Indy's claim to fame can be the roaring Indianapolis 500 just about every Memorial Day weekend, nevertheless a new boutique hotel in its downtown seeks to tweak that image. The Alexander—a sleek, contemporary property in downtown Indianapolis' freshly constructed mixed-use CityWay neighborhood, walking distance from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's performances and Indiana Pacers' home games—opened las ...

Singita Mara River Tented Camp—from Singita, which also operates luxury lodges in Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Reserve in South Africa—has just opened in the northernmost section of Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Designed for fashionable and eco-friendly travelers alike (aren't they one and the same at this point?), it runs on solar power and features just six tents (two are suited for families ...

Things are heating up this winter in Cancun with a brand-new hotel: Paradisus Cancun Resort, which opened on December 1 as the fifth hotel in the Paradisus brand from Meliá Hotels International. (two other Paradisus properties—Paradisus Playa del Carmen La Esmeralda and Paradisus Playa del Carmen La Perla—were rolled out in November of 2011.) The main attraction at this 678-suite, all-inclusive luxury hotel ...

Historically, wellness retreats and destination spas weren't concerned with things like posh furnishings, gourmet eats, or locker room freebies, focusing instead on their (sometimes strict) health and lifestyle programs. Now that luxury hotels and resorts are in the spa game, though, things have changed: These days, spa aficionados are likely to find extras like homemade organic snacks, private treatment vi ...

Known for wooing highbrow adventurists,Patagonia is rife with fine, ecologically minded luxury hotels. The latest opening to leave a carbon-free mark: the much-buzzed Singular Patagonia. Housed in a landmarked, former cold-storage plant built in 1915, Singular Patagonia is relatively remote in the Patagonia landscape, right at the foot of the Senoret Channel. Ten years in the making, the resort was restored ...

Thailand is called the Land of Smiles, and after spending time in the nation of gilded Buddhist temples, vibrant food, and virgin beaches, it's easy to see why. One smiles at Thailand, and the country smiles back, from the hotel concierge to the papaya peddler to the Royal Police, whose khaki-green uniforms crinkle like crepe paper as they salute each farang (foreigner) that crosses their paths. Locals stop ...

Wind gently lifting my hair, luke-warm water up to my neck, and arms resting on the side of my midnight blue-tiled plunge pool, I had a Beyoncé moment. For that one second, I thought we could relate. Cycling between pool dips, sunning on my villa's private loungers and secluded beach walks, I was at a celeb-caliber resort for the price the paparazzi could afford. Known for extremes—either $5/night beach bun ...

Global luxury travel provider Amanresorts has been luring travelers to exotic locations since 1988. Starting with their original outpost in Phuket, Thailand and expanding with equally opulent, no-detail-left-out resorts in China, Morocco, the US, France, Turkey, and beyond, the hotel collection is now taking to the high seas with their 105-foot coastal cruiser, Amanikan, set to sail in tropical Indonesia th ...

Surfer-centric town Paia, on Maui’s North Shore, welcomed a new luxury resort to its midst in early March. Located on six acres of former sugarcane land, not far from famous surf spot Ho’okipa Beach, Lumeria Maui is an experiential retreat, with programs and classes centered on yoga, surfing, meditation, and Hawaiian culture. Yogis will flip for the yoga program, which features a rotating roster of masters, ...

Southeast Asia is the new destination du jour for luxury-minded travelers who appreciate great value. Discerning travelers delight in Southeast Asia, where reasonably priced five-star hotels abound and indulgence is newly defined. With so many options, it can be a difficult task to choose the resorts truly worthy of your vacation dollars. Happily, we've narrowed down the dizzying array of choices for you: I ...