Courtesy of Southwest Airlines

MySeatFinder can help you find the spot you want.

Reserving a seat assignment on for a flight will never rate as one of life's most memorable moments. But with MySeatFinder, it's no longer one of the most boring.

This polished site asks for your confirmation number for a flight on one of the major domestic airlines — namely, American, Delta, Southwest, United or US Airways. Then it monitors any seat changes on your flight prior to departure. If it finds a seat that more closely matches your preferences (such as window or aisle), it promises to book it for you on your behalf. As frequent fliers know, seat availability changes up until the last-minute of the typical flight.

Your first four round-trips seat assignments via MySeatFinder are free. Use the service more than that and you'll have to cough up a $29 fee each year.

Whether the service is worth using depends on how much you dread being assigned the middle seat — or how much you covet an exit row, with its roomy legroom.

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If you're not lucky enough to fly on one of the few domestic carriers with seat–back entertainment (I'm looking at you, JetBlue!), in–flight entertainment can be a bummer.

Look for a Digiboo kiosk in an airport near you.

You've probably heard of Redbox, the service that allows you to rent DVDs from a kiosk and pay by the day. The system has become a hit among savvy travelers for its rent -- and -- return anywhere policy: simply rent a DVD from one location, watch the movie on the plane, and return it to any kiosk wherever you land with no additional fee. But what if you forget to stop by a Redbox on the way to the airport? Or what if your destination has no kiosks? Or what if you forget your DVD in the bottom of your carry–on and accumulate $100 in late fees? (Hey, it could happen!)

Digiboo, which launched in March, has come up with a solution: what if you didn't have to worry about disks at all? Instead, the service allows you to download a film file to a USB flash drive at airport kiosks and then put it directly on your laptop's hard drive.

The touchscreen kiosks are currently available in three domestic airports (Minneapolis–St. Paul, Portland and Seattle–Tacoma) with plans to expand. Digiboo features 700 titles, which you can rent for $3.99 for 48 hours (after that, the file no longer works) or buy for $14.99. And unlike iTunes movie downloads, which can often take surprisingly long to finish, especially on slow airport Wi-Fi, the download speed should be manageable for even the most in–a–rush traveler — 30 seconds for newer flash drives and up to five minutes on older ones.

The service is not without its kinks. Currently, the downloads are not compatible with Apple products, and videos are not HD. In addition, USB devices must be registered on their website before you can use them. But the company has stated there will be many updates in the coming months.

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©Superstock / via Budget Travel

A park ranger at Grand Canyon National Park.

There's a saying about park rangers: "You get paid in sunrises and sunsets." That's really true. You don't do this job for the pay. Sometimes you have to wonder why we work so hard to get these federal positions. The people who are attracted to the job are outsiders — they enjoy solitude, they enjoy nature. It's the most unlikely group of people you'd expect to want to work with the federal government. And you have to give up a lot. It's extremely difficult to have a family or meet someone. You work seasonal positions for years until you finally get a permanent spot, only to realize you like a seasonal girl who's not going to be around in six months.

Two parts action-adventure flick, one part 'Office Space'
I've had moments where the job is as exciting as anything you can imagine. You're fighting wildfires, getting lowered from helicopters on a rescue, chasing someone down with a gun on your side, going out on a manhunt. Then sometimes you're directing traffic or dealing with the bureaucracy of the federal government. 

Lost from the get-go
It doesn't matter which park you're working, people are like deer in the headlights. They're totally out of their element, they don't know where anything is, and half the time they haven't done any research before their trip. At the Grand Canyon, people will show up on the North Rim only to find out they're on the wrong side — and then they're shocked that they have to drive all the way around the canyon to get to the South Rim. I had one lady bawling when I told her it was a five-and-a-half-hour drive to the other side. She was like, "There's no bridge?!"

No common sense
There's no shortage of stupidity when it comes to what people will do. They'll sit right at the edge of the canyon, where there are no guardrails and it's a 1,000-foot drop. And people forget that they're at 8,500 feet. They wonder why they're having chest pains. They think they're having a heart attack, and we have to remind them it's the altitude. Then there are always people who hike down into the canyon and are totally unprepared — no water, no idea how long it will take. They don't realize there's a big change in temperature and conditions when you drop from 8,500 feet to 2,200 feet. That's one of our most common rescues. They always say they were so in awe of the beauty that they didn't realize how far they'd gone.

Slideshow: National spectacles

Nearly 400 national parks can be found all across America, and feature breathtaking vistas, rock formations millions of years old, and more.

Launch slideshow

People will do anything for a picture
It's absolutely astounding what people will do just to prove they saw something. They'll jump from rock pillar to rock pillar — nothing below — just to get the right angle for a shot of the canyon. Sometimes someone's camera falls over the edge and they're crawling over to try to get it. Or they'll stop in the middle of the road, with cars behind them, just to get a picture of a deer (you know, we've all seen deer, but these are deer with the Grand Canyon in the background).

Americans are the worst
I've seen far more interest from foreigners in our national parks than by Americans. You'll be talking to someone from New Zealand and they're asking you about the geography, the culture, the history. And then an American asks you where the burger stand is.

I'll let you in on a secret — maybe
People are always asking where the best place in the park is, or where they should go to watch the sunset. If I can tell someone is really interested, I'll probably tell him. But if it's some entitled jackass who rushes up to me like, "Hey, man, I got 20 minutes in the park. What's the absolutebestspot?"— no way. And then sometimes you do share, and it backfires. Someone once told me I ruined his vacation because I gave him the wrong place to watch the sunset.

Slideshow: America’s lesser-known national parks

Stephen Saks / Lonely Planet Images

Each offers a unique take on the American landscape, the nation's history and our collective culture. Best of all, you won't have to fight the crowds along the way.

Launch slideshow

Being a member has its privileges
In any profession, you're going to get certain privileges, but I try not to take advantage of my position. But yeah, there have been times when I've gotten pulled over, and I made sure my badge was right next to my driver's license so the cop sees it. There's kind of an understanding.

When the moment is right
There's something about national parks. You're in an unbelievably romantic place. It gets your juices flowing, creates a spark. Things happen. There are definitely times when a ranger has to approach a car because the windows are a bit steamy. But sometimes we turn a blind eye to it. We're all human.

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Torsten Blackwood / AFP/Getty Images

The sacred monolith of Uluru, or Ayers Rock, is located in Central Australia's Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, which is a World Heritage site.

When we modern folks visit a beautiful natural site, the experience may evoke a sense of peace, a feeling of awe ... or just the need to snap a million photos. For our ancient forbears, though, these places were so much more.

Throughout history, civilizations all over the globe have attached spiritual or religious importance to natural spots that played key roles in their respective cultures. From the mythological homes of powerhouse gods like Zeus and Shiva to the serene spot where the mortal Buddha achieved enlightenment, these are the places of legends.

Some are still used for age-old rituals, others have been lost to time, but all crackle with a special energy and, if you're lucky, just a little bit of leftover magic.

Slideshow: See all the sacred places 

Uluru-Kata Tjuta, Australia
Located in Australia's Red Centre, in the heart of the continent, these two natural rock formations are the main attractions in the World Heritage Site Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. One of the country's more recognizable landmarks, Uluru is a flat-topped sandstone rock standing about 1,100 feet high and almost six miles around, with a soulful, deep-red hue that changes throughout the day. (The site is also known as Ayers Rock, so named by the colonial surveyor who "rediscovered" the place in 1873.) About 30 miles away, Kata Tjuta (a.k.a. The Olgas) is made of more than 30 domes of varying rock types, including granite, sandstone, and basalt; the tallest point is almost 1,800 feet high.  Both sites are sacred to the Anangu people of the Pitjantjatjara Aboriginal tribe, who believe the rocks were built during the ancient creation period and are still inhabited by ancestor spirits. (Archeologist work suggests there were humans in this area over 20,000 years ago.) Owned by the Anangu and leased by the government, the park is open to the public, though tribespeople continue to perform rituals and ceremonies in various locations, such as the sacred "Dreamtime" track that runs near the modern hiking trail. The park also houses a Cultural Center and Aboriginal rock art sites, and ranger guided tours are available.

Getting There: Visitors can drive or join a bus tour to the park from Alice Springs (280 miles away), or fly to Ayers Rock Airport/Connellan (AYQ); Qantas and Virgin Australia offer direct flights from several major domestic cities. There are only a few accommodation choices in the area, in different price ranges, and all are owned by Voyages Indigenous Tourism. (Camping is not allowed in the park.) Note that while hiking Uluru is not technically forbidden, the Anangu ask that visitors not climb the rock out of respect for its significance, and also ask that photos not be taken of certain sacred sites. Guests should also not pocket any rocks as souvenirs-those who have say it brings bad luck, and often mail the rocks back to the park. Admission is $26 for a three-day pass.

Cenote Sagrado, Mexico
The ancient Maya revered water for its life-sustaining power, and worshiped Chac, the god of rain, because of this awe of H20. Many areas of Mexico are dotted with cenotes — natural underground sinkholes — and the Maya believed that some of these sites were visited by Chac himself. As a result, some cenotes were designated as "sacred" and kept for rituals, offerings and sacrifices, while others were set aside for bathing, drinking and crop water.  One of the most notable of the sacred springs is Cenote Sagrado, located near the major Mayan archeological site Chichen Itza in the Yucatan Peninsula. Created from a natural limestone cave, with steep sides stretching about 60 feet above the water line, this cenote was specifically used for ceremonies and occasional sacrifices; for the latter, men, women, and children were thrown in during drought times to appease the water gods. When archeologists dredged the spring in the 20th century, they found gold bells, masks, cups, rings, jade pieces, and more (many from the post-Spanish period) along with human bones.

Getting There:  One of the most visited archeological sites in Mexico, Chichen Itza can be reached by car or organized bus tours (typically about $35 per person) from nearby tourist hubs like Cancun or Cozumel, or via infrequent public bus service; the ride is about two-and-a-half hours from Cancun. The entry fee is $9 and includes the evening light and sound show; headphone tours are $2. Cenote Sagrado is part of the Great North Platform section of the site .

