotel Montreal
10 rue Sherbrooke ouest
+1 514 843 6000
www.opushotel.com

Hotel Le Germain Montreal
2050, rue Mansfield
+1 514 849 2050
www.hotelgermain.com

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Go to the Google map of my favorite restaurants and hotels in Montreal.

I have just returned from a trip to Istanbul and am adding more restaurants below to the original list of favorites I posted last year.  I will be posting a detailed Istanbul travel guide shortly with tips on where to go, where not to stay, what to do and more.

Refik Meyhane
Sofyali Sokak 10/12
Asmalı Mescit
Beyoğlu
Istanbul, Turkey
+90 212 243 2834
One of Istanbul’s most popular meyhanes (taver), packed at lunch and dinner; delicious mezes and grilled meats

Leb-i-Derya
Kumbaracı yokuşu 57/6
Tünel, Beyoğlu
Istanbul, Turkey
+90 212 293 49 89
www.lebiderya.com
Great views from top of an apartment building, excellent Mediterranean food

Zuma
Salhane Sokak 7
Ortaköy
Istanbul, Turkey
+90 212 236 2296
www.zumarestaurant.com
Sushi

Hakkasan
Kanyon Büyükdere Caddesi
Levent
Istanbul, Turkey
+90 212 319 8888
www.hakkasan.com
(Facebook page for photo http://www.facebook.com/pages/HAKKASAN-STANBUL/64189983808)
Chinese Fusion

Topaz Restaurant
İnönü Caddesi 50
Gümüşsuyu
Istanbul, Turkey
+90 212 249 1001
www.topazistanbul.com
Expensive restaurant serving modern Turkish cuisine, fabulous views over the Bosphorus bridge, good for business dinners or for celebrating a special occasion

Sunset Grill & Bar
2 Adnan Saygun Caddesi
Ulus Park
Istanbul, Turkey
+90 212 287 0357
www.sunsetgrillbar.com
Sushi

House Café Tünel (other locations too)
Asmalı Mescit No:9/1-2
Beyoğlu
Istanbul, Turkey
+90 212 245 9515
www.thehousecafe.com.tr

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Original list of favorite restaurants in Istanbul
Favorite hotels in Istanbul
Review of Witt Istanbul Suites (my recommended place to stay)
Review of Ciya Sofrasi restaurant (amazing food)

*Google map of favorite restaurants, hotels and cafes in Istanbul*

Sydney is such a wonderful place to visit if you like the ocean, nightlife, nature, good food and sunshine. My favorite activity: swimming in one of the many rockpools in the city. Above is a photo of me at the Coogee Beach rock pool. I’ve already posted my favorite restaurants in Sydney, now it’s time for my favorite hotels. If you want to stay right at the beach, opt for Coogee Beach. But if you want a funky, artistic area, go for Darlinghurst.

Blue Sydney
Woolloomooloo
6 Cowper Wharf Rd
Sydney, Australia
+61 2 9331 9000
www.tajhotels.com

The Medusa
Darlinghurst
267 Darlinghurst Road
Sydney, Australia
+61 2 9331 1000
www.medusa.com.au/sydney-hotel-medusa/
Book online

Kirketon Hotel
Darlinghurst
229 Darlingshurst Road
Sydney, Australia
+61 2 9332 2011
www.kirketon.com.au

Inhouse Potts Point
Potts Point
Apartment 2
8 Rockwall Crescent
Sydney, Australia
+61 406 316 609
www.inhouse.net.au

Dive Hotel
Coogee Beach
234 Arden Street
Sydney, Australia
+61 2 9665 5538
www.divehotel.com.au

The Storrier
Potts Point
15 Springfield Ave
Sydney, Australia
+61 2 8988 6999
www.thestorrier.com

The Sebel Pier One Hotel
Dawes Point
11 Hickson Road
Sydney, Australia
+61 2 8298 9999
www.sebelpierone.com.au

The Establishment
Financial District
5 Bridge St
Sydney, Australia
+61 2 9240 3040
www.merivale.com/#/establishment/hotel
Book online

The Diamant Hotel
Potts Point
Kings Cross Rd
Sydney, Australia
+61 2 9295 8888
www.diamant.com.au
Book online

The Chelsea Guesthouse
Darlinghurst
49 Womerah Avenue
Sydney, Australia
+ 61 2 9380 5994
chelsea.citysearch.com.au

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Go to the Google map of my favorite hotels and restaurants in Sydney.

For people who love modern architecture, a visit to Chicago is a must. Buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe as well as those by contemporary architects such as Rem Koolhaas continue to influence the way buildings and houses are designed today. But it’s not only architecture fans who will enjoy Chicago. Anyone who loves big city life - nightclubs, restaurants, theater, opera and classical music - will find Chicago to be a marvelous place. Here is my list of favorite boutique hotels in the city.

The James
616 N Rush St.
Chicago, IL
+1 312 337 1000
www.jameshotels.com

Dana Hotel and Spa
660 N State St.
Chicago, IL
+1 312 202 6018
www.danahotelandspa.com

Hotel Burnham
1 W Washington St.
Chicago, IL
+1 312 782 1111
www.burnhamhotel.com

Affinia Chicago
166 East Superio
Chicago, IL
+1 312 787 6000
www.affinia.com

The Hotel 71
71 E Wacker Dr.
Chicago, IL
+1 312 346 7100
www.hotel71.com

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Related articles:

Mapplr’s favorite restaurants in Chicago

Google map of my favorite hotels and restaurants in Chicago.