World Tourism Blog

No. 1: 21C Museum Hotel, Louisville, Kentucky
The top-scoring property in the United States, in what was once tobacco and bourbon warehouses, has 9,000 square feet of exhibition space filled with contemporary art. Original brickwork, arches, and prismatic glass transoms are offset by hand-knotted rugs, linen upholstery, and reclaimed-wood floors. Rooms are “very artsy in a minimalist, high-end way,” with Herman Miller chairs and silver mint julep cups. Proof on Main presents “a unique twist on Kentucky-inspired cuisine,” using ingredients from the rooftop garden. “Staff are willing to help but are never pushy.”

Overall score: 97.2
Rooms: 98.2
Service: 95.7
Food: 95.7
Location: 96.8
Design: 98.9

No 2: The Peninsula, Chicago, Ill.
Occupying a full city block, this European-style hotel has “public spaces that are grand in every sense of the word,” with Murano chandeliers. “Closets are abundant,” and housekeeping notes personal room preferences, so “yours is always made as you like it.” The Art Nouveau bar “is friendly and always active.” “Staff love their job and their hotel.” (339 rooms, pool, spa).

Overall score: 96.0
Rooms: 96.2
Service: 95.6
Food: 93.2
Location: 98.0
Design: 96.8

No 3: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Hawaii
“We were floored by the beauty” of this resort. Natural light streaming through patio doors brightens white bedding and the mixed browns of the furniture and upholstery; lanais are “a perfect place to unwind.” Duo’s open kitchen turns out “a delightful Kobe steak.” “Staff are incredibly attentive and anticipated all our needs.” An adults-only infinity pool opened in July 2009. (380 rooms, golf, pool, tennis, spa, water sports, beach).

Overall score: 95.8
Rooms: 94.2
Service: 96.1
Food: 95.7
Location: 98.1
Design: 95.4
Activities: 95.4

No. 4: Kenwood Inn & Spa, Sonoma, Calif.
“You immediately feel at ease walking past the rosemary and lavender bushes” at this ivy-cloaked Mediterranean villa. Fireplaces, featherbeds, and the absence of TV await guests in “very secluded” rooms with private entrances. The guests-only restaurant serves dishes like wood-fired Petaluna chicken: “I couldn’t clean the plate quick enough.” Perfect—scoring staff “instantly remembered me the second time I was there.” (29 rooms, pool, spa).

Overall score: 94.9
Rooms: 98.3
Service: 100
Food: 93.2
Location: 95.0
Design: 94.9
Activities: 87.9

No. 5: Mandarin Oriental, Boston, Mass.
The Asian-influenced limestone-and-marble newcomer next to the Prudential Center is “very well thought out.” Teal- and taupe-shaded rooms “are spacious, with fabulous bathrooms.” Bamboo floors and Jerusalem limestone walls at Asana set the tone for “amazing Nova Scotia halibut and Maine lobster” and caramelized miso cod. “Staff are exceptional—the smiles are never forced.” (148 rooms, spa). Home Security Systems.

Overall score: 94.4
Rooms: 96.9
Service: 96.9
Food: 93.8
Location: 90.6
Design: 93.8

What city do you think of when you think great coffee shops? How about terrific music? What if you’re in search of the perfect winter getaway?

Say you just want to meet some friendly locals — where would you go? Or perhaps you have a least favorite city, where the restaurants are overrated or overpriced and the people aren’t so attractive — or smart?

TravelandLeisure.com really wanted to know, so for the third consecutive year, we asked visitors to our site to rank their favorite American urban locales. These travel experts weighed in on a wide variety of topics: where they like to go for a family vacation, a shopping bender, or a relaxing getaway; and which spots are the best for cheap eats, haute cuisine, and more.

This year we changed the rules a little. Before the main survey opened, we gave travelers one month to vote for five additional cities to join the 25 veterans in our lineup.

The voting was tight, but the results were clear: Houston, Kansas City, Cleveland, St. Louis, and Providence would all contend for titles in the 55 survey categories.

Knowing how strongly travelers feel about airports and hotels, TravelandLeisure.com also expanded the survey to include questions about how the cities’ airports rate on everything from on-time arrivals to layover-worthy restaurants. And we added questions about which cities offer the best lodging options, ranging from the biggest big-name luxury hotels down to the smallest B&Bs. Hard money training

Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with over 2.8 million people is the third largest city in the United States. Located on the southwestern shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago is the third-most densely populated major city in the U.S., and anchor to the world’s 26th largest metropolitan area with over 9.5 million people across three states.

After a series of wars with the local American Natives, Chicago was founded in 1833, near a portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed. The city became a major transportation and telecommunications hub in North America. Today, the city retains its status as a major hub, both for industry and infrastructure, with its O’Hare Airport as the second busiest airport in the world. In modern times, the city has taken on additional dimension as a center for business and finance, and is listed as one of the world’s top ten Global Financial Centers. Chicago is a stronghold of the Democratic Party, and has been home to influential politicians, including the current President of the United States, Barack Obama. The World Cities Study Group at Loughborough University rated Chicago as an alpha world city.

In 2007, the city attracted 32.8 million domestic visitors and about 1.15 million foreign visitors. Making use of its abundant resources, Chicago has a heritage for hosting major international, national, regional, and local events that include commerce, culture, entertainment, politics, and sports. In 2008, Chicago was chosen as one of the final four world city candidates to host the 2016 Summer Olympics and is the only American city on the list.

Globally recognized, Chicago has numerous nicknames, which reflect the impressions and opinions about historical and contemporary Chicago. The best known include: “Chi-town”; the “Windy City” with reference to Chicago politicians and residents boasting about their city; “Second City,” due to the city generally being the second most prestigious in the nation in terms of transportation, culture, and finance; and the “City of Big Shoulders”, referring to its numerous skyscrapers (which were invented in Chicago), described as being husky and brawling. National Hard Money Association Conference