Mahabodhi Tree, Bodh Gaya, India
According to Buddhist traditions, around 500 B.C., when the ascetic Prince Siddhartha was wandering through what's now the state of Bihar in India, he took rest under a native bodhi tree. After meditating there for three nights, the prince awoke with enlightenment, insight and the answers he had been seeking, which developed into the teachings he went on to spread to his disciples. Naturally, the place where the Buddha reached enlightenment is one of the most sacred sites for Buddhists, and has been a major pilgrimage destination for centuries. Today, a temple complex surrounds what is believed to be a direct descendant of the original majestic tree itself, which sits in the middle of a courtyard surrounded by protective carved panels. A beautiful Buddha statue under the tree marks the significant spot. 

Getting There: A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Mahabodhi Temple Complex is in the Bodh Gaya area of Bihar, India. The site is about three miles from the Gaya Airport and about seven miles from Gaya City. Car service, public buses, and bus tours are also available from the holy city of Varanasi; public buses run about $8.  

Mount Kailas, Tibet
This black rock mountain in western Tibet is something of a holy hat trick, since it is sacred to Buddhists, Hindus, and Jains and is thought to be the mythical Axis Mundi, the center of the universe. Hindus believe it is the residence of Lord Shiva and the land of eternal bliss, and have celebrated the mythical Kailas in temple carvings throughout India. Tantric Buddhists say the mountain is the home of Buddha Demchog, who represents supreme bliss, and that three key Bodhisattvas live in the surrounding hills, while Jains believe it is the site (which they call Mount Ashtapada) where the first Jain attained nirvana.  The peak is part of the Gangdise Mountain range and is set near the source of some of the longest rivers in Asia, including the Sutlej, the Indus, and the Ghaghara (a tributary of the holy Ganges River). Nearby Lake Manasarovar, considered the source of purity, is another major pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Buddhists.

Getting There: Despite being such a mythical sacred site, Mount Kailas is also one of the least visited, due to its remote location in the Tibetan Himalayas. From Lhasa, it's about a four-night journey over the plateau to the small pilgrim outpost, where there are a few basic guesthouses. From this base, most pilgrims set out on foot, pony, or yak to circumnavigate the base of the mountain, a journey of about 32 miles. There is no record of anyone having attempted to climb Mount Kailas.

Mount Sinai, Egypt
Some of the basic tenets of Judeo-Christian beliefs can be traced back to this mountain on Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, for it was at the top of this peak that Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments from God. Though there is not much archeological evidence confirming this as the exact place, and biblical scholars have theorized for years about the mythical mountain's location, early Christian monks believed this was the sacred site and established several monasteries in the area. Today, visitors can start at St. Catherine's Monastery at the base of the mountain, then climb to the summit, where there is the small Holy Trinity chapel and stunning views, especially at sunrise. 

Getting There: The mountain can only be reached by road; Dahab and Nuweiba are both about two hours away by car, while it's about three hours from resort hub Sharm al-Sheikh. Most hotels on the peninsula can set you up on a bus tour, and many of these arrive at the base around 1 a.m., so visitors can be at the summit for sunrise. There are two ways to climb: by foot (which takes between 45 minutes and three hours, depending on your pace, or by camel, which is about three hours; note that if you choose the latter, you will still have to walk the final 750 steps up to the top. Guests are required to hire a local guide at the entrance for about $15 (the rate is negotiable.) Because of its peaceful silence, the mountain is also popular with visitors who practice yoga and meditation.

Glastonbury Tor, England
Rising out of the middle of the Summerland Meadows in Somerset, England, is a hill that has long had magical connection. For centuries, Glastonbury Tor (Celtic for "hill") has been a source of myths: Some ancient Celtic civilizations considered it the entrance to the home of the Gwyn ap Nudd, alternately regarded as Lord of the Underworld and King of Fairies (a theory that resurfaced in the 19th century), while pagans may have used it for ceremonies celebrating the Goddess. Later, the site was considered a possibility for King Arthur's Avalon, since Arthur and Queen Guinevere's coffins were supposedly discovered at the top of the hill in the 12th century. And even more recently, theorists have linked the hill to the quest for the Holy Grail. To further add to all the speculation, archeologists have found remains of seven deep, symmetrical terraces on the hill's slopes, which could be anything from Middle Age crop land to a Neolithic labyrinth. Whatever the history, the hill is still thought to have spiritual energy, as visitors often report feeling more hopeful and positive after a walk on its slopes. Topped by the remains of the 15th century church of St. Michael, the hill has been designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and is managed by the National Trust of the United Kingdom.

Getting There: The Tor is a short walk or bike ride from the center of Glastonbury, which is linked to London by frequent train service. The nearest station to the hill is Castle Cary. Admission is free.

Crater Lake, Oregon
Formed nearly 8,000 years ago, after an alleged massive eruption caused Mount Mazama to collapse, this deep blue, freshwater caldera lake in south-central Oregon plunges nearly 2,000 feet below ground, making it the deepest in the United States and the seventh deepest in the world. The Native American Klamath tribe has long considered the lake a sacred site: Their legends say a battle here between the Chief of the Above World and the Chief of the Below World led to the destruction of Mount Mazama. (Historians believe the Klamath may have witnessed the actual implosion of the mountain.) The tribesmen used Crater Lake in their vision quests (tasks may have included scaling the crater walls), and it is still considered a spiritual spot. The lake is now part of Crater Lake National Park.

Getting There: Crater Lake National Park is about 60 miles from the airport in Klamath Falls and 80 miles from the airport in Medford; cars can be rented in both locations. (There is no public transport service available.) The park is open year-round, but some areas may be inaccessible in winter. A seven-day pass is $10 for cars and $5 per person for pedestrians or bicyclists. Check the official park website for a list of official free days each year.

Mount Parnassus, Greece
Towering above Delphi in central Greece, this limestone mountain looms large in Greek mythology. In addition to being sacred to the god Apollo, who often visited the nearby Oracle at Delphi, the mountain was thought to be the residence of the Muses and, as a result, the home of poetry and song. The three Corycian Nymphs, each of whom was romanced by a major god, were born of springs located on Parnassus, and the mountain was also the setting for many minor myths. Today, the only sacred activity takes place on the slopes: The mountain is topped by two popular ski centers, and is dotted with scenic hiking trails.

Getting There: Mount Parnassus is a winding, two-hour mountain drive from Athens. Day trips and overnight bus tours are also available (keytours.gr, overnight Delphi tours from $176 per person). After exploring the slopes, don't miss a visit to the ancient ruins in Delphi, set in the shadow of the mountain.

Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
Set up in the Guatemalan Central Highlands, and bordered by three volcanoes, Lake Atitlán is the deepest lake, at 1,114 feet, in Central America. Along with its natural beauty, the lake is famous for the Maya villages that ring its shores, many of which have been there for centuries. Ninth-century Panajachel, one of the largest, has been drawing tourists since the 1960s, while in Santiago Atitlán, residents are known for their worship of Maximo, a local idol that fuses Mayan gods, Catholic saints, and Spanish legends. Mayan ceremonies still take place at various sites around the lake, from caves to the top of an adjacent hill. The lake's shores are also strewn with archeological sites and ruins of pre-Spanish towns, including Chiutinamit, a mythological "underwater city."

Getting There: Lake Atitlán is located in western Guatemala, about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Guatemala City or Antigua. Companies like Transport Guatemala can arrange for bus or van service ($25 per person from Guatemala City, from $15 per person from Antigua). There are a wide array of accommodations, from luxury to budget, in towns like Panajachel, along with tourist activities and dining options.

Vortexes, Arizona
Sedona, Ariz., has long drawn people interested in healing, spirituality, mysticism, and metaphysics, who come for more than just the dramatic, red-rock beauty. The area is famous for its vortexes, powerful centers of kinetic energy that can have a deep effect on those who visit them; there are four main ones spread around town, including one near the airport. The ancient Native American Yavapai people knew about these centers, and celebrated this "Great Mother" energy with petroglyph paintings and sacred dwellings. Today, visitors can easily walk or hike to the four spots (the one in Boynton Canyon is among the most popular), and once there, can meditate or just soak up the good vibes. Many feel recharged and uplifted after visiting a vortex, and some guests even report having visions or deeper experiences while in town.

Getting There: Sedona is a scenic two-hour drive from Phoenix, home to an international airport, and 45 minutes from the smaller commercial airport in Flagstaff. Maps highlighting the four vortexes are available at most hotels and online (sedona.net).

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Courtesy of Ibis Hotels

The Ibis hotel chain has 919 outposts around the world, including this one in Casablanca, Morocco.

Whether you favor basic, no-frills bargain hotels or accommodations with a happy balance of perks and price, you've probably already found a hotel chain or two that suits your needs — at least here in the States.

But what happens when you travel abroad? We searched far and wide for the foreign hotel chains locals rely on most, from Mexico City to Moscow, compiling them all in this international cheat sheet to a good, cheap night's sleep (almost) anywhere on Earth. Among our search criteria, consistency was key — we prioritized chains with reliable standards of service, cleanliness, and amenities (since you can't always trust hotel ratings abroad, and filtered out those with erratic pricing or less-than-desirable locations. But that doesn't mean there won't be some (pleasant) surprises in the mix — many of our bargain picks also include indulgent extras like monsoon showers, on-site spas and design-mag-worthy interiors.

Slideshow. See these dependable hotel chains around the globe

Best Worldwide:

NH Hotels
Started in Pamplona, Spain in 1978, NH has grown to become one of the top 20 largest chains in the world, with more than 400 properties in 26 countries, from Andorra to Uruguay (most are concentrated in Europe and South America). The look varies from one hotel to the next, but many are set in historic buildings with original architectural details and filled with stylish, modern furnishings: solid, neutral-hued linens on the bed and abstract art on the walls. NH also often has several hotels in the same destination, so it's worth it to check out all your options for the best rate and location. Sample rates:from $120 at the Hotel NH Musica, Amsterdam; from $114 at the Hotel NH Anglo American, Florence; from $143 at the Hotel NH Tango, Buenos Aires. nh-hotels.com
Properties: 400-plus
Average size: Medium
Typical location: All

Ibis
Sure, the hotels may be cookie-cutter (furniture is of the basic, blond-wood variety) and the locations aren't exactly thrilling (most properties are near business districts and airports), but the brand definitely has a lock on convenience, thanks to 24-hour snack bars, WiFi and often on-site parking. All 900-plus outposts, from continental Europe to Asia, Africa, South America, the Middle East and Australia, also serve locally-influenced breakfast buffets (say, crepes in France, or tropical fruits in Brazil). Sample rates: from $100 at the Ibis Praha Old Town Hotel in Prague; from $117 at the Ibis Antananarivo Ankorondrano in Madagascar; from $94 at the Ibis Buenos Aires Obelisco in Argentina. ibishotel.com
Properties: 919
Average size: Large
Typical location: Transit hubs

Mercure
Most of Mercure's 725 hotels (across 49 countries) are in Europe, with the remainder in Australia, South America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.The three- and four-star properties include both business-friendly city spots and resorts — the latter of which are more likely to incorporate vernacular design elements such as thatched-roof cottages at a Bali resort or a hammam at a Morocco hotel. All have on-site restaurants, and most offer packages with conveniences such as breakfast and Internet access. Sample rates: from $104 at the Mercure Montpellier Centre in France; from $63 at the Mercure Resort Sanur in Bali; from $66 at the Mercure Ouarzazate in Morocco. mercure.com
Properties: 725
Average size: Medium
Typical location: All

TRYP by Wyndham Hotels
A boutique brand from the Wyndham group, TRYP aims for the spot where form and function overlap, providing urban adventurers with 21st-century amenities (WiFi, fitness centers, flat-screen TVs), a streamlined aesthetic (neutral color palettes, hardwood floors), and legitimate social scenes (on-site bars and active lobbies designed for mingling). Spain, Germany, Portugal and Brazil have the most properties now, but there are one-offs in Europe, South America, Canada and the U.S. Sample rates: from $79 at the TRYP Valencia Azafata in Spain; from $99 at the TRYP San Jose Sabana Hotel in Costa Rica; from $90 at the TRYP Berlin in Germany. tryphotels.com
Properties: 91
Average size: Large
Typical location: City center

Room Mate Hotels
A spunky upstart based in Spain, Room Mate's outposts in Buenos Aires, Mexico, NYC and Miami cater to a nightlife-loving crowd: Most are located in hip, culture-centric neighborhoods, each one has live DJ-spun music, and hearty buffet breakfasts are served until noon daily. The décor is playfully avant-garde and picks up on motifs that reference some aspect of the destination. (In Mexico City, a pair of cartoonish white cacti stands in front of a colorful mural of ceramic fish scales, while the Granada hotel skews moodier and more elegant.) Bonus: The bathrooms are typically spacious, and Wi-Fi is always free. Sample rates: from $82 at the Room Mate Leo in Granada, Spain; from $79 at the Room Mate Valentina in Mexico City. room-matehotels.com
Properties: 14
Average size: Medium
Typical location: City center

Best by region:

Asia & The Pacific
Insider advice is especially helpful in Asia. While several countries have government-run hotel ratings systems, many are voluntary and self-assessed and, consequently, are unreliable. Plus, some countries — Japan, for one — don't use ratings systems at all. Australia is a bit easier: They recently revamped their popular ratings system, AAA Tourism, to focus on a combination of cleanliness, amenities and quality, rather than just a checklist of facilities.

APA Hotels & Resorts
Japanese hospitality meets no-nonsense frugality in this robust nationwide chain. APA is an acronym for "Always Pleasant Amenity," and depending on your location, that might refer to a traditional public bath (available at no cost to hotel guests), a free breakfast of bread, coffee, rice, and miso soup, or a choice between a standard room (of the floral-bedspread variety) or a Japanese room, with tatami-mat floors for lounging. Sample rates: from $93 at the APA Hotel Takasaki-Ekimae in Tokyo; from $93 for a single at the APA Hotel Nagasaki-Ekiminami in Nagasaki; from $124 at the APA Villa Hotel Yudoyabashi in Osaka. apahotel.com
Properties: 76
Average size: Large
Typical location: All

Centara Hotels & Resorts
With their fancy pool decks, on-site spas, and concierges, properties from the Centara brand (Thailand's largest) all feel like splurges, even if they're not. You'll find them in most of the country's major tourist destinations, from Chiang Mai to Krabi, along with the Maldives, Bali, Vietnam and the Philippines. The brand includes several sub-categories: The five-star Centara Grand and the Centara Boutique Collection are on the pricey side, so stick to the four-star Centara and three-star Centra properties for comparable quality at better rates. And watch for deals when you're booking — often, the online rates are much lower (up to 60 percent) than standard published prices. Sample rates: From $46 at the Centara Duangtawan Hotel Chiang Mai; from $81 at the Centara Villas Phuket; from $62 at the Centra Taum Seminyak Bali. centarahotelsresorts.com
Properties: 55
Average size: Medium/Large
Typical location: All

GreenTree Inns
Whether you're in Beijing or Nanjing, you can expect this fast-growing Chinese chain to deliver clean, pleasant rooms with free WiFi, TVs and basic amenities, all in locations that are convenient to universities, train stations and conference centers. Sample rates: From $34 at the Beijing Tuanjie Lake Spring Hotel; from $24 at the Chengdu People's Park Hotel; from $29 at the Shenzhen Huaqiangbei Express Hotel.998.com/eng
Properties: 300-plus
Average size: Large
Typical location: All

Lemon Tree Hotels
Travelers looking to set up a home base in one of India's larger cities can take good advantage of Lemon Tree's growing chain. The hotels were originally designed for business travelers — but you'd never know it at first glance. The rooms are cheerful (brightly hued bedspreads, colorful expressionist and abstract artwork) and well-equipped (LCD TVs, orthopedic mattresses, free bottled water), and nearly every hotel has a decent swimming pool. There are even a few affordable resort outposts — one in Goa, and one near Vembanad Lake. Solo female travelers can book into a "Lemon Tree Diva" room, which is on a women-only corridor and has extras like reflexology foot massagers. Sample rates: from $72 at the Lemon Tree Electronics City in Bangalore; from $138 at the Lemon Tree Amarante Beach Resort in Goa; from $94 at the Lemon Tree Hotel in Chennai. lemontreehotels.com
Properties: 15
Average size: Medium/large
Typical location: City center

Rydges
With the exception of the three five-star "Art Series" hotels (with slightly higher rates — and style quotients), this Australian-owned chain is known more for its reliable, middle-of-the-road rooms and much-touted signature Dream Beds — pillow-top numbers made from breathable latex — than for trendy flourishes. Founded in 1988, the brand has properties all over the continent as well as some in New Zealand, one in Dubai and one in London. Sample rates:from $191 at the Rydges World Square in Sydney; from $138 at the Rydges South Park in Adelaide; from $106 at the Rydges Hobart; from $170 at the Rydges South Bank in Brisbane. rydges.com
Properties: 40
Average size: Large
Typical location: All

Tune Hotels
At this Malaysian chain (with a few outposts in Bali, Thailand, the Philippines and London), you get what you pay for — literally. While prices are rock-bottom for the rooms (under $20 for singles in many cases), you'll rack up fees for things that come standard at many other hotels (TV and Wi-Fi cost roughly $7.50 for 24 hours, while air conditioning, shower gel, and towels run from $5-$15, depending on the location). Still, the bright rooms are more than mere crash pads, with 250-thread-count bedding, power showers, housekeeping and 24-hour security. Book early and you may even luck into one of the extremely-limited-quantity $1 a night deals. Sample rates:from $18 at the Tune Hotel in Downtown Penang; from $30 at the Tune Hotel in Downtown Kuala Lumpur; from $20 at the Tune Hotel Kita in Bali. tunehotels.com
Properties: 20
Average size: Large
Typical location: City center

Europe
While Great Britain has a fairly trustworthy hotel rating system, many other European countries use ratings that are far less predictable and intuitive. For example, French hotels earn stars based not on quality but the presence of certain features (air-conditioning and bathroom facilities, for example), while in Italy, a hotel can earn a single star just for changing the sheets on the beds once a week.

Dedeman Hotels & Resorts
Founded in Istanbul in 1966, Dedeman now has hotels and resorts all over Turkey, as well as in Bulgaria and Uzbekistan. Rooms are more comfortable than cutting-edge, but the properties have worthwhile bonuses such as Turkish baths, indoor/outdoor swimming pools and multiple options for on-site dining, drinking and even dancing. Sample rates: from $147 at the Dedeman Ankara in Turkey; from $88 at the Dedeman Silk Road in Tashkent, Uzbekistan; from $169 at the Dedeman Istanbul. dedeman.com
Properties: 16
Average size: Large
Typical location: City center

Husa Hotels
No one-trick pony, this Spanish chain's strength lies in its diverse roster of hotels, each defined by the type of experience the traveler might want. In Barcelona alone, you can choose between nearly two dozen very different Husa options — 12 branded "Urban" for their strategic city-center settings, and five in the higher-end "Luxury" level . Other lodging categories include "Holiday" (resorts like the beachfront Conil Park on the Atlantic Coast),"Well Being" (serenity-focused spots like Sant Bernat in the Sierra del Montseny, surrounded by woods and gardens), and "Mountain" (the Chalet Bassibé in the Valle de Aran, with a lobby fireplace and indoor-outdoor pools). At all hotels, however, you'll find well-priced rooms decorated with the kind of details that channel old-world glamour: leather, velvet and wood-paneling. Often, you'll find top-quality fitness centers, serious restaurants and spas. Sample rates: from $78 at the Husa Bonanova Park in Barcelona; from $67 at the Husa Conil Park in Conil; from $117 at the Sant Bernat in the Sierra del Montseny; from $112 at the Chalet Bassibé in Valle de Aran. husa.es
Properties: 101
Average size: Large
Typical location: All

Jurys Inn
Location is key at the Jurys Inn hotels, which are positioned in city centers all across England, Ireland and Scotland (plus one in Prague). They don't take many risks with the décor — most color palettes revolve around gray or brown — but the rooms are spacious and the hotels have on-site restaurants and consistent, professional service. Sample rates: from $78 at the Jurys Inn in Cork; from $87 at the Jurys Inn Prague; from $104 at the Jurys Inn Glasgow; from $98 at the Jurys Inn Liverpool. jurysinns.com
Properties: 32
Average size: Large
Typical location: City center

Median Hotels
This small French chain's strong suit is simple: solid, three-star rooms at reasonable prices in some of Europe's most expensive cities (Paris and Geneva). They're mainly in business suburbs or near convention centers and transportation hubs, and facilities typically include parking, WiFi and an on-site restaurant serving a buffet breakfast. (Depending on the hotel, they may also provide dinner and lunch service.) Reception is open 24 hours, and most rooms have minibars. Sample rates: from $103 at the Hotel Median Paris Châtillon; from $116 at the Hotel Median Geneve Aeroport. medianhotels.com
Properties: 5
Average size: Medium/large
Typical location: Airport/highway

Motel One
Boutique style at wallet-friendly prices is the hallmark of this German brand, which has more than 30 hotels in Germany, one each in Vienna and Scotland and dozens more in the pipeline (including places in Edinburgh, Brussels and Krakow). No matter which one you visit, you'll find the same design elements popping up in each: Mid-century-style egg chairs, damask-patterned wallpaper and lots of turquoise accents. It may not look as current in a decade, but for now, the interiors strike a nice balance between playfulness and polish. Free Wi-Fi, flatscreen TVs and monsoon showerheads round out the appeal. Rates start at $65 at each hotel. motel-one.com
Properties: 39
Average size: Large
Typical location: City centers

Omena Hotels
For fabulously affordable accommodations in a famously expensive region, check in to one of Omena's über-consistent Scandinavian locations. Rooms are nearly identical from one hotel to the next: All have a sleeping area with a double bed, a separate sitting area (with two armchairs that fold out into extra beds), an en-suite bath, and a TV, mini-fridge and microwave. One drawback: There's no staff on-site, so guests check themselves in with a security code from their online reservations, and contact a remote "reception desk" via phone with any questions. Rates start at $60 at all properties. omenahotels.com
Properties: 14
Average size: Medium/large
Typical ocation: City center

Premier Inn
This is the fastest-growing budget brand in the U.K., and it shows: With more than 600 hotels in cities, near airports, and along highways, there's pretty much always a Premier Inn nearby. With that kind of presence, they don't really have to deliver much else, but they've still improved upon the bare-bones motor lodge model. King-size platform beds are standard, bathrooms come with tubs and showers (not always a given in Europe), and most of the properties have their own restaurants and bars. Sample rates: from $52 at the Premier Inn Dublin Airport; from $95 at the Premier Inn Plymouth East in Plymouth, England. premiertravelinn.com
Properties: 600-plus
Average size: Large
Typical location: All

SORAT Hotels
This German chain's hotels are all over the map when it comes to décor: In Brandenburg you'll find leather sofas in the lobby and a restaurant that resembles a library, while the Nurnberg hotel has plaid-upholstered armchairs and framed drawings of sheep, and the IBB Hotel Erfurt is a restored medieval inn with exposed beams. What they all share, though, are reasonable rates, solid service and a not-too-big, not-too-small size that's perfect for folks who don't go for B&Bs or bland business hotels. Sample rates: from $68 at the SORAT Hotel Agneshof in Nurnberg; from $66 at the SORAT Hotel Ambassador in Berlin; from $79 at the IBB Hotel in Erfurt. sorat-hotels.com
Properties: 13
Average size: Medium
Typical location: City center

UNA Hotels
Enjoy affordability with style — and individuality — from this Italian brand. You can check into a converted 16th-century palazzo in Florence, a "2001: A Space Odyssey"-inspired hotel in central Bologna with white walls, primary-colored accents and space-age globe lamps, or a historic hotel in Sicily updated with a modern-Baroque décor. Sample rates: from $137 at the UNA Hotel Vittoria in Florence; from $152 at the UNA Hotel Venezia in Venice; from $144 at the UNA Hotel Modena; from $162 at the UNA Hotel Roma in Rome. unahotels.it
Properties: 26
Average size: Medium
Typical location: All

Mexico and South America
South American ratings systems tend to be fragmented (with different standards for different types of lodgings) or superficial, taking into account only facilities, not service or quality. In Mexico, however, you'll recognize the same AAA Diamond ratings you see in the U.S.

Casa Andina
Each of this homegrown Peruvian chain's hotels has its own style and charm — and reflects its unique location, whether it's in the Sacred Valley or on the banks of Lake Titicaca. The brand is split into Private Collection, Select and Classic hotels, with the latter being the most affordable. Choices include the rustic, village-style Casa Andina Classic in Colca, which has clay-roofed stone casitas and its own planetarium and observatory; and the Casa Andina Classic in Cusco Koricancha, set in two adjacent colonial manor houses. Sample rates: from $142 at the Cusco Koricancha in Cusco; from $120 at the Miraflores San Antonio in Lima; from $92 at the Puno Tikarani in Puno. casa-andina.com
Properties: 20
Average size: Medium
Typical location: City center/resort

One Hotels
There may not be much romance to Mexico's budget-friendly chain — hotels are typically located near airports or other transit hubs — but the rooms are bright and streamlined, with furnishings a step above Ikea, and man, do they pile on the perks. At most hotels, breakfast, WiFi and parking are all free, and snack bars and coin-operated laundry stations are readily available. Rates from $50. onehotels.com
Properties: 16
Average size: Large
Typical location: Airports/highways

Africa and the Middle East
Across the African continent, efforts are being made to standardize ratings. The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGSCA) revised its quality-oriented ratings system last year, resulting in lower ratings for many borderline properties; ratings will be reviewed annually. Malawi launched its first ratings system in 2010, and the East African Community (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi) is currently working toward a unified ratings system. Abu Dhabi debuted a new five-star system in 2011, although a handful of super-luxe hotels in the region have declared themselves as 6- or 7-star properties.

City Lodge Family of Hotels
This South African brand's hotels are separated into four categories: one-star Road Lodge hotels, two-star Town Lodges, three-star City Lodges and four-star Courtyards. Not surprisingly, the Courtyard options are the most charming, and have studio and suite options with kitchenettes, which can help offset the higher nightly rates (a March price check at the Courtyard Cape Town revealed a promo rate of $139 per night). Still, most all hotels under the brand's umbrella have on-site restaurants and WiFi, and even the one-star spots offer 24-hour service, breakfast and, in some cases, swimming pools. Sample rates: from $146 at the Courtyard Cape Town; from $158 at the City Lodge Durban. citylodge.co.za
Properties: 52
Average size: Medium/large
Typical location: City centers

Protea Hotels
Africa's largest hotel group, Protea has properties in eight countries — Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, Zambia, Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa and Malawi — plus one outpost in London.They range from country inns and mountain retreats to seaside resorts and city-chic spots. The urban hotels tend to be edgier — a purple pool table here, neon-pink lighting there — while the out-of-town properties are more likely to feature native artwork or old-fashioned canopy beds and floral-upholstered furniture. Sample rates: from $131 at the PH Thuringerhof in Windhoek, Namibia; from $165 at the PH Cape Castle in Cape Town. proteahotels.com
Properties: 120
Average size: Medium
Typical location: Resort

Rotana Hotels
Beginning with the Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi in 1993, the Rotana group has grown to include dozens of properties in Egypt, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, Kuwait, Qatar and more; by the end of 2012, their roster should total more than 70 properties in a variety of price categories. The "young and fresh" Centro sub-brand is the most budget-friendly — and even those properties feel decidedly upscale, thanks to features like floor-to-ceiling windows, flat-screen TVs and marble-topped desks. On-site dining and amenities like full gyms and rooftop pools enhance the experience. Sample rates: from $116 at the Centro Barsha in Dubai; from $81 at the Centro Al Manhal in Abu Dhabi. rotana.com
Properties: 70
Average size: Large
Typical location: All

5 new hotel brands to watch

Eaton Hotels
A sub-brand of the luxury Langham hotels, Eaton Hotels are split into Eaton Smart and Eaton Luxe options, plus one Eaton House Apartments location in Hong Kong: Eaton Smart properties have on-site eateries and gyms or pools, while Eaton Luxe adds extras like 24-hour room service and complimentary Internet access — and an aesthetic that's straight from the pages of a Pottery Barn catalog. There are currently one Eaton Luxe (Shanghai) and two Eaton Smarts (Hong Kong and New Delhi Airport.) More are set to open in China through the next two years, along with one in Bali in 2014. Sample rates: from $107 at the Eaton Luxe in Shanghai; from $142 at the Eaton Smart in Hong Kong. eatonhotels.com
Properties: 4
Average size: Large
Typical location: All

dusitD2
Thailand's luxury Dusit brand has earned raves for its sleek boutique sub-brand dusitD2, which is both design-focused and more wallet-friendly than its exclusive sibling — and comes with resort-worthy perks such as on-site spas, spacious pool decks and concierge service. At present there are only two dusitD2 locations — one in central Chiang Mai, another near the beaches of Pattaya — with two more in the works (New Delhi and Pasadena, California.) Sample rate: from $130 in Chiang Mai. dusit.com/dusit-d2
Properties: 2
Average size: Medium/large
Typical location: Resort

CitizenM
Citizen M's first outpost, at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, revolutionized the concept of the transit hotel. Now, the budget brand has expanded to city centers (Amsterdam and Glasgow currently, with London and New York on the way). Their "affordable luxury" concept shows up in swanky lobbies outfitted with Eames loungers and 24-hour canteens, and in the guest rooms, where colored mood lighting, wake-up calls, in-room movies, the thermostat and even the window blinds can all be controlled from the same high-tech “mood pad” remote control. Sample rates: from $92 in Amsterdam City; from $94 in Glasgow. citizenm.com
Properties: 3
Average size: Large
Typical location: All

The Big Sleep Hotel
With their floral Orla Kiely wallpapers, pastel accents and clawfoot tubs, this mini-chain of hotels (one in Wales, two in England) might be better suited for girlfriend getaways than stag weekends — but some of the rooms do come in blue, and the prices for the family suites can't be beat (from $55 for a double plus bunk beds in Cardiff). All rooms have flat-screen TVs, tea/coffee makers, WiFi and broadband (for a fee), and rates include a buffet breakfast. Starting rate: from $46. thebigsleephotel.com
Properties: 3
Average size: Medium
Typical location: City center

YOTEL
Inspired by the mod — and modular — design of first-class airplane cabins, YOTEL's four branches (three at airports in London and Amsterdam, one on New York City's west side) feature supremely compact rooms (aka "cabins") with fold-down work desks, flat-panel TVs, and, in some cases, bunk beds. The WiFi is free, kitchenettes are in the hall, dining is on-site, and rates are by the hour. Sample rates: from $113 in London Gatwick for 24 hours; from $99 in Amsterdam Schiphol for 24 hours. yotel.com
Properties: 4
Average size: Medium
Typical location: Airport/highway

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Courtesy of Frenchy's Oasis Motel

Frenchy's Oasis Motel in Clearwater, Fla., sports a retro paint job. Most of the 15 units have kitchens and dinettes, and 12 come with balconies or patio areas.

Quiet, sand dune-sheltered shorelines, busy spring break towns, offbeat fishing villages, and sunsets like you won't see anywhere else in the state: Florida's Gulf Coast has them all. It also has plenty of soulless, high-rise, time-share condos and bland chain hotels. So we hit the road to dig up better options — homey, intimate hotels and B&Bs that reflect the particular character of their towns (and their owners). The result? This greatest-hits list of 10 unforgettable Florida-coast stays — all with rooms for $155 or less, even in high season.

Slideshow: See the hotels

Cape San Blas Inn
Set on a remote spit of land between St. Joseph Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, the seven-room Cape San Blas Inn feels like a true getaway. Maybe more away than some people would like; with 15 miles between the hotel and the nearest town, Port St. Joe, there's very little shopping or dining nearby, nor much entertainment beyond nature's offerings. But those are grand: Bobcats, bears, bald eagles and manatees can all be spotted in the area — perhaps even from the inn's hot tub, perched at the end of the private dock that juts into the bay.

A broad, white-sand beach is all of 500 feet in the opposite direction, and an even more spectacular one is just three miles up the road in St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, a 2,516-acre preserve whose large dunes (up to 40 feet) and crystal-clear water make it a fixture on nationwide top-10 beach lists. Guests are well equipped for exploring the area, with free access to three canoes, a kayak, beach chairs and bicycles—perfect for cruising along the cape's smooth bike paths and working off the inn's hearty breakfasts (homemade apple fritters, stuffed French toast, eggs benedict, and fresh-squeezed orange juice are all menu regulars).

Most of the guest rooms have private porches or patios, and all have mini-fridges and Sleep Number beds — best enjoyed in one of the upstairs rooms, which are notably quieter than the ground floor options. 4950 Cape San Blas Rd, Port St. Joe, capesanblasinn.com, free Wi-Fi, from $150, breakfast included.

Coombs House Inn
There's a postcard-perfect quality to the Coombs House Inn, which is spread across three pristinely restored Victorian buildings in the heart of Apalachicola. It's appeal isn't all that surprising when you consider that its owner, interior designer Lynn Wilson, has worked on big-name hotels all over the world (Ritz-Carlton, Park Hyatt, Taj), counting both Donald Trump and the King of Morocco among her clients.

With its sunny yellow paint, dark-green shutters, and crisp white trim, the inn has come a long way from the tumbledown relic Wilson first spotted on a visit to Apalachicola with her husband in the late 1970s. "When I saw it, I said, 'I'm going to fix it up; I'm going to show people that this little town is wonderful and spectacular and just needs some TLC,'" Wilson recalls. Fortunately, all the TLC that Wilson poured into renovating the historic property (it was built by an area lumber baron in 1905) and furnishing it with four-poster beds and antique oil paintings is more than matched by the efforts paid to pampering guests.

There's a daily tea-and-cookies service from 3pm-5pm, wine tastings on Fridays and Saturdays in the parlor, and each of the 23 rooms is stocked with robes, complimentary bottled water, and Starbucks coffee — and about a third of them even have whirlpool tubs. As for the town itself? It's finally having its moment in the sun, after years of being known only for its excellent local oysters: This year, Sports Illustrated magazine featured Apalachicola and the nearby St. George Island in its swimsuit issue, and the models and crew made their temporary home — where else? — at Coombs House Inn. 80 Sixth St., Apalachicola, coombshouseinn.com, free Wi-Fi, from $129 in high season, breakfast included.

Frenchy's Oasis Motel
Where the Jetsons might vacation, only without the robots. This Clearwater Beach motel opened in late 2010, but it feels straight out of the '60s with its wash of citrus colors and Mad Men-inspired design. The Mad Man behind it? Owner Michael "Frenchy" Preston, a native of Quebec and a longtime Clearwater restaurateur who, for years, owned property next door to the formerly run-down motel.

Attracted by the period design — it's a classic motor lodge with a courtyard pool — he decided to fix it up and make his first foray into lodging. Now, the façade glows in shades of lemon and orange, while the 15 guest rooms sport sunburst clocks, wave-shaped mirrors and old-school tourist postcards enlarged into canvas prints. Most of the units have kitchens and dinettes, and 12 come with private balconies or patio areas. All guests have access to the poolside barbecue grill, the DVD lending library in the lounge, and the no-coins-required on-site laundry room, plus one more priceless perk: discounts at any of Frenchy's four local restaurants. 423 East Shore Dr., Clearwater Beach, frenchysoasismotel.com, free Wi-Fi, from $129 in high season, breakfast not included.

Low-Key Hideaway Motel and RV
The sign posted above the pathway to Pat and Cindy Bonish's Hideaway Tiki Bar (part of their Low-Key Hideaway Motel and RV resort) says it all: "Welcome to the Institute of Low-Key Living." It's no joke — after nearly four years spent crisscrossing the U.S. in their RV, collecting ideas about how they'd run a place if they ever stopped traveling, the Bonishes have the art of unwinding down to a science.

The first element? Make it an adults-only escape. Number two: Keep it casual. When the couple took over operations of the property — one of their old haunts — a little over two years ago, they raised the comfort level (600-thread-count sheets) without going haute. The five shabby-chic rooms are decorated with hunks of driftwood and furniture from thrift shops and antique stores, and some beds have headboards fashioned from old doors; each room also has a kitchenette and private bath. The couple also kept the four RV spots (with full hookups) on-site — a nod to their own epic road trips.

Rule number three: Make the most of what you have. There's no beach on the property, but a half-mile kayak ride will get you to a private island; restaurants are a short ride away on the motel's free bikes; and the sunsets at the waterfront tiki bar are spectacular. So what if they don't serve food? You can order delivery from the local pizza joint right to your barstool. Low-key? Yes, but also delightfully unpretentious and decidedly Old-Florida. 12050 SR 24, Cedar Key, lowkeyhideaway.com, free Wi-Fi, from $65, breakfast not included.

Mango Street Inn
With years of experience running restaurants in both Virginia and Belize, Tree and Dan Andre were more than qualified to handle the "breakfast" part of the B&B they dreamed of opening one day in an old-fashioned Florida-coast town like Fort Myers Beach. They were less prepared to deal with the state of the property they bought on that town's tropical-sounding Mango Street in 2008.

"We didn't realize it was a crack house," Tree says. She can laugh about it now; after months of gutting and renovation, the couple's welcoming inn is the type of place where guests gather around a fire pit in the courtyard and drink wine at night or sit together under the pergola for Dan's Cajun-inflected breakfasts (say, shrimp jambalaya cakes with fried egg and chipotle tomato sauce on top; less-spicy options are also available).

The six suites — four one-bedrooms, two with two bedrooms — all have private bathrooms, full kitchens, and homey furniture the couple has amassed (or made) over the years: patchwork quilts, ceramic-tile-topped coffee tables, wooden animal carvings. Well-behaved pets are allowed, and may find friends in Cookie the dog and Thomas and Hector the cats. Said guest Jim Palmer of Minnesota: "Where else can you show up for breakfast barefoot, with your dog, and be served a gourmet meal?" The beach is a mere 199 steps away, and the inn provides a wagon for guests to haul beach chairs, umbrellas and coolers. 126 Mango St., Fort Myers Beach, mangostreetinn.com, free Wi-Fi, from $145 in high season, breakfast included.

Naples Courtyard Inn
Staying on Naples' busy Tamiami Trail has its advantages: easy access to restaurants, shops (the chi-chi waterfront Village on Venetian Bay shopping center), art galleries and even the Naples Zoo. The trade-off? Mostly cookie-cutter chain lodging that might as well be anywhere. Except, that is, for the Naples Courtyard Inn, a 76-room family-run spot with a distinct sense of community.

Nora LaPorta's in-laws bought the place six years ago and revamped just about everything, giving the rooms a crisp new look and adding botanical-themed artwork, granite vanities, mini-fridges, and microwaves. LaPorta acts as hotel manager and de facto social coordinator; don't be surprised if she swings by to let you know about an impromptu mixer in the thatched-roof chickee hut by the pool. Or just show up there in the afternoons, when guests gather for fresh iced tea and conversation after a day at the city's 10 miles of sandy beaches, just a 5-minute drive away. 2630 Tamiami Trail North, Naples, naplescourtyardinn.com, free Wi-Fi, from $99 in high season, breakfast included.

The Peninsula Inn & Spa
Leave it to a (former) professional jazz musician to cobble together a distinctive inn with just the right balance of polish and improvisation. Its refined, romantic features — the on-site spa, two restaurants and spacious veranda — make The Peninsula a favorite site for small weddings and family reunions. But there's also a funkier side to this landmark building, which Alexandra Kingzett and her husband Jim bought in 1999 when it was a boarded-up shell.

To start, it has a colorful history, having served as a hospital, a nursing home and another hotel at different points in the past. (The original extra-large elevator was designed to fit gurneys.) Some say there's even a resident ghost, Isabelle, a former inhabitant after whom one of the inn's restaurants is named.

The five suites and six guest rooms are themed around British colonial outposts —Bombay, Katmandu, Casablanca — and decorated with furniture hand-carved in Indonesia. And, of course, there's music: A blues bands plays in the courtyard Tuesday nights, Wednesdays bring a jazz-piano ensemble, and Alexandra herself has been known to put on occasional performances at the piano in the bar. You can even get in on the action yourself, at the open mic night held every other Thursday. 2937 Beach Blvd., Gulfport, innspa.net, free Wi-Fi, weekend rates from $119 in high season, breakfast included.

The Sun and Moon Inn
Time was, the most colorful thing you saw on a visit to Matlacha (pronounced matt-la-SHAY), a tiny island fishing community in the Pine Island Sound, was a particularly vibrant redfish. But over the last two decades, the island has quietly been remaking itself as a tucked-away arts enclave, with a string of galleries set in converted fishermen's cottages and a dozen or so brightly-painted waterfront restaurants — many of which accommodate arrival by kayak. (Tip for the sweet-toothed: Try a scoop of homemade coconut at Great Licks Ice Cream.)

Fishing is still Matlacha's primary draw, though, and there's no better home base than the Sun and Moon Inn, a five-room lodge on the Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve, where kayakers, boaters and jumping mullet keep up a steady flow of traffic. Curt Peer, who owns the inn with his sister, is happy to dole out fishing tips or lead guests on moonlit kayak trips, and rents out kayaks for $50 per day. Three of the rooms have balconies with views of the pool and hot tub (both open 24 hours), and all have private baths, mini-fridges and generous floor plans. In Peer's typical laid-back style, the continental breakfast is available throughout the day, and there's an Italian restaurant right next door and a barbecue grill for guests to cook up their catch. 3962 NW Pine Island Rd., Matlacha, sunandmoon.net, free Wi-fi, rates from $125 in high season, breakfast included.

Watergarden Inn at the Bay
With a slew of just-opened arts attractions — the glass-sheathed Dali Museum, the Morean Arts Center's Chihuly Collection — and a snazzy new pier on the way (projected completion date: 2015), The Sunshine City of St. Petersburg is experiencing something of a renaissance.

Appropriately enough, the century-old building that houses Watergarden Inn at the Bay emerged from a rebirth of its own this month (March 2012), thanks to the efforts of new owner Bill Witt, an architect from Seattle with a penchant for collecting interesting pieces and an eye for clean, welcoming spaces. The 14-room inn near the city's downtown waterfront mixes old-fashioned charm, modern design and a real Florida feel: An antique radio anchors the lobby, while the sunny sitting room pairs wicker armchairs and a cozy leather sofa with brightly colored end tables and a house guitar for the musically inclined. Witt also installed a brand new swimming pool on the half-acre property, to go with the existing deck, garden, and second-floor patio, and renovated the house next door to contain two 2-room suites and the owners' quarters.

All guest rooms have private baths, flat-screen TVs, and in-room Keurig coffee makers; many also have king-size featherbeds and double-size whirlpool baths. 126 4th Avenue Northeast, St. Petersburg, innatthebay.com, free Wi-Fi, rates from $155 in high season, breakfast included.

Wisteria Inn
Miles away (in spirit) from the Margaritaville madness of Panama City Beach — but still close enough to drop in for dinner if you'd like — Wisteria Inn offers a mellow, grown-up alternative to the spring break atmosphere you'll find farther down the beach. (Kids under 12 aren't allowed; pets are.) Owner Bronwen DuKate took over the motel in 2001, giving each of the 14 rooms its own color palette or theme: The South Beach room is all lime green and turquoise, with paintings of tropical fish, while the Serenghetti room incorporates animal-print bedding and carved wooden masks.

The rooms aren't huge — especially the cheapest ones in the back — but all have private baths, coffee makers, mini-fridges and tile floors. And there's more to see outside, anyway. Within the inn's walled tropical garden, you'll find a decked-out pool area, a palm-shaded koi pond and a hot tub; a quiet, clean stretch of beach is just across the street. Breakfast isn't part of the deal here, but complimentary mimosas (at noon) and wine (in the early evening) are. And since DuKate doubles as captain of a 45-foot yacht, C'est Si Bon, it couldn't be easier to arrange an excursion on the water; she routinely takes groups of guests (minimum of 4) out on the boat for $65 a person. 20404 Front Beach Rd., Panama City Beach, wisteria-inn.com, free Wi-Fi, rates from $109 in high season, breakfast not included.

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Courtesy of Southern Ocean Lodge

Southern Ocean Lodge offers luxury accommodations on Kangaroo Island, Australia, Situated on the island's southwest coast, the lodge adjoins both the Flinders Chase and Cape Bouguer national parks.

If the best architecture aims at eternity, to paraphrase famed English architect Christopher Wren, then these new hotels are bound to be immortal. The 11 hotels on our list all opened within the last four years, and each is an example of awe-inspiring design in its own right. You can stay in a wave-like skyscraper in Chicago, a stack of cantilevered cubes in Portugal, or a hotel tucked into the wild cliffs of an Australian island. And, even better, it won't cost a fortune to spend a night in these architectural wonders. Seven of the 11 are under $200 a night.

Slideshow: The hotel world's most striking architecture

Bella Sky Comwell, Copenhagen, Denmark

The two structures that make up the Bella Sky each incline at a slightly different angle. Or as the architects sweetly put it, the towers are drawn to each other, "yet seem a little shy." In fact, the creative use of angles is employed both inside the property and out — geometric angles give the exterior a filigreed look, while inside the hotel there are rooms where there are no 90-degrees at all (there are more than 200 different room shapes in the 812-room hotel). The location, in the Copenhagen neighborhood of Orestad five miles from the city center, actually inspired the leaning-tower design. The buildings are so close to the airport that height restrictions dictate that they must not exceed 246 feet. (011-45/3247-3000, bellaskycomwell.dk, from $155 per night.)

Jumeirah at Etihad Towers Hotel, Abu Dhabi

Queensland architecture firm DBI Design won the World's Leading New Hotel Award for 2011 for this stunning $1 billion residential and retail center. The complex is made up of five towers on a beachside stretch on a peninsula in Abu Dhabi. Constructing the buildings that now dominate the modern skyline posed structural challenges. The towers all curve, meaning each floor slab is a different shape. The 382-room Jumeirah hotel takes up 66 stories of one of the towers. (888/645-5697, jumeirah.com, from $192 per night.)

Hotel Consolación, Teruel, Spain

Perched atop a ridge, this collection of 10 freestanding, wood-clad modernist cubes, or "Kube" suites, opened in 2009. Located in the rural mountain town of Teruel (a three-hour drive from both Barcelona and Valencia), the sleek cubes create a beautiful juxtaposition with the groves of olive and almond trees that surround them. Each suite has a sliding glass wall that opens onto a private terrace, and, inside, sparse interiors combine slate, copper-treated pine and metal sheeting. The hotel incorporates some classic elements as well: a converted 14th-century hermitage serves as a communal area for guests. (011-34-978/85-67-55, consolacion.com.es, from $185 per night.)

Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island, Australia

Architect Max Pritchard designed this lodge to blend into the dramatic surroundings of Kangaroo Island. Tucked back behind cliffs, the hotel opened in 2008 and consists of 21 suites cascading down a windswept slope, following the natural curve of the land, each with floor-to-ceiling glass walls and sweeping views of the Southern Ocean. Suites were constructed from lightweight materials — steel screw piles, timber framing, iron cladding — that could be carried in to create minimal disturbance to nature, and which also could handle the challenge of building on precarious soil conditions (several feet of sand atop solid limestone). Inside are environmentally sound sandblasted limestone floors and recycled spotted-gum walls. The off-the-grid location led to innovations such as sculptural containers for collecting rainwater. (931/924-5253, southernoceanlodge.com.au, from $1,000 per person, per night with a two-night minimum.) 

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

This trio of 55-story towers opened in 2010 and hold an incredible 2,561 hotel rooms, plus a museum, casino, convention center, waterfront promenade, shops and restaurants. Architect Moshe Safdie has said that his challenge "was to create a vital public place at the district-urban scale-in other words, to address the issue of megascale and invent an urban landscape that would work at the human scale." His way of dealing with that was to design the complex around two central axes to give a sense of orientation. The towers are connected at the top by the cantilevered, two-and-a-half-acre SkyPark, home to gardens, 250 trees, a public observatory and a 492-foot swimming pool — all perched high in the sky like a fantastical cruise ship forever suspended in midair. (011-65/6688-8868, marinabaysands.com, from $350 per night.)

Yas Viceroy Hotel, Abu Dhabi

This 499-room hotel was the first to be built straddling a Formula 1 racetrack (it opened in 2009 and was renovated in 2011 to become a Viceroy). The structure consists of a pair of 12-story towers joined by a sweeping, 700-foot curvilinear skin of glass and steel — actually 5,800 pivoting, diamond-shaped glass panels that reflect the sky by day and are illuminated up by an LED system at night. The architects' aim was to reflect artistry and geometries associated with ancient Islamic art and craft traditions, and from a distance the panels create the appearance of a spectacular veil. (888/622-4567, viceroyhotelsandresorts.com ; from about $210 per night.)

Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel, Stockholm

The pièce de résistance at this 414-room hotel of white polished stone and rough black stone is its attached conference center — a glass structure with an exterior made up of 13 miles of semi-transparent stainless steel rods. They reflect the sky and water, radically change the skyline, and are what architect Hans Forsmark describes as "a reminiscence of the Nordic Light." The interiors of the hotel, which opened in 2011, follow straight lines and geometric precision. (800/333-3333, radissonblu.com, from $155 per night.)

Axis Viana Hotel, Viana do Castelo, Portugal

The 88-room Axis Viana Hotel was a striking addition to the folkloric village of Viana do Castelo when it opened in 2008. The exterior is made up of reflective aluminum, black glass and green stone, and the cantilevered design changes the shape of the hotel depending upon your vantage point. The contrasting interior consists of white finishes and materials including wood and stone. It's all edged by a shimmering outdoor pool and surrounded by views of the Lima River and Mount St. Luzia. (011-351/258-802-000, axishoteis.com, from $100 per night.)

Hôtel Americano, New York

The 10-story Americano sits on the site of a former parking garage in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. Neighbors were likely pleased with the swap when the hotel opened in 2011. The building looks like a massive metal sculpture — perfect for the gallery-filled neighborhood — with floors connected by catwalks and wrapped with stainless-steel mesh. The industrial façade holds 56 rooms plus two restaurants, a lobby café and two basement bars; for urban escape, there is a roof deck with a pool, bar and peaceful garden terrace. (212/216-0000, hotel-americano.com, from $295 per night.)

Miura Hotel, Celadná, Czech Republic

Rising like a geometric spaceship in the Beskydy Mountains is this distinctive hotel made of concrete, sheet metal, violet glass, Corian and stone. Miura opened in 2011 and is divided into three parts, one of which seems to levitate above the ground, plus two side wings containing the 44 rooms. The arrangement means that all of the rooms have views of the surrounding mountains. The striking hotel also has an impressive art collection, with works by Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst and Czech sculptor David Černý. Known for his large-scale installations, Černý's works here include an almost 30-foot-tall stainless-steel man pushing against the exterior of the hotel. (011-420/558-761-100, www.miura.cz, from $126 per night.)

Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago

Architect Jeanne Gang literally made waves in a city full of iconic skyscrapers with her showstopper building. The 82-story glass structure's exterior has undulating concrete balconies resembling the swirls and ripples of nearby Lake Michigan. Such a unique design brought with it a unique construction challenge — each floor plate is a different shape, which means a different concrete pour was required for every story. To manage it, the concrete was poured into a specially designed flexible metal edge that was reused over and over again — an important detail for green architecture. Much of the building is designated for private residences, but the 334-room Radisson Blu Aqua opened on 18 floors in November 2011. (312/565-5258, radissonbluchicago.com, from $175 per night.) 

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Slideshow: National Cherry Blossom Festival's 100th anniversary

Karen Bleier / AFP - Getty Images

This year marks 100 years since the gift of 3,000 cherry trees from Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki to Washington, D.C.

Launch slideshow

It doesn't get much more beautiful than blossom season, and while cherry trees tend to get all the love this time of year, there are plenty of other arboreal displays to admire. The problem — for those of us who aren't particularly savvy about these things — is figuring out exactly what kind of tree you're appreciating at any given time.

Turns out, an app we featured last fall in our roundup of leaf–peeping–season gear is just as useful for shedding a light on spring's spellbinding displays as it is for illuminating fall's most colorful foliage.

The Leafsnap app, which works with iPhones and iPads (and is free), is a continually–updated electronic field guide that puts 2,500 high–res photos of native American trees' leaves, bark, fruit and flowers in the palm of your hand. Flip through the images in the database for fun, or snap a photo with your device and upload it to the app to find the match.

And if you just feel like doing some armchair blossom–spotting, check out the Field Guide to Flowering Trees of the World Flickr group; it's got more than 11,000 photos of some 1,300 different species of tree, all labeled with their scientific names.

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Don't look like a tourist in Chile by eating french fries with your fingers. Use a fork instead. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

You have good manners, right? After all, you (usually) keep your elbows off the table and say "Please pass the salt," right? But when you head abroad, things get a little more complicated. Case in point: Rest your chopsticks the wrong way, and you might remind a Japanese friend of their grandmother's funeral (Rule 2). But knowing what the etiquette rules are won't just save you from some awkward situations, says Dean Allen, author of the "Global Etiquette Guide" series. It can also help you make friends. "It's really a statement of your openness and awareness of the fact that the people you're with ... may in fact see the world differently," he says. "It's simply going to get you out of the tourist bubble." Sound good? Then here are 15 rules to keep in mind.

In Thailand, don't put food in your mouth with a fork.

Instead, when eating a dish with cooked rice, use your fork only to push food onto your spoon. A few exceptions: Some northern and northeastern Thai dishes are typically eaten with the hands — you'll know you've encountered such a dish if the rice used is glutinous or "sticky." Also, stand-alone items that are not part of a rice-based meal may be eaten with a fork. But, says Leela Punyaratabandhu, a food writer who blogs at SheSimmers.com, the worst thing to do at a traditional, rice-based meal would be to use chopsticks. "That is awkward and inconvenient at best and tacky at worst," she says.

In Japan, never stick your chopsticks upright in your rice.

Between bites, your chopsticks should be placed together right in front of you, parallel to the edge of the table — and nowhere else, says Mineko Takane Moreno, Japanese cooking instructor and co-author of "Sushi for Dummies." (If there is a chopsticks rest, you use it, putting the tips you've been eating with on the rest.) But sticking them upright in a bowl of rice is even worse: During funerals in Japan, the rice bowl of the deceased is placed before their coffin ... with their chopsticks upright in the rice. So what would she rather see: Someone doing that at a meal, or asking for a fork? Mineko doesn't hesitate. "Asking for a fork," she says.

In the Middle East, India and parts of Africa, don't eat with your left hand.

In South India, you shouldn't even touch the plate with your left hand while eating. That's largely because the left hand is associated with, um, bodily functions, so it's considered to be dirty. In fact, says Allen, don't even pass important documents with your left hand. A lefty? Then it's okay to use your left hand — as long as you take your right hand out of the game.

At a traditional feast in Georgia, it's rude to sip your wine.

At what Georgians call a supra (traditional feast), wine is drunk only at toasts. So wait for those ... and then down the whole glass at once. On the upside, says Georgia-based photographer and videographer Paul Stephens, the glasses tend to be on the small side.

In Mexico, never eat tacos with a fork and knife.

Worried about spilling refried beans and salsa all over your front? Tough. Mexicans think that eating tacos with a fork and knife looks silly and, worse, snobby — kind of like eating a burger with silverware. So be polite: Eat with your hands.

In Italy, drink a cappuccino only before noon.

Some Italians say that a late-day cappuccino upsets your stomach, others that it's a replacement for a meal (it's common to have just a cappuccino, or a cappuccino and a croissant, for breakfast). Either way, you won't see Italians ordering one in a café at 3 p.m. — and certainly not after a big dinner. Do so, and you'll be instantly branded a tourist. If you need that coffee fix, though, an espresso is fine.

In Britain, always pass the port to the left — and remember the Bishop of Norwich.

It's unclear why passing port on the left is so important; some say it has to do with naval tradition (the port side of a boat is on your left if you're facing the helm). Regardless, passing the decanter to the right is a big gaffe. So is not passing it at all. If you're at a meal and the decanter stalls, then ask the person with it, "Do you know the Bishop of Norwich?" If they say they don't know him, reply, "He's a very good chap, but he always forgets to pass the port." It sounds weird, but it's true. This is such a nationwide tradition, the Telegraph newspaper wrote an article on it.

In France, don't eat your bread as an appetizer before the meal.

Instead, eat it as an accompaniment to your food or, especially, to the cheese course at the end of the meal. That said, one thing that would be a faux pas anywhere else — placing bread directly on the table and not on a plate — is perfectly acceptable in France. In fact, it's preferred.

In China, don't flip the fish.

Although you might be used to flipping over a whole fish once you've finished one side, don't — at least not when you're in China, especially southern China and Hong Kong. That's because flipping the fish is dao yue in Chinese, a phrase similar to "bad luck." Plus, says Allen, "to flip the fish over is like saying that the fisherman's boat is going to capsize." The most superstitious will leave the bottom part untouched, while others will pull off the bone itself to get to the bottom.

In Italy, don't ask for parmesan for your pizza — or any other time it's not explicitly offered.

Putting parmigiano on pizza is seen as a sin, like putting Jell-O on a fine chocolate mousse. And many pasta dishes in Italy aren't meant for parmesan: In Rome, for example, the traditional cheese is pecorino, and that's what goes on many classic pastas like bucatini all'amatriciana, not parmesan. A rule of thumb: If they don't offer it to you, don't ask for it.

Don't eat anything, even fries, with your hands at a meal in Chile.

Manners here are a little more formal than many other South American countries. So while it might be the most practical to just pick up those fries with your fingers, don't do it. "The greater need is to identify with European culture, so food is [eaten] with a knife and a fork," Allen says.

In Korea, if an older person offers you a drink, lift your glass to receive it with both hands.

Doing so is a sign of respect for elders, an important tenet of Korean culture. After receiving the pour with both hands, you should turn your head away and take a discreet sip, says Stephen Cha-Kim, a Korean-born worker's rights advocate who regularly visits family in Korea. "To this day, if anybody hands me anything, both hands shoot out instinctively," Cha-Kim says. Similarly, don't start eating until the eldest male has done so (and don't leave the table until that person is finished).

Never mix — or turn down — vodka in Russia.

The beverage is always drunk neat — and no, not even with ice. Adding anything is seen as polluting the drink's purity (unless the mixer is beer, which produces a formidable beverage known as yorsh). But there's another faux pas that's even worse, says Allen: when you're offered the drink and you turn it down. Since offering someone a drink is a sign of trust and friendship, it's a good idea to take it. Even if it is 9 a.m.

When drinking coffee with Bedouins in the Middle East, shake the cup at the end.

Typically, anyone Bedouin — or Bedouin-related — will continue to pour you more coffee once you've finished unless you shake the cup, meaning tilting the cup two or three times, when you hand it back. It's such an important tip, says Middle East-based freelance correspondent Haley Sweetland Edwards, that last year, Bedouins she was eating with in Qatar made her practice it until she got it right.

In Brazil, play your tokens wisely.

At a churrascaria, or a Brazilian steakhouse, servers circle with cuts of meat and diners use tokens to place an order. If a server comes out with something you want, make sure your token, which you'll have at your table, has the green side up. If you don't want any more, flip it with the red side up. Since the meat can be never-ending, it's important to strategize — if you leave that token green side up you could end up ordering a lot more than you intended. 

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Courtesy of The Biltmore Company

The walled garden below Biltmore House in Asheville, N.C., features blooms with more than 50,000 Dutch tulips each spring.

You might think home and garden tours are merely a superficial pleasure (the kind Grandma might enjoy), but you're only half right. Sure, these estates offer their fair share of sensory pleasures — the scent of blossoming flowers, the gurgle of fountains, the warmth of the sunshine as you traverse the grounds — but their beauty is far from skin-deep. To make our list, a property had to be as interesting as it is beautiful, and the result is a collection of homes with real stories to tell. A Georgian Revival mansion that housed descendants of Abraham Lincoln, a palatial, Charles II-style mansion so striking that three classic Hollywood films were shot there — these are the kinds of places you'll still be talking about long after you've left. And then there are the gardens — romantic, Italian-inspired grounds, tropical forests, the gardening world's versions of the Mona Lisa and David. Yes, Grandma would like these places, but who wouldn't?

Slideshow: See the fabulous home and garden tours

Filoli, Woodside, Calif.

Husband-and-wife gold-mine owners built this Georgian-inspired 36,000-square-foot house between 1915 and 1917, about 30 miles south of San Francisco. But the property's star feature is the 16-acre English Renaissance garden, which was completed in 1929. The 654-acre Filoli estate is known for its bonsai and magnolia collections, as well as the largest heirloom orchard in private hands in the United States.

Best time to visit: In February through August on the fourth Wednesday of every month (and the third Wednesday in September and October), Filoli hosts afternoon teas, where visitors snack on scones with fresh lemon curd and sip tea out of china cups. Open Tuesdays-Sundays (except holidays) until October 21 in 2012, 86 Cañada Rd., 650/364-8300, filoli.org, admission $15, tea $45 (including admission).

Hildene, Manchester, Vt.

The 107-year-old Hildene is a must-see for presidential-history buffs: After all, it was built by Robert Lincoln, the only son of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln to survive into adulthood. Set on a promontory 300 feet above the Battenkill Valley in Vermont's southwest corner, the Georgian Revival mansion housed descendants of the president until 1975 and still contains Lincoln family heirlooms, such as a 1,000-pipe organ installed in 1908, as well as one of only three of the President's iconic stovepipe hats in existence today. Hildene's gardens are notable for their multi-colored flowers, including more than 1,000 peony blooms, planted to resemble a cathedral-style stained-glass window.

Best time to visit: Mid-June marks the start of peony season; visit the Hoyt Garden to see Hildene's massive collection of the flowers (many from the original plantings) in bloom. Open daily (except for major holidays), 1005 Hildene Rd., 800/578-1788, hildene.org, admission $16.

Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum, Milwaukee, Wis.

Built in 1923, the Villa Terrace was once owned by Lloyd Smith, president of the A.O. Smith Corporation, which made bicycle parts, hot water heaters, and later heavy munitions during World War II. The place now serves as a decorative arts museum, housing pieces from the 15th to the 18th centuries, including an extensive collection of artisan iron crafts. The estate's grounds, which overlook Lake Michigan, are known for the Renaissance Garden, which was modeled after 16th-century Tuscany and restored in 2002. Highlights include bushes that sprout culinary and medicinal herbs and the Scaletta d'Aqua, a water stairway that flows down past three terraces of crab apple trees into a fishpond.

Best time to visit: Every year, on the first Sunday in June, the Renaissance Garden celebrates its official opening with free admission. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 2220 N. Terrace Ave., 414/271-3656, villaterracemuseum.org, admission $5.

Monticello, Charlottesville, Va.

Designed by Thomas Jefferson in the neoclassical style, this plantation home sits on a mountaintop 70 miles northwest of Richmond. From oval flowerbeds to winding paths, Jefferson designed every fruit, vegetable, and flower garden over two centuries ago. Today, those gardens are planted up to three times per year to let seasonal flowers shine, including bee balm and calendula. Don't miss the home itself, where you can see Jefferson's 18th-century furniture, books, and gadgets such as the polygraph, a device which used pens and ink to make exact duplicates of his letters as he wrote them.

Best time to visit: Spring and early summer bring the prettiest blossoms. Vibrant tulips reign late April; ornamental Sweet William and delicate Canterbury bells bloom in May. Open daily except Christmas, 931 Thomas Jefferson Parkway, 434/984-9822, monticello.org, admission $17-$24 (depending on the season).

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, N.C.

Set against the Blue Ridge Mountains, George Vanderbilt's 250-room chateau-style estate ranks as the largest private home in America. The 75 acres of formal and informal gardens — from a tree-specked shrub garden with meandering paths to a manicured Italian garden dotted with pools — were designed by master landscaper Frederick Law Olmsted, best known for creating New York City's Central Park. There's also a conservatory filled with tropical plants and a rose garden, which houses more than 250 varieties of the flower.

Best time to visit: During the annual Festival of Flowers (April 7-May 20), Biltmore's gardens burst with color as tulips and azaleas start to bloom. Open 365 days a year, 1 Lodge St., 800/411-3812, biltmore.com, admission varies by season and ranges from $35-$64.

Bartram's Garden, Philadelphia, Penn.

Located less than 15 minutes from downtown Philadelphia, this 45-acre farmstead's bucolic vibe belies its urban surroundings. Not only do the grounds hold native species of ferns, wildflowers and trees, including America's oldest gingko, but they're also home to the country's oldest living botanical garden, which botanist John Bartram started in 1728.

Best time to visit: In past springs, boats to Bartram's have departed from Philadelphia's Central City, though prices and dates have not been set for this year. After a cruise down the Schuylkill River, visitors are led on a tour of Bartram's grounds. Open year-round (except holidays), 54th St. and Lindbergh Blvd., 215/729-5281, bartramsgarden.org, admission $10; boat tour tickets available at schuylkillbankstours.tix.com.

Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, Charleston, S.C.

A former slave plantation established in 1679, Magnolia contains America's oldest public gardens. They were constructed in 1840 by John Grimké Drayton, the original estate owner's great-great grandson, and opened to visitors three decades later. Today, the English-style gardens feature winding paths lined with native azaleas (Grimké Drayton is said to have introduced the flower to the U.S.) and antique camellias, as well as a pre-Revolution-era plantation house and a petting zoo with African pygmy goats and whitetail deer.

Best time to visit: Magnolia is known for its azalea collection — the biggest in the U.S. — so go in late March or early April when the flowers start to pop. Open year-round, 3550 Ashley River Rd., 800/367-3517, magnoliaplantation.com, admission $10.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami

Biscayne Bay glitters just beyond the 10 acres of European-inspired gardens and native forest at Vizcaya, an opulent, European-style villa built in 1916 as a winter home for agricultural industrialist James Deering. The mansion-turned-museum houses international antiques and art from the 15th through 19th centuries. But the real scene-stealer is the outdoor sculpture garden, which features artifacts like a Roman altar from the second century A.D. and the 290-year-old Sutri Fountain, imported from Italy especially by Deering.

Best time to visit: Romantics will dig Vizcaya's moonlight garden tours, which offer live music and a chance to gaze at flowers under the stars and are scheduled around full moons. Check the website for dates. Open daily (except Tuesdays and Thanksgiving/Christmas), 3251 South Miami Ave., 305/250-9133, admission $15.

Naumkeag, Stockbridge, Mass.

This Gilded-Age mansion in the Berkshires was completed in 1886 as a summer retreat for prominent New York attorney Joseph Choate and his family. The 44-room house — which contains the Choates' furniture and artwork from Europe and Asia — sits among 10 acres of terraced gardens designed by America's first Modernist landscape architect, Fletcher Steele. Of particular note are the Blue Steps, four tiers of fountain pools surrounded by a grove of white birches.

Best time to visit: The fall foliage in the Berkshires is considered some of the most stunning anywhere in America. The leaves hit their peak in October so head to Naumkeag as close to the end of the season as possible to see the leaves beginning to turn. Open daily, Memorial Day through Columbus Day, 5 Prospect Hill Rd., 413/298-3239, thetrustees.org, admission $15.

Old Westbury Gardens, Old Westbury, N.Y.

Hollywood has made good use of this palatial, Charles II-style mansion on Long Island's Gold Coast: "North By Northwest," "The Age of Innocence," and "Cruel Intentions" were all shot here. The estate was built between 1904 and 1906 for financier and lawyer John S. Phipps, with elements borrowed from classic British country estates and the medieval Battle Abbey. The collections of English antiques, American furnishings and Chinese porcelain were amassed over the family's 50-year residence. Westbury House sits on a 200-acre property that once held a number of Quaker farms, surrounded by eight formal gardens, plus wooded paths, ponds and more than 100 species of trees.

Best time to visit: More than 40 flower varieties (from lilacs to irises to tropical water lilies) bloom April through July, but leaf-peeping is a must in October, when Westbury's grounds burst with bold red, orange and yellow fall foliage. Open daily (except Tuesdays), April 30 through October 31, 71 Old Westbury Rd., 516/333-0048, oldwestburygardens.org, admission $10.

Hermann-Grima House, New Orleans

Built in 1831 by a German-Jewish immigrant, who made his fortune in cotton, the pink-bricked Hermann-Grima house — which still includes its original mahogany dining table and hurricane shades — contains the only horse stable and functional outdoor kitchen in the French Quarter. Outside, the grounds include Versailles-inspired ornamental parterre filled with antique roses and citrus trees.

Best time to visit: Every October, Hermann-Grima commemorates 19th-century Creole mourning rituals with a "celebration" called Sacred to the Memory. The house is draped in black crepe, and a coffin is stationed in its parlor. It's morbid, sure, but it also happens to be the house's most popular annual event — and the closest you'll get to reenacting a scene from 1800s New Orleans. Open Monday-Saturday, 820 Saint Louis St., 504/525-5661, hgghh.org, admission $12.

Green Animals Topiary Garden, Portsmouth, R.I.

Have you ever seen a tree that looks like a teddy bear, or a reindeer, or a unicorn? You will at Green Animals Topiary Garden, one of the oldest of its kind in the country. Here, more than 80 plants (including California privet, yew, and English boxwood) have been clipped to resemble mammals, birds and geometric shapes. The garden, which sits on seven acres overlooking Naragansett Bay, shares its land with a rose arbor and fruit trees. The grounds also include a white clapboard house that cotton manufacturer Thomas Brayton bought in 1872 — a charmingly meager counterpoint to the ostentatious mansions of Newport, about 10 miles south of here.

Best time to visit: Summertime at Green Animals brings sensory overload: The herb gardens are fragrant, the on-site orchards brim with fruit, and Naragansett Bay is guaranteed to be a picturesque shade of blue. Open May 12-October 8, 380 Cory's Ln., 401/847-1000, newportmansions.org, admission $14.50.

Historic Deepwood Estate, Salem, Ore.

The 4.2 acres of formal English gardens and nature trails at Deepwood — a multi-gabled, Queen Anne Victorian home built in 1894 — were designed by Lord & Schryver, the Northwest's first female landscape architecture team. The gardens, which are surrounded by the Rita Steiner Nature Trail, are full of romantic touches: gazebos, ivy-covered arbors and fleur-de-lis-adorned gates.

Best time to visit: The Deepwood Wine & Jazz Fest takes place in the estate's gardens on June 30; for $10, guests can stroll among the flowers while local musicians jam. Oregon wine and gourmet snacks are on hand, too. Open daily (except Tuesdays), May 1-October 15; open Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, October 16-April 30, 1116 Mission St. SE, 503/363-1825, historicdeepwoodestate.org, admission $4, though access to the grounds is free.

Taliesin West, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and studio, where he lived from 1937 until his death in 1959, sits at the foothills of the McDowell Mountains in the Sonoran Desert. (The 550-acre property is now the main campus of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture and the international headquarters for the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.) The house, considered to be one of the architect's masterpieces for touches like the cabaret theater and shaded pool, was constructed with native materials such as desert rocks, and its translucent roof and slanted windows let natural light flood in. Wright was so energized and reinvigorated by Taliesin's desert landscape that he designed some of his most renowned buildings, like New York's Guggenheim Museum, in the abode's drafting room. Outside, the grounds include a sculpture garden filled with bronze statues and desert plants.

Best time to visit: The year 2012 marks the 75th anniversary of Taliesin, and the milestone is being celebrated throughout the year with a series of symposiums, fundraisers, and concerts (check website for dates). If you want to skip the fanfare, sign up for the Night Lights tour, which runs Fridays from February through October. The two-hour trek starts at twilight and lets you experience Taliesin's grounds under the dusky desert sky. Open daily (except major holidays), 12621 North Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., 480/627-5340, admission varies by tour ($18-$60), Night Lights, $35.

